The 20th century was filled with artistic movements that continue to shape the world today. Amongst them, Pop Art heralded a paradigm shift on both sides of the Atlantic, replacing religious, mythological and historical themes with widespread iconography, from advertisements and merchandise to celebrities and everyday commercial branding as the central topics of discourse.
On view at Paris’ Fondation Louis Vuitton is a new group exhibition that celebrates the confluence of art and pop culture, surveying the origins of Pop Art and how the movement persists with today’s cultural luminaries. Central to the show is the work of Tom Wesselmann, who for over 60 years explored the sensuality and eroticism of American life, such as in The Great American Nude Series (1961-1973). “With no manifesto and no boundaries,” writes the institution, “Pop Art denominates an aesthetic that extends far beyond the artistic realm and prevails to this day. It is difficult to say when Pop Art begins, and certainly impossible to close the chapter on it.”
Complementing Wesselmann’s work will be early precursors to Pop Art, namely Dadaist pioneers in Marcel Duchamp and Kurt Schwitters, Postwar artists Jasper Johns and Marisol to contemporary figures, including Derrick Adams, Ai Weiwei, Lauren Halsey, Richard Hamilton, David Hammons, KAWS, Yayoi Kusama and Tadanori Yoko, amongst others.
Pop Forever, Tom Wesselmann &… will be on view in Paris until February 24, 2025.
Fondation Louis Vuitton
8 Av. du Mahatma Gandhi,
75116 Paris, France
