Responsible for works that have entered our collective imagination, largely thanks to his unique and deft ability to marry high and popular culture, Koons regards “shine” as a key feature of his artwork – from the post-modern reinvention of the ready-made to works in perfectly polished metal that appear like inflatable toys. Indeed, “shine” is far more than an ornament: it is the very substance of these works, as this reflective property brings together appearance and essence.

 

Curated by Vincenzo de Bellis (Curator and Associate Director of Programs, Visual Arts, Walker Art Center) and Arturo Galansino (Director General, Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi), the exhibition celebrates great American art over forty years of history, from the 1960s to the 2000s, with an outstanding selection of over eighty works by 55 American artists, including paintings, photographs, video art, sculptures and installations on loan from the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, one of the world’s leading museums of contemporary art.

Curated by the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi’s Director General Arturo Galansino, the project consists of a large installation for the courtyard inspired by the popular southern Italian luminaria or “artist’s lighting” tradition, and a programme of participatory workshops focusing on the idea of social activation and the construction of a community built around the practice of performance art.