A most surprising monumental work on the façade of the Grand Palais... ! As part of the Euphoria exhibition at the Grand Palais this summer, the Paris museum is presenting a work depicting a giant multicolored ladder affixed to the museum's facade, as if a giant had put it there to climb onto the roof. But what is this work, entitled Untitled (project for Echigo Tsumari)? It's by Italian artist Paola Pivi, "a master in the art of monumental absurdity", as our Time Out colleagues explain on Facebook.
Originally conceived for the triennial Echigo-Tsumari art festival in Japan, this installation is finally settling in Paris for the occasion, until September 7, 2025. A work that overturns the codes of the building's classical architecture, provoking"a fascinating dissonance between the austere elegance of the palace and the visual irreverence of its impossible object", as our colleagues at Collater.al explain. The result is"a visual short-circuit that captures the eye and stimulates the imagination", they continue, playing with scale, color and absurdity, as the artist likes to do.
An installation transforming the facade into an "ephemeral place of wonder", and "devoid of any practical function". The idea: to invite (without actually inviting - it's not a playground...) you to climb, explore and play. A real foretaste of theexhibition that awaits you in the museum spaces, where you can interact and play among the works. Unlike the exhibition, the installation is free to view. An inflatable universe that would be a shame to miss... How about a reservation?
Dates and Opening Time
From June 6, 2025 to September 7, 2025
Location
Grand Palais
3 Avenue du Général Eisenhower
75008 Paris 8
Access
M° Champs-Elysées Clemenceau
Prices
Free
Official website
www.grandpalais.fr
