Tulips by Jeff Koons - Living, Loving, Thinking, Again

Kim Willsher “New Jeff Koons sculpture is tribute to victims of Paris attacks” https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/nov/22/jeff-koons-sculpture-tribute-paris-attacks-bouquet-of-tulips

ジェフ・クーンズ*1が昨年11月の巴里でのテロ襲撃*2の犠牲者に捧げた新作「チューリップの花束」を巡って；

The work, called Bouquet of Tulips, is a “symbol of remembrance, optimism and healing in moving forward from the horrific events that occurred in Paris one year ago,” Koons said.
The fistful of colourful flowers is also meant to resemble the hand of the Statue of Liberty. “One hundred and thirty years after France gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States, Jeff Koons wanted to celebrate the remarkable France-America alliance that has endured and flourished for over 200 years,” said a statement.
At 10.4 metres (34ft) high, 8.4 metres wide and 10.2 metres deep, the work, currently being built in Germany, and made of bronze, stainless steel and aluminium, is to be installed on the plaza outside the Museum of Modern Art and the Palais de Tokyo next year.
“I hope the work is life-changing to people,” Koons said on Monday. “I hope that the Bouquet of Tulips can communicate a sense of future, of optimism, the joy of offering to find something greater outside the self.”
Koons said he hoped the flowers would give the victims’ families the strength to continue. “They are a symbol that life goes forward,” he said, adding that the sculpture had been inspired by the floral paintings of Monet, Picasso and Fragonard, among others.

一方で、クーンズといえば、そのえげつなさにおいて村上隆も彼と比べればただのお人好しに見えてしまう現代アートの悪の権化というイメージがある*3。そのクーンズがこんなにベタな作品を作っていいのかしら？　という思いもある。

*1:http://www.jeffkoons.com/ See eg. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Koons https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%83%95%E3%83%BB%E3%82%AF%E3%83%BC%E3%83%B3%E3%82%BA

*3:当然ながら、これらは賞賛の言葉である。