After several years of waiting and polemic, Jeff Koons’ Bouquet of Tulips will be finally set up in the gardens of the Petit Palais in Paris. For the record, this monumental piece was a gift from American artist Jeff Koons to the City of Paris in tribute to the 2015 terror attacks. "Bouquets of Tulips" is a work made of bronze that is 12.62-m high and 8.35-m wide, it weighs 34 tons and depicts a hand holding multicolor tulips.
To him, "Bouquet of Tulips" is a reference to the hand of the Statue of Liberty holding the torch. "I wanted to make a gesture of support and friendsjip between the people of the United States and France. [...] Flowers are associated universally with optimism, rebirth, the vitality of nature and the cycle of life. They are a symbol that life goes forward".
Loyal to his very pop style, Jeff Koons has created 11 bronze tulips with a polychrome aluminum coating. With bright colors and a mirror-finish, tulips are as much light in Paris' skies.
Perhaps you wonder why 11 tulips and not 12 like in any tradition bouquet. Here, the idea is to show the loss, losing a dear one in the 2015 terror attacks.
You can enjoy the work now in a small park set behind the Petit Palais, and no matter what we can say, its meaning is a beautiful architectural element in Paris.
