Iconic artist couple reopen the Grand Palais with a bang
Explosive colors, surrealist mechanics and artistic passion: Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely reenchant the Grand Palais for its complete reopening.
A long-awaited opening… with panache
Since the summer of 2024, the Grand Palais has been reopening in stages. But it’s on June 20, 2025, that the Parisian landmark will return to its former glory – and with an exhibition to mark the occasion. On show: the legendary twentieth-century art duo Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely, highlighted by their friend and historic curator Pontus Hulten.
When love feeds creation
There’s nothing ordinary about their story: as a couple in the city as well as in the studio, Niki and Jean merged their worlds to create works that were playful, spectacular and politically charged. This complementarity can be seen in such landmark creations as the Stravinsky Fountain at Beaubourg or the delirious Crocrodrome installation by Zig & Puce (1977), supported by Hulten.
The course of the exhibition shows their works in dialogue, then in spaces dedicated to each. The visual shock is real: on one side Saint Phalle“s committed pop paintings, on the other Tinguely”s creaky, poetic machines.
Joyful provocation, accessible art
With pieces such as Tinguely’s L’enfer, un petit début – which comes to life in front of visitors – and the giant Hon / Elle sculpture, this retrospective celebrates an art that is participatory and jubilant, without ever sacrificing depth. Pontus Hulten, the first director of the Centre Pompidou, was a key player in this creative energy, orchestrating their first major retrospectives in Paris.
Practical info:
📍 Grand Palais, 75008
📅 From June 20, 2025 to January 4, 2026
🎟️ To be found on Paris Select with other current exhibitions.
