Jeff Koons Exhibition On View 21st November 2021 to 31st March 2022
Gigantic balloon dogs, rows of vacuum cleaners, the colourful, the commonplace, the shiny and ephemeral – American artist Jeff Koons makes ‘poor’ objects into something rich people desire.
On 21 November 2021, Qatar Museums opened to the public a debut Jeff Koons: Lost in America exhibit at the QM Gallery Al Riwaq. The expansive exhibition space is located at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park. On view through 31 March 2022 and organised by renowned curator Massimiliano Gioni.
This is Koons’ first exhibition in the Gulf region.
Jeff Koons is one of the most famous contemporary artists in the world. With his playful mind, he uses the essence of everyday objects and transforms them into a world of wonder.
The idea of reflection comes from the ability to shine. If we look at different theologies around the world, we can see that we are based on the concept of light – we are theological beings, we come from nature and are dependant on light and ultimately turn to shine.
Not only does he use the ideology of light but that of reflection. There are metaphysics that are taking place and thoughts that occur in slightly different times than the right here and now – it is much slower in a review. This is the theory that American artist Jeff Koons believes has a hold on us all.
From reflective surfaces like pots and pans to balloons, mirrors, porcelain, jewels, crystals, flowers and bubbles, this contemporary pop artist’s extremely polished synthetic timeless art pieces are what makes him one of the most well-known artists to date.
Born in suburban York, Pennsylvania, Koons grew up with a constant fascination with the world around him. His father, Henry Koons, was the leading interior decorator in York, which gave him a lot of insight into how people who aspired to be wealthy decorated their homes. Or how the middle-class people decorated their homes and took that ideology in.
It gave him an inside look into the idea of display.
Now, his Lost in America exhibition presents a portrait of American culture as seen through Koons’ autobiography.
The 66-year-old expressed how, during the 1950s and 1960s, his love for brightly coloured pop images on a cereal boxes drew him in.
However, Koons would sexualise this experience and recreate delight in things we take for granted. From this, he used consumerist products to create masterpieces never seen before.
Today, Koons is widely known for his iconic sculptures Rabbit and Balloon Dog as well as the monumental floral sculpture Puppy (1992), shown at Rockefeller Center and permanently installed at the Guggenheim Bilbao.
You can visit the exhibition at Qatar Museums Gallery – Al Riwaq between 9 am and 7 pm from Saturday to Thursday and between 1.30 pm and 7 pm on Fridays.
For more information on Jeff Koons’ exhibit: Lost In America, visit the gallery’s website here.
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