Art in Paris: Niki de Saint Phalle at the Grand Palais

Should we label the late Niki de Saint Phalle a French artist or an American one? This major exhibition, first comprehensive retrospective of her work for two decades attempts to capture the eclectic, shape-shifting nature of her talent.

Born in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine and raised in New York, Saint Phalle shuttled between her transatlantic homelands as easily as she mastered the different media she worked with during her career. With her unequalled drive, Saint Phalle pushed the boundaries of painting, sculpture, performance and experimental film.

Throughout her career, Saint Phalle brought art out of the museums and into public spaces, and blasted through archaic notions on the role of women in the art world. Appropriately, much like Saint Phalle’s public persona, the scale of this exhibition is larger than life. It spans the origins of Pop Art, her subversive ‘shoot’ happenings, where members of the audience would fire at paintings with a rifle, and her political and humanitarian engagement.

Tip: This is one of Paris’s main art events of the season so do take advantage of online ticketing in order to avoid long waiting times or not being able to enter upon visiting.

Niki de Saint Phalle, Until February 2, 2015 at the Grand Palais. Champs-Elysées entrance, 3 avenue du Général Eisenhower, Paris 8th. Métro: Franklin D Roosevelt, Champs-Élysées-Clemenceau. Open daily 10am-10pm. Sundays & Mondays until 8pm. Closed Tuesdays. Entrance fee is €13. Tel: + 33 1 44 13 17 17

From France Today magazine