"The Bride" (A Noiva) by Joana Vasconcelos at CENTQUATRE (104)

The cultural space CENTQUATRE (104), in Paris, presents from July 5 through September 18, one of the most important works by the Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos: "The Bride" (A Noiva; La Mariée).

Considered by the critics and by the artist herself, one of her most iconic works, "The Bride" is a 600 x Ø 300 cm chandelier completed between 2001 and 2005, made from stainless steel, cotton thread, steel wire, and over 14,000 OB tampons. Its reflective look results from the plastic that involves the tampons.

After the refuse by Catherine Pégard, Director of the Palace of Versailles to include the chandelier in the exhibition featuring the artist, with several sculptures in the palace and its gardens, the public will now have the chance to visualize Joana Vasconcelos' acclaimed and sometimes controversial sculpture at CENTQUATRE (104).

The preview will take place this Wednesday, 4th of July at 19h00.

The work of Joana Vasconcelos at Versailles 2012

The long awaited exhibition at Versailles of the renowned Portuguese (born in Paris) artist Joana Vasconcelos opened today, June 19 and will be on view until September 30, 2012.

In the Grand Apartments and in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, visitors will be able to appreciate 17 of the most famous and iconic works of the artist. Coração Independente Vermelho (2005); Coração Independente Preto (2006); Valquíria Enxoval (2009); Mary Poppins (2010); Marylin (2011), are some of the works being exhibited.

 Eight of them were especially created for the exhibition: Lilicoptère (2012), a real Bell 47 helicopter featuring Arraiolos rugs inside, covered in gold-leaf, hand dyed pink ostrich feathers and Swarovski crystals;Perruque (2012), a work produced in collaboration with Fundação Ricardo Espírito Santo that pays tribute to the 19 children born in the Chambre de la Reine, as an egg shapped sculpture with hair tufts that also represens the wigs and the Fabergé eggs; Le Dauphin (2012) and La Dauphine (2012), two ceramic lobsters from Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro faiences painted with ceramic glaze and covered with azores crocheted lace; Blue Champagne (2012), made with Pommery champagne bottles; Vitral (2012), a 13sqm tapestry executed by the Manufactura de Tapeçarias de Portalegre; Royal Valkyrie (2012), a work that reinterprets the exuberance of Versailles; Golden Valkyrie (2012), considered by the artist as the central work of the exhibition, linking history and contemporary art.

The exhibition can be visited during the following schedule:
Grand Apartments: open everyday except Mondays, 9:00 am - 6:30 pm (last admission: 6:00 pm)
Gardens: open everyday, 8:00 am to 8:30 pm

Tickets:
Grand Apartments: Passport or Palace ticket.
The audioguide, which contains commentaries on several works in the exhibition, is included in the price of the ticket.

Gardens: Free admission, except Musical Fountains Show and Musical Gardens days (Saturdays and Sundays, Public Holidays and some Tuesdays). On these days you can visit the gardens with a Passport or Gardens ticket.

After Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Xavier Veilhan, Joana Vasconcelos is the first woman and the youngest artist to exhibit at the Estate of Versailles. The Joana Vasconcelos Versailles exhibition is curated by Jean-François Chougnet

Catherine Pégard left "The Bride" at the altar

 Catherine Pégard, Director of the Palace of Versailles, declined the work The Bride (A Noiva) by the Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos to be exhibited during the "Joana Vasconcelos Versailles in the State Apartments and the gardens" from 19 June to 30 September 2012.

 The Bride is a  600 x Ø 300 cm chandelier made from stainless steel, cotton thread, steel wire, and over 14,000 OB tampons, completed between 2001 and 2005. Its reflective aspect results from the plastic that involves the tampons.
 It's one of the most iconic works by the artist and a tribute to the liberation of the woman's still repressed sexuality by society.
 At the moment, The Bride (A Noiva) belongs to the António Cachola Collection, Elvas, Portugal.

 According to sources, this work was among the artist's first choices for the exhibition and she was surprised by the announcement. Afterall, if there's something that looks good at Versailles is a chandelier.

 Catherine Pégard worked as a political journalist  and as the editor-in-chief of the topical news magazine, Le Point. She was advisor to former French President Nicolas Sarkozy since 2007.
 It was Sarkozy who in 2011 appointed Pégard as Director of the Palace of Versailles (Château de Versailles), despite her lack of cultural credentials and experience in the arts or cultural heritage.

 This nomination was involved in controversy, namely because the previous Director, Jean-Jacques Alliagon, had expressed his wish to continue his mandate, despite being over 65, the legal – and normally obligatory – age for retirement, in spite of numerous exceptions to the rule.
 Currently serving as Minister of Labour, Xavier Darcos was at the time expected to be the successor to the previous director, Jean-Jacques Aillagon, but has since run into problems with a government policy that states French civil servants must retire after 65.

Joana Vasconcelos at Versailles 2012

The Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, will be the guest artist to exhibit at the Estate of Versailles in 2012.

"Marilyn" ( two shoes with stiletto heels, made of stainless steel pans, lids and cement), the Perruque (a sort of Fabergée Egg furniture) and the black and red versions of Coração Independente (made with plastic forks imitating filigree or filigrane), are some of the works to be exhibited.

Joana has also created a drawing for a tapestry, especially for this event, which will be manufactured at the Tapestry Factory of Portalegre and will measure approximately 13 sqm.

Since 2008, the surroundings of the Palace of Versailles (Chateâu de Versailles) have assisted to narratives between great artists of the Baroque period - André Le Nôtre, Ange-Jacques Gabriel, Charles Le Brun, Jules Hardouin-Mansart - and contemporary artists: Jeff Koons in 2008, Xavier Veilhan in 2009, Takashi Murakami in 2010 and Bernar Venet in 2011.

From June 19 to September 30, 2012, the public will have the opportunity to see the works of one of the most successful Portuguese contemporary artists and the first woman to exhibit in this project, as well as the youngest until today.

Joana Vasconcelos was born in Paris in 1971.