When I was in Florence, it was not all about antiquity and fine art. I also had some modern contemporary things that I saw. One day, when I was walking in the middle of Florence, I saw through an open door a massively large shiny blue sculpture, which, given its style, I immediately recognised it as a Jeff Koons sculpture. Apparently, there's a Jeff Koons exhibit in what turned out to be the Palazzo Strozzi, a palace that was built in 1489. I therefore decided to check it out.
Before this visit, I have already seen a few of Jeff Koons' artworks, most prominently in Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum, where there is a massive dog sculpture made of flowers right at its doorstep. However, this would be the first time I have seen a collection of his art in one setting.
The largest item in the exhibit was this shiny blue sculpture, positioned at the inner courtyard of the palace. If I remember correctly, the piece is entitled "Monkey". This is made of stainless steel, yet it appears to be very light, as it takes the form of a balloon.
This exhibit allowed me to be familiar with Koons' other artwork. Until now, I've only known the inflatable series, as that seems to be the one that is most photogenic. But of course, every artist has its history, and Koons also has a collection of pieces that form his early works.
Yes, there's a sample of the inflatable dog. This is of course made with stainless steel and therefore is a very heavy object, but because it looks like a giant twisted balloon, it appears light.
There are other pieces, some involving a painting juxtaposed with a very shiny blue ball. Others also involved stainless steel. In most cases, they were very interesting to look at.
