The Château de Versailles has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for more than 30 years and is an example of classical 18th-century French art. French kings who lived there have only added glory to the site, expanding and transforming it over the years. Today, the château has acquired a new role, and many of the château’s rooms are used as Museum of the History of France. The Palace of Versailles has been a public institution since 1995. It works under the direction of the ministry of culture and communication and has independent administrative management. The revenues are spent on renovations and improvements. Many exhibitions are held here on a regular basis from world renowned artists (The Public Establishment 2016).
Famous artists such as Jeff Koons, Takashi Murikami, and Joana Vasconcelos have exhibited their work at the Palace of Versailles exhibitions. The essay evaluates one of these exhibitions by the artist Takashi Murikami.
Takashi Murakami
The Japanese painter and sculptor, Takashi Murakami was born in Japan, and he lives and works in Tokyo. He is known to combine the fine and the commercial. His work is often categorized under the tradition of Pop Art with the likes of Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol (Takashi Murakami 2016). His work has created interest across the globe and achieved a widespread fame. The artist is certainly one of the most innovative in the field of art today. His style combines the contemporary Japanese pop culture with the classical Japanese art. The brightly colored and highly graphic works explore the relations between the Japanese styles of comics and traditional printmaking. Murakami’s art creates a unique culture with unruly suggestions in its imagery despite the apparent playfulness. Today, Murakami collaborates with famous names such as Louis Vuitton and is promoting art as a brand. A variation can be seen in Vuitton fashions and patterns developed by Murakami. The brightly colored Murakami line has been remarkably successful. Those smiling aliens and droopy ear rabbits were the cute cartoon-like characters he created as a brand for the Murakami line (Lubow 2005).
Murakami at the Château de Versailles
Château de Versailles is a great symbol in the Western history, and the sophistication and elegance of the palace are simply unmatched. According to Murakami, his exhibition tries to capture the diluted reality of the palace and help the France to recreate an accurate image of the Samurai. He has tried to create the Palace of Versailles into a Wonderland of Versailles (Takashi Murakami at the Château de Versailles 2010). Murakami claims to be like the Cheshire cat in the Alice of Wonderland who brings in the land of marvel at the Palace. The famous Japanese artist displayed 22 works throughout the halls and gardens of the palace during the third annual installation of contemporary art (Rothkopf 2010).
It is not uncommon to display contemporary art at historic sites. The exhibition by Takashi Murakami at the Palace of Versailles was not encouraged, and attempts were made to block the exhibition in order to show respect for the work of Louis XIV. The king wanted to create an influential cultural and political identity for France. He founded art academies that would establish French identity both at home and abroad. The Palace of Versailles soon became a principal showroom for the noble lifestyle and magnificent ware (Martin 49). Louis XIV kept a close watch on the tapestries, the fabrication of royal furniture and other objects d’art. The King tried to suppress the memories of the civil war and forget the past altogether, trying to live in the eternal and shining present. The same sentiment can be seen in Murakami’s body of work that tries to shake off the memories of Japan’s defeat in World War II (Martin 50). His “Super flat Flowers 2010” can stand for the decked out nobles during the reign of Louis XIV who lined up for the royal ceremonies in the same rooms.
Protests against the exhibition
The opening of the exhibition by Murakami at the Château de Versailles met with oppositions from the rationalists who claimed that the odd contemporary art clashed with the 17th-century glory of the palace. There have been protests against such exhibitions at the Palace earlier, for example, the 2008 exhibition by Jeff Koon. Bringing urinals and brides inside the castle and then began forced to appreciate the challenging art is not the purpose of the Palace, according to the protesters (The Cats of Versailles 2010). An open letter to French President by the Committee for the Defense of Versailles in 2010 showed concerns regarding the work by the Takashi Murakami. The letter stated that the Versailles stands as a symbol of France’s cultural excellence and universality of European Civilization. Exhibitions by Koon and Murakami smear the sacred values of the national prestige and make a contempt of their cultural identity. According to the letter, such displays continue the policy of suicidal mockery (Charie-Marsaines 2011). French people look at those works as an insult to European intelligence. The letter further states that Versailles will soon become a symbol of the spreading breach between the people and an autocratic government. The protestors asked for the removal of his installations which they believed destroyed the harmony and grandeur of the palace. Murakami claims that his twisting of Japanese culture for an art market in the West has left him with a label of a sell-out at home (Wingfield 2010).
Murakami’s stand
Murakami has held several solo and group exhibitions, and the cultural entrepreneur is also a critical spectator of contemporary Japanese society. His exhibition at the grand salons of the Château de Versailles gathered loud public protest in France. The director of the Château thinks that it was appropriate to invite a Japanese artist of Murakami's caliber, as he carries one of a complete caliber of contemporary art. Murakami's quirky Japanese characters reflect the popular culture of the Japanese, kawaii, which means cuteness. Still, Japanese kawaii can be dark, because of the impact of the aftermath of the Second World War (Wingfield 2010).
In the exhibition catalog, Murakami maintains that his show carries a formal resemblance in his flowers and the King’s sun. If one speaks of any similarities between the King’s creation and those of Murakami, there can be seen a fascination with the details. There is an impression of lightness in those works that reflect the grace of the palace gardens. Murakami’s installations and exhibition in the palace has inserted the viral brand of “otaku” in the sacred halls of Versailles (Martin 50). And by doing so, the Japanese artist has brought to forefront certain aspects of the history of the palace that the protestors would like to forget. Such installations may alter ones’ view of the past and suggest the potential for contemporary art.
Super flat Flowers are installed in the room next to the Hall of Mirrors, may look like alien in the palace and do look misplaced in the interiors of the palace. The plastic blossoms by Murakami look far more aggressive as compared to the delicate wooden work of the rooms. Still, those flowers also draw attention to the strained artificiality of the palace, as it was a foundation of not just sealing luxury goods but the image of the nobility and lifestyle sold by the King, in order to raise funds (Martin 50). Murakami’s ‘superflat,’ theme tries to level out the un-thinkable horrors of the Atomic Bomb memories into a mere artistic and symbolic style. His art attracts attention in the art world and is emerging as a hot commodity in the art market (Koh 407).
One should not forget the new perspectives were seen in the social order as the intellectual conscience advanced during the decades of the nineteenth century. Those outlooks were absorbed consciously and unconsciously by artists and poets. Thus, it is no surprise to see the avant-garde coinciding chronologically and geographically with the bold revolutionary thoughts developing in Europe. With the falling away of aristocratic patronage, the avant-garde’s emigration began from the bourgeois society to Bohemia, thus a relocation from the capitalist markets. The avant-garde artist maintained the high level of his art by raising it to an absolute level and created art for art’s sake (Greenberg 255). Amidst the heated disputed surrounding the exhibition, the response to Murakami opening was lukewarm. According to the critics, the otaku-inspired creations failed to connect with the historic surroundings. The form and content of the Murakami work and sculptures conflict with the interiors of Versailles and moreover, the installation seemed flat.
Murakami's exhibitions at Versailles could become the highpoint of his career, even though his work annoyed French traditionalists. He has developed his own self-styled art movement that he calls 'Superflat.' His paintings and sculptural works have touched the highest echelons of contemporary art, and he is referred to as "The Japanese Andy Warhol." The threatening looking evil eye or fang in Murakami paints add a subtle sense of horror (Wingfield 2010). Murakami’s artistic strategies and theories of ‘Little Boy’ and ‘Superflat’ make an effort to revisit ‘genuine historical memories.’ Still, his work forces one to question the definition of traditional aesthetics that is getting increasingly complicated. The globalized art market along with the collaborations between private companies and artists has changed art into a cultural commodity as stated by Koh (393). The obvious commercialization of art by Murakami questions his primary purpose and the significance of his art.
Conclusion
Takashi Murakami did succeed in turning the Château de Versifies into a Wonderland. Those colorful and plastic creation may contradict the rich surroundings of the place and its interiors, but still, it is hard to ignore the work. Murakami exaggerates and transforms the Versailles, taking it far from its historic reality, even if for some time. The installations allow you to enter an entirely separate and unreal world. The exhibition was done in good taste, but the contemporary art works by Takashi Murakami belong to the marketable and consumerism category. The confusing gray area will always remain between art pieces and their impression. The artists, the critics, and the viewers can have conflicting views on the same subject and the transformation of esthetics in art. The visitors have the right to ask how the contemporary art makes its way to a traditional and historical art museum. In Murakami Versailles, one can make several interpretations of the historical palace and contemporary artworks. Even after the opening of the exhibition, there was a lot of debate and discussion. Many people are sensitive about displaying contemporary artworks into a historical royal palace. The issue here is not the art itself, but how and where it is displayed. French are sensitive about their past and royal history. Thus, it is no surprise to see a commotion stir up over the news of a foreign contemporary artist installing his works in their historical palace. However, when one walks through Murakami Versailles, all visitors from local or different cultures will feel that every artwork and exhibition has something to offer and add to the ambiance of the galleries. Thus, the exhibition at Versailles by Murakami is not only a high point in his careers but another milestone in the history of the palace itself.
Works Cited
Charie-Marsaines, Pierre. Objection d'Art. New York: Harper's Magazine Foundation, 2011. Web.
Greenberg, Clement. "Avant-Garde and Kitsch." Horizon 1.4 (1940): 255. Web.
Koh, Dong-Yeon. "Murakami's 'Little Boy' Syndrome: Victim Or Aggressor in Contemporary Japanese and American Arts?" Inter-Asia Cultural Studies 11.3 (2010): 393-412. Web.
Lubow, Arthur. The Murakami Method. New York: The New York Times Company, 2005. Web.
Martin, Meredith. Amassed Ornaments: Meredith Martin on Contemporary Art at Versailles. 49 Vol. Artforum International Magazine, Inc, 2011. Web.
Rothkopf, Scott. Takashi Murakami. 49 Vol. New York: Artforum International Magazine, Inc, 2010. Web.
The Cats of Versailles. London: Britannia Art Publications Ltd, 2010. Web.
"The Public Establishment." http://en.chateauversailles.fr/. 2016. Web. 19 April. 2016.
Takashi Murakami." artnet. 2016. Web. 19 April. 2016.
"Takashi Murakami at the Château de Versailles." dezeen. 2010. Web. 19 April. 2016
Wingfield, Jonathan. "Let them eat manga: How Takashi Murakami introduced Japanese kitsch to the Palace of Versailles." independent. 2010. Web. 19 April. 2016.
