In 2008, waiting for the opening of the new gallery spaces at Punta della Dogana (June 2009), Palazzo Grassi organized a series of lectures and conferences with some of the most prominent artists featured in the Pinault’s Collection.
The first public talk has been with Jeff Koons, who has been interviewed by Alison Gingeras and introduced by Angela Vettese.
Jeff Koons probably is one of the most well-known artists of our times and not one of his pieces goes unnoticed or un-discussed. He is worth millions and he is surrounded by an army of assistants. His works clearly reference and wink the most commercial aspects of mass-mediated culture; his art talks about libido and sexual tension but at the same time it can be comforting. Thus, it is quite surprising to hear that he perceives his work as rather conceptual and metaphysic, and that rather than to Pamela Anderson and Playboy his homage goes to Dalì and Picabia, to the Ninetieth Century French peinture, to Canova up until to Masaccio...
The interview is divided into two parts, here are the topics Koons and Gingeras talk about:
Part One
Koons in Italy, Venice and the Gardena Valley
Themes and iconographies of the Celebration Series
Getting to monumental sculptures and the importance of team work
From single images to collages
Easy Fun Series and collage in art history
Mass-culture and avanguards
Koons’ digital collage
Sexuality
The importance of the spectator
Jeff Koons metaphysic?
Part Two
Hulk Elvis Series
Picabia, Courbet, Canova, Willendorf’s Venus
Thanksgiving Parade and meeting Salvador Dalì
Masculinity and femininity
Abstraction and transcendence