A Grand Palais for Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, Pontus Hulten

A free, explosive, visionary woman...

An artist who knew how to speak of love, anger, femininity, and society with a boldness that was always joyful. Monumental, intimate, playful, political—Niki’s entire universe takes over the galleries of the Grand Palais from June 20, 2025, to January 4, 2026, like a firework of ideas and forms.

The immersive and generous exhibition places her work at the heart of an artistic, intimate, and historical dialogue.

Niki de Saint Phalle is a cry of joy, rage, and love. Her Nanas, sculptures with colorful and voluptuous shapes, have become pop and feminine icons—just as powerful as they are playful. But Niki also fully embraced transgression: her Tirs performances, in which she fired a rifle at canvases to make paint explode, unleashed a ritualistic violence to bring forth creation. The exhibition guides you through these contrasting realms—from gentleness to subversion, introspection to excess.

Far from being alone in her creative journey, Niki formed an unforgettable duo with sculptor Jean Tinguely, her partner in life and invention. Together, they created a dual-voiced body of work—between joyful mechanics and radiant baroque. Their works converse here as they once did in their home-studio: noisy machines, articulated creatures, improbable assemblages… a living theater of free art.

To better understand this mythical couple of contemporary art, the exhibition also pays tribute to the benevolent presence of Pontus Hulten—founding figure of the Centre Pompidou, bold curator, and dear friend of the duo. Thanks to him, their works found a place in major institutions early on. This exhibition is a vibrant homage to this creative trio: the artist, her accomplice, and the enlightened observer.

As visitors wander through the Grand Palais galleries, they’ll also encounter monumental works—models of the Tarot Garden, immersive installations, films, handwritten letters—that tell the story of a woman possessed, sometimes haunted, yet always filled with light. A light she shared with passion, conviction, and humor, turning her art into an act of healing.

In this landmark exhibition, you’ll meet her famous Nanas with their generous, dancing forms—true festive female totems—but also more intimate, committed, and sometimes darker works. Because Niki embodies a joy that hides nothing: a woman who shoots at her canvases, who builds cathedral-like mosaics, and who dreams of re-enchanted worlds. The rich exhibition plunges you into her imagination: monumental sculptures, immersive environments, archival videos, garden models... You’ll leave moved, smiling, inspired, shaken. You’ll leave feeling alive.

And after such intensity, comes a return to gentleness. To extend your visit with a more sensory delight, settle into the brand-new Grand Café, in the heart of the Grand Palais. In this elegant, light-filled setting of stone and glass, French cuisine is expressed with freshness and refinement: seasonal asparagus, Landes chicken, soft-boiled egg with light cream, red berries on lemon shortbread… Each dish is a fleeting painting, each bite a tribute to the French art of living.

The terrace, nestled against the colonnades, is one of Paris’s best-kept secrets: a peaceful, chic place—perfect for letting the emotion of the visit settle.

Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, Pontus Hulten, the Centre Pompidou, and the Grand Palais galleries—this exceptional constellation shines once again for all who love art that takes risks, art that moves, art that dares.

And that is also the spirit we cultivate at the Hotel de Lille in Saint-Germain-des-Prés: welcoming curious souls, free minds, and hearts seeking emotion.

Stay with us—and make this exhibition an unforgettable chapter of your Parisian summer.

Information: Grand Palais

 

Colombe de la Taille