Versailles will keep contemporary art program Paris

October 19, 2011

Catherine Pégard, the new director of the Château of Versailles, has stated that the contemporary art program initiated by her predecessor Jean-Jacques Aillagon will continue, reports the Art Newspaper.

Aillagon inaugurated a program of exhibitions by living artists in 2008, beginning with a presentation of works by Jeff Koons. The 2010 show in the château by Japanese manga artist Takashi Murakami provoked great controversy with conservative groups, leading to a backlash against the program.

In an online French publication Le Quotidien de l’Art, Pégard is quoted as saying: “The issue of contemporary art [at Versailles] was determined by Louis XIV who made the château into a creative center. These [contemporary] shows have raised the profile of the site. It’s a question of balance. We have to respect both the modernity and tradition [of Versailles].”

An exhibition by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos is slated for spring 2012. Pégard has yet to release a statement about an exhibition of works by Maurizio Cattelan, also scheduled for 2012.

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