‘Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, and Pontus Hulten’: A Celebration of Art, Partnership, and Rebellion
01 October 2025
The landmark exhibition 'Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, Pontus Hulten' is open until 4 January 2026. Presented by the Centre Pompidou in collaboration with the Grand Palais during the Pompidou’s temporary closure for renovations, this exhibition revisits one of the most electrifying artistic partnerships of the 20th century.
At its core, the exhibition is for those who believe art should defy boundaries. Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002) and Jean Tinguely (1925–1991), partners in both life and creation, transformed the Centre Pompidou’s early decades with monumental works such as Le Crocrodrome de Zig & Puce (1977) and the Fontaine Stravinsky(1983). They saw art as rebellion; joyful, anarchic, and radically open to the public.
The artists' boldest projects were realised through the Pompidou’s first director of the Musée national d’art moderne, Pontus Hulten’s (1924-2006), vision and support. Hulten championed their boundary-breaking spirit, lending institutional backing to works that shook the foundations of museum practice.
Visitors are invited to journey through this shared history, where love, friendship, and artistic conviction are intertwined. Tinguely’s kinetic sculptures—playful yet self-destructive machines—offer a biting critique of technological optimism in postwar Europe. Meanwhile, Saint Phalle’s explosive Tirs paintings and exuberant Nanas confronted social and artistic norms, celebrating female power with vitality and colour.
What makes this exhibition exceptional is its depth of archival material. Rare correspondences, illustrated letters, and footage reveal not only the scale of Saint Phalle and Tinguely’s projects but also the central role of Hulten’s generosity and daring. From the giant penetrable Hon-en katedral (1966) in Stockholm to the sprawling Cyclop hidden in the woods of Milly-la-Forêt, their collaborative feats are a testimony to Hulten’s unique ability to enable artists to dream on a monumental scale.
Ultimately, 'Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, Pontus Hulten' is an invitation to rediscover how three figures changed the rules of creativity and reimagined the role of art in society.
