Redecorating Versailles

Recently I visited le Chateau de Versailles, the magestic manifestation of French Francophilia near Paris. Once you step into the home of Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette and all of their rich and famous friends, it's not hard to imagine time-travelling back to the time of the French revolution.
Hundreds of rooms, richly decorated, walls and ceilings covered in paintings, gold, silk and chandeliers. While you follow the inevetable stream of incredibly annoying japanese tourists and loud schoolchildren, you dream away and wonder how there ever could have been a time, where people lived in such extravagance and prosperity. (While the rest of the country starved of course)
I've seen the palace before, so I didn't expect any surprises. It's not like Versailles interior desigers are trying to keep up with the latest trends anyway. And personally I think even Mr. Ikea himself probably wouldn't be up for the challenge of refurnishing and redecorating the entire Chatea.
But to my surprise, there was something different about Versailles. While wandering through the palace I discovered more and more subtle and less subtle proof of the fact that Marie Antoinette had recently developed a new-found love of contemporary art.
And we all know there is no accounting about taste, but one can certainly say Marie Antoinettes new additions give a refreshing twist to her formally very classic interior .

 

Some pieces seemed to fit perfectly in their place

 Pretty marble lions, covered in lace

 Louis' breakfast table was being attacked by giant lace lobsters

 These pumps, made out of cooking pans, became the centerpiece of the famous 'Salle des miroirs'

The ceiling of the painting gallery made me think of a chinese carnaval.

And last but not least, my favourite piece showed that the extravagance of Marie Antoinette clearly knew no boundaries..

A Pink helicopter, covered in ostrich feathers and pink Swarovski chrystals. I bet Paris Hilton would be pretty jealous! ;)

After some research I found out this was the work of Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, who's Versailles exhibition is supposed to be an ode to women’s achievements, both in the private and public spheres. 

Vanconcelos isn't the first contemporary artists who got the honour to exhibit at Versailles. 

Earlier the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami shook up the palace with his Manga-style statues. 

And also the famous American  balloonanimal-artist Jeff Koons once  had a chance to decorate the palace according to his own 'special' taste

I'm sure there will be some critics who won't appreciate this project, but I think it's a wonderfull mixture of old and new, classic and modern!