Massive Steel Sculptures Surround Palace of Versailles

Visit the Palace of Versailles from June 1st through November 1st, 2011 and you'll get to see some fantastic contemporary sculptures surrounding the French landmark. The past few years we saw Takashi Murakami, Xavier Veihan and Jeff Koons display their works around the palace and this year they've invited artist Bernar Venet to display his stunning steel sculptures. The Palace of Versailles chose Venet to showcase a French artist’s meticulous, intense efforts to probe the question about the relationships between art, landscapes and architecture, and therefore between art, time and history.

"I was excited when Jean-Jacques Aillagon asked me to take over the Palace of Versailles for two reasons: because it was an amazing backdrop for my sculptures, and because it was an amazing opportunity to capture my conception of space," Venet says. "I found Versailles fascinating even before they started organising contemporary art exhibitions... Versailles, as I see it, is all about wide open spaces and perspectives that stretch as far as the eye can see. It is the perfect venue for my sculptures – and a real challenge to take on such a sublime, grandiose milieu. My Arcs have to blend in without fading away in the backdrop. So I have to accommodate several variables. That was why I decided to tailor new sculptures to the area’s topology and scale.

"It was clear at the start that my sculptures would not be on show inside the Château, as they would unleash their full potential in the paths across Le Notre’s gardens. I am thinking about the sunrises and sunsets, and the golden light that steeps the Corten steel in red and brown hints."