Niki de Saint Phalle, a ground breaking artist known for her vibrant and daring works, captivated audiences worldwide with her unique style and provocative themes. Throughout her career, Saint Phalle left an indelible mark on the art world, and her influence continues to resonate today. Saint Phalle’s success began in European galleries and museums, and throughout her career, she aimed to expand her audience and showcase her work in museum exhibitions in the United States as well. Surprisingly, for such a notable artist, Saint Phalle only had 3 major museum exhibitions in the USA during her lifetime.

The American public was introduced to Niki de Saint Phalle with a significant group exhibition in 1961, The Art of Assemblage. Put on at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA), then traveled to The Dallas Museum of Contemporary Art, and The San Francisco Museum of Art before going overseas,  it highlighted the art of Marcel Duchamp, Robert Rauschenberg, Man Ray, Kurt Schwitters, Jean Tinguely among other renowned and new artists. Saint Phalle’s not-so-subtle, violent landscape assemblage “Tu est moi” was featured.

Followed by numerous U.S. gallery exhibitions at Dwan in Los Angeles, and Iolas in New York, who were her major patrons, Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely collaborated on Le Paradis Fantastique for the World Fair in Montreal ’67. This sculpture consisted of nine large polyester figures painted in neon colors by Niki de Saint Phalle, combined with six massive kinetic machines by Jean Tinguely. From the The French Pavilion in Montreal, it traveled to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York and then was displayed in 1968 at the Conservatory Garden in Central Park, New York for a whole year. It is now on permanent display at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden.

The age-old question “How do you get a solo show at a museum” was answered for Niki de Saint Phalle when her exhibtion Niki de Saint Phalle: Monumental Projects, Maquettes and Photographs at Gimpel & Weitzenhoffer in New York was picked up by  Columbus Museum of Art from 27 May 1980 to  22 June 1980.

It was a momentous occasion for the artist, who had yet to receive widespread recognition in the United States, but it did not come without some controversy. The exhibition caused somewhat of a stir in Columbus, as Saint Phalle’s artworks were not considered academic, and may have been too “playful” for some art critics.  Some members of the Columbus Museum of Art were quoted to have described the artists’ sculptures as “tasteless jokes on the public” (Hall, Jacqueline. “Works Challenge Columbus” Columbus Dispatch, 4 June 1980, p. C-7)

In the fall of 1987, the Nassau County Museum of Art showcased a retrospective of the artist’s iconic creations in an exhibition that brought the fantastical world of Niki de Saint Phalle to life. Curated by Phyllis Stigliano and Janice Parente, “Fantastic Vision: Works by Niki de Saint Phalle” from 27 September 1987 to 3 January 1988, provided a captivating journey through Saint Phalle’s diverse oeuvre, with about 60 works on view, featuring her celebrated Nanas, Tirs, and monumental outdoor sculptures, including the legendary Tarot Garden.

The show was described by Newsday as “the largest one-person exhibition of de Saint Phalle’s work ever organized in this country”. (Lipson, Karin. “A Sculptor by many other fames”. Newsday. 13 September 1987)

Interestingly, one of the art pieces that was displayed in the 1987 exhibition, Le Regard bleu was recently purchased by the Niki Charitable Art Foundation and will be exhibited at Salon 94 in their upcoming show, Tableaux Éclatés, which begins April 30th, 2024. 

Later in life, after the artist returned to the United States, one of Saint Phalle’s biggest supporters has been The Mingei International Museum in San Diego, CA.  The museum has played a pivotal role in showcasing her works. A testament to the enduring bond between artist and institution, the Mingei International Museum served as a cherished venue for many of Saint Phalle’s shows. At the helm was Martha Longenecker, the museum’s founder.

Together, they forged a partnership and friendship that would leave an indelible mark on the cultural landscape of San Diego. One of the most notable exhibitions hosted by the museum  was “Niki de Saint Phalle: Insider/Outsider World Inspired Art,” which ran from 24 May 1998 to 31 January 1999.

     February 23, 1998

     Dear Martha,
     I am very honored and grateful that you 
     are giving me a show in your museum. You know 
     what an admirer I am of the beautiful shows 
     you have put on expressing the world’s soul 
     in its various aspects. Whether you are showing 
     a jade show or an Amazon show, or a doll 
     show, for me it is all part of one thing, it is 
     part of the WORLD’S SOUL.
     I fell an enormous link to every culture. 
     I have been nourished by, looked at, loved so 
     many different things whether it was Mexican, 
     or American Indian, Italian, or Eastern Art. 
     I have wondered about, seen, and loved the 
     wonders of this world. They are a part of me.

Excerpt from letter from Niki de Saint Phalle to Martha Longenecker, Niki de Saint Phalle: Insider, Outsider World Inspired Art. Mingei International Museum, 1998. 

“Saint Phalle is a high-spirited survivor of ill health and hidebound traditions. She’s also an enormously productive workaholic as her current exhibition attests. “Niki de Saint Phalle: Insider/Outsider World Inspired Art, features about 100 sculptures, paintings, reliefs, graphic works and maquettes made during the last 15 years, and it only skims the surface of her output”. (Muchnic, Suzanne. “Outsize and Outrageous”. Los Angeles Times, 31 May 1998)

This exhibition not only celebrated a diverse array of artworks that spanned Saint Phalle’s illustrious career, but also the 20th anniversary of the museum itself.

Since Niki de Saint Phalle’s death in 2002, there have been various US museums that curated incredible exhibitions of the artists’ lifelong works. These include the California Center for the Arts Escondido Museum, the Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah, the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC, the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte, North Carolina, and MoMA PS1 in New York.

Most recently, a traveling exhibition titled Niki de Saint Phalle in the 1960s began in 2021 at the renowned museum The Menil Collection in Houston, Texas and ended at the prestigious Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla, CA – the beach side town that the artist made her permanent home in the later years of her life.

The artists’ legacy in America has also been preserved in various collections of numerous museums across the country. A list of artworks museum collections worldwide can be found on the NCAF website. 

Some notable U.S. museum collections include: 

Grand Oiseau de feu sur l’arche at Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Charlotte, North Carolina, Ganesh in collection Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla, California (gift of Mr. Ron and Mary Taylor), as well as Nana and Serpent at Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York (gift of Mr. Jeffrey Loria).

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art‘s recently-opened exhibition Niki de Saint Phalle: Rebellion and Joy is organized by the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Nice, France (MAMAC) in collaboration with Manifesto Expo and the Niki Charitable Art Foundation. It’s on view to 21 July 2024.

“The works on view explore Saint Phalle’s universe, from her early, explosive’ “Shooting Paintings”, to her powerful Nanas, fantastical sculptures of her Tarot Garden, and her pioneering efforts to combat racism, gender inequality, and HIV/AIDS stigma.” (https://nelson-atkins.org/exhibitions/niki-de-saint-phalle-rebellion-joy/).    

Much of the works have been loaned by MAMAC Nice, which holds the largest collection of Niki de Saint Phalle’s art in France. The artist generously donated 190 pieces of her art to the museum from 2000-2002. 

Niki de Saint Phalle created a world of art that encompassed many ideas and emotions, some being polar opposites. She created her own path which began in the galeries of Paris and moved outward to other countries and continents.

Although Saint Phalle was staunchly supported by many US galeries, she faced challenges in gaining recognition in national museums, possibly due to not fitting into a specific artistic category or being perceived as unconventional. However, despite these difficulties, she has garnered support from galleries and experienced a resurgence of interest in her work in recent years, particularly through exhibitions at MoMA PS1 and Salon94 in New York.

The Niki Charitable Art Foundation has worked diligently to create opportunities for Saint Phalle’s solo exhibitions in American museums to provide crucial platforms for the artist, albeit posthumously, to connect with audiences through her innovative and diverse art. 

Thankfully in modern times, these esteemed museums have welcomed and celebrated the artists’ avant-garde and extraordinary artistic vision, reflecting shifting perspectives within the art world and a growing openness to the unique, monumental, and remarkable artist that is Niki de Saint Phalle.

As quoted in Niki de Saint Phalle in the 60’s. Houston: Menil Collection, 2021:

"No one thinks of me as an American artist, which is really what I am."

This poem, by French Surrealist poet Robert Desnos, was written in 1930. Although this is many years before the construction of the Stravinsky Fountain, it serves as a perfect description, maybe even somewhat of a foresight, of the beauty and significance of this fountain in Paris. 

Before Stravinsky Fountain, Jean Tinguely created Fasnachts Brunnen (Carnival Fountain) at the former City Theatre in Basel. Built from 1975 to 1977, the rectangular fountain, often referred to as the Tinguely Fountain, houses 10 motorized iron sculptures that move and spray water in the air.

The Tinguely Fountain was a huge success and the popularity of it drew the attention of the city of Paris. The Centre Georges Pompidou was built on the idea of bringing together art, literature, and music in the form of a multicultural complex. The site of the center (the Beaubourg area) was specifically chosen to bring life to a run-down part of Paris.  

The project, which began in 1969, was officially opened in 1977. It consisted of the National Museum of Modern Art (Musée national d’Art moderne), The Public Information Library  (Bibliothèque publique d’information) and IRCAM – Institute for Acoustic and Musical Research (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique).

The IRCAM is a French institute dedicated to the research of contemporary music and sound. It was founded by French composer Pierre Boulez. Much of the institute was built underground and situated next to Centre Georges Pompidou. The empty space covering the “roof” of the IRCAM was the designated site of Tinguely’s new fountain. The artist was selected in 1981 by Mayor Jacques Chirac, and most of the funding came from the City of Paris. Because of the musical theme of IRCAM, Tinguely designed the fountain by drawing inspiration from Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. In an interview with Daniel Abadie published in Beaux Arts Magazine in 1983, Tinguely said:

“I wanted sculptures like street performers, a little bit like a circus, which was at the heart of Stravinsky's style itself when in 1914 he had his first encounter with jazz, thanks to the recordings which Ernest Answermet brought from the United States, or when he wrote an homage to a circus elephant, all made up in colors, which he saw in a circus in Evian or Lausanne. It was he who set the tone for us...” 

Originally the commission was given solely to Jean Tinguely, but he did not want to make another fountain filled with only his dark, metal sculptures as he did in Basel. Tinguely requested that Niki de Saint Phalle be involved in this project, adding her colorful sculptures. 

The city was hesitant towards the idea of Saint Phalle’s bright works, at first suggesting that Tinguely work with Miro. Tinguely’s response to this was “No, I’m doing it with Niki or not at all” (Source: NCAF Archives, date unknown)

In a letter of November 1990, Saint Phalle wrote to Nicola Caracciolo :

"In 1960, I was one of those young artists who dreamed of an art accessible to all.  La Fontaine Stravinsky is, I believe, a fine example." 

Nicola Caracciolo was a good friend of Saint Phalle’s who in 1978, along with his brother Carlo, offered a parcel of their family’s land in Tuscany upon which Saint Phalle’s monumental sculpture garden Il Giardino dei Tarocchi was built.

The Stravinsky Fountain was constructed as a shallow basin, measuring approximately 6,200 square feet, with a depth of 11 inches. The location has been named the Igor Stravinsky Square and is situated by Centre Georges Pompidou and the 16th-century Gothic-style Catholic Church Eglise Saint-Merri. 16 sculptures were constructed for the fountain; 6 by Saint Phalle, 7 by Tinguely, and 3 collaborations by the two artists:

Building the fountain on top of an underground building did have some structural difficulties that were new to its creators. Firstly, the weight of water had to be reduced as much as possible so as not to damage IRCAM roof, which is why the water depth in the basin doesn’t exceed 11.5 inches. The sculptures also had to be made so that they were as light as possible. Another reason the structural weight had to be minimized was because Tinguely wanted the sculptures to work in all types of weather. To show movement frozen by water in the cold winter months meant the fountain had to be built in such a way to sustain the weight of ice. Tinguely’s creations were made out of aluminum (rather than his usual heavy, scrap metals) and Saint Phalle’s sculptures, although large in size, were made of lightweight fiberglass polyester.  Tinguely wanted the water to be left untreated so that moss would grow, giving way to nature amongst the man-made objects, but his request was not approved by the city.

Once the Stravinsky Fountain was complete, it was inaugurated on March 16, 1983, before a mixed crowd of government officials, artists, and many Parisians. It was attended by Mayor Jacques Chirac, Minister of Culture Jack Lang, the widow of former president Georges Pompidou Madame Claude Pompidou, and Swiss diplomat François de Ziegler. Of course, Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle were also present along with their family members and other known artists such as Cèsar and Jean Edern Hallier. 

Some news articles noted the friction between Chirac and Lang, and how the two politicians were mostly ignoring each other during the inauguration.

Although there was turmoil between the two men, their speeches discussed the goal of the two political parties coming to an agreement and solving their issues for the betterment of Paris and further development of the artistic and cultural side of the city.

The Stravinsky Fountain is one of the many artistic collaborations of Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely. Saint Phalle’s bold and playful sculptures set against Tinguely’s dark machinery create an unexpected ballet of colors and metals turning and twisting while the sculptures spout out water; a component of the fountain just as important as the art itself. 

It is a highly visited tourist attraction in Paris, but much more than a landmark. It is a place for locals and tourists alike to sit around the fountain, socialize, or quietly enjoy the tranquility of the water. Many art teachers bring their students to the fountain as an introduction to contemporary art. Street performers display their talents and entertainment in front of the fountain, and children from the suburbs come into the city to dance, sing, and express their own artistic talents at the Stravinsky Fountain. This landmark is an all-inclusive and welcoming space for art lovers and everyone else.

Unfortunately, over the years the Stravinsky Fountain has had issues, such as electrical damage that caused the sculptures not to move as well as problems with the pumping system that stopped the water from spouting out of the sculptures. There have been ongoing complaints from Parisians and tourists alike, regarding the lack of general upkeep of this beautiful fountain; the sculptures are stained with bird droppings and there is waste and debris floating in the water. 

Due to various city regulations, the fountain spent many winters empty of water, giving the impression to the public that it was possible to walk inside the basin and climb onto sculptures, causing further damage to the artworks. 

After years of correspondence, in 2018 the city realized that the fountain was not yet listed as part of the French National Institute of Cultural Heritage (Institut National du Patrimoine). Finally, 30-plus years after its inauguration, Paris officially named the Stravinsky Fountain a piece of art, which resulted in moving the responsibility of maintenance and preservation from the city’s fountain department to its art department. This also means the fountain has officially been acknowledged and classified as a historically important part of the city of Paris.

The citizens of Paris have always honored the importance of the fountain and voted for its restoration officially to be scheduled and budgeted for by the city.
The provisional budget amounted to 1.6 million euros, including 900,000 euros financed by the participatory budget of 2018 as well as Paris’ water service company Eau de Paris.

A third and large-scale restoration finally began in April 2022 with the sculptures’ removal and relocation to Le Bourget Airport. The plan included renovation of both technical and artistic aspects, with the restoration of the resin and metal sculptures, as well as the repair of the hydraulic networks, waterproofing, electricity, and pumps.

The basin of the fountain has been drained and repaired, Saint Phalle’s sculptures have been fully restored, as well as Tinguely’s machines. All of the sculptures have been re-installed into their original places inside the basin. 

The restoration was made possible with the help of a proposal presented to the city by Sophie Pons-Dublanc, an experienced bioengineer and deputy head of the global equities department at French company Covéa Finance. She is also a local resident of Paris.

Bloum Cardenas, the granddaughter of Niki de Saint Phalle, is very passionate about bringing the Stravinsky Fountain back to life, fully working year-round, as was the vision of its artists Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle. She has the support of the Niki Charitable Art Foundation, along with many artists, close friends, and the Tinguely family. 

Equally as important as the full restoration of the Stravinsky Fountain is keeping the basin filled with water year-round, including in the wintertime. This helps with conservation efforts of the fountain as well as ensuring that it will be fully active, as conceived and intended by the artists. 

Jean Tinguely revered movement; it was a vital component that made his sculptures come alive, hence his infamous declaration in the 1958 programmatic text “For Statics”:

"Es bewegt sich alles, Stillstand gibt es nicht!
(Everything moves continuously. Immobility does not exist.)"

2023 marks the 40th year anniversary of the inauguration of the Stravinsky Fountain and the City of Paris is honoring the restored monument on Tuesday, November 7th.

This can be a time of celebration for children, lovers, Parisians, artists, dancers, and all others who feel as if the fountain belongs to them and to their community.

It is the hope of the Niki Charitable Art Foundation that Paris keeps Jean Tinguely’s vision, his beliefs in movement, and the fantastical Stravinsky Fountain alive through continuous upkeep, maintenance, and any necessary restorations to come.

Niki de Saint Phalle’s special relationship with the City of Hannover began in 1969 with a retrospective exhibition held at the Kunstverein Hannover. She was so well received that, in 1974, the artist was offered a public commission to build a permanent installation near the town hall in Hannover, Germany.

The project was part of a newly derived plan proposed by Hannover city director Martin Neuffer.  His vision was to modernize Hannover and make it a funner, brighter city. He wanted to achieve this with a 3 year “Street Art Experiment” program, where the main goal was to populate the streets of Hannover with more modern and unconventional artworks. This program was approved by the city’s cultural committee and began in 1973.

Building large-scale architectural sculptures was not new to Saint Phalle by the time she received the offer from Hannover. Since 1965, Niki de Saint Phalle had been creating Nanas of all sizes and colors. It was Saint Phalle’s version of the “everywoman” – a dame or a chick, the French translation of the word Nana.

These sculptures had gained notoriety in the art world, especially the HON installation at Moderna Museet Stockholm in 1966, where visitors would enter a reclining woman figure through a doorway modeling a birth canal. The exhibition was well-visited with 100,000 patrons in 3 months, and it created a wide range of reactions from rejection to enthusiasm. Yet, whatever the reaction was, Saint Phalle cheekily wrote to her friend Clarice Rivers that “The birth rate in Stockholm went up that year. This was attributed to her [HON]”.

For Hannover, Saint Phalle decided to create three Nanas, each larger-than-life at more than 5 meters tall. They are brightly colored, massive works, in various joyous stances, made of fiberglass, polyester paint, and polychrome. As soon as the three Nanas were erected along the bank of the Leine River, the citizens of Hannover were split in both support and opposition of the sculptures.

The older generation argued that the cost of the commission (180,000 DM) should have been used on upgrades for the schools and hospitals. They were angered that politicians decided what the city money was to be used for rather than allowing its citizens to have a say in it. Furthermore, they thought it was futile to adorn the streets of Hannover with street art when the city already had its share of “classical” statues. 

On the other side of this debate stood the supporters of the three Nanas, who were mostly younger people. They were excited to see Hannover develop into a more creative, vibrant, modern, and artistic city. 

Enter Michael Gehrke onto the scene: Gehrke held the civic position of the Stadtimagepfleger (city image manager) of Hannover since 1972 which involved him with the city’s public festivities, the street art program, city advertisement, and the now famous flea market of Hannover. “Mike” was also a vital figure in developing Hannover into one of the most important jazz metropolises in Germany. He founded “Swinging Hannover” in 1967, which is an annual two-day open-air jazz festival that continues to this day and is known as the largest jazz festival in Northern Germany. Nicknamed the “jazz pope” or “Mr. Jazz”, Gehrke served as the president of the Jazz Club Hannover for 40 years.

As she explained in an interview from the year 2000, Saint Phalle was surprised at the public reaction to the Nanas. She said that, at the time, her friend Mike Gehrke suggested that she name the Nanas after “Hannover queens” – as a homage and a way to calm the feuding residents.

Although Saint Phalle never referred to the Nanas by their adopted names, the people of Hannover readily accepted this homage, and still use them to this day when describing each individual Nana. 

Namesake Sophie of Hannover was born Princess Sophia (1630-1714). She was a patroness of arts and sciences who had a long-standing friendship with German philosopher and scientist Gottfried Leibniz.

Charlotte Kestner (1735-1828) was the unrequited love interest of the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and inspired his influential novel “The sufferings of Young Werther”.

Caroline Herschel (1750-1838) was a noted astronomer who made significant contributions to discoveries of comets, with one being named after her (35P/Herschel-Rigollet). As the younger sister of astronomer William Herschel, she often worked with him in their chosen field.

The controversy of Saint Phalle’s Nanas came to a head when approximately 2000 residents marched to the town hall and demanded an open forum discussion with the political heads of the city; city director Martin Neuffer, councilwoman Jutta Engelbart, the director of the state gallery Dr. Harald Seiler, as well as other members of the board. The residents stood and sat wherever there was room and a microphone was passed around to those voicing their staunch opinions.

Another news article described how the Nanas were a distraction on the roadway causing one fender bender. A pro-Nana group called “Friends of Nanas” put up a temporary street sign warning drivers to pay attention to the roadway.

Finally, it was decided that the only way to end this continuous dispute was with a good old-fashioned tug of war. On a warm Sunday afternoon, a few thousand Hannover residents met along the river bank, where the  Nanas were located. The atmosphere was light, as opposed to the night of the heated debate. The supporters and opponents of the sculptures gathered in 2 teams to tug on a 30-meter rope. There was a referee and 3 rounds were planned, all of which were won by the supporters. Finally, the Nanas could stay. 

Since their installation in Hannover, the three Nanas have gone through several restorations. In the 1970’s there was periodic maintenance performed on the sculptures, which consisted of high-pressure cleaning with various chemicals, which caused damage to the paint, as was later determined.

In 1988, after 14 years of exposure to the elements, Robert Haligon did a condition report of the Nanas and strongly recommended on-site restoration of the sculptures. Haligon was a renowned manufacturer of polyester sculptures and produced the Hannover Nanas with Niki de Saint Phalle.

According to Haligon’s report, the sculptures had small cracks that needed to be repaired and graffiti to be removed. The surfaces were then repainted according to the original color schemes.

In the mid-1990s to early 2000s, two more restorations were done on all three Nanas.

The most extensive restoration came in March 2002, when the Nanas had to be dismantled and transported to a workshop for the restoration. This came about when the city of Hannover joined forces with the Haligon family and one of Saint Phalles’ collaborators, artist Pierre Marie Lejeune, to survey the sculptures again. It was decided to restore all three sculptures due to the extensive damage in the concrete-filled heads and feet and interior metal corrosion caused by the concrete. The concrete inside the sculptures was removed, and the interior walls were reinforced. The outer walls of the sculptures were sanded down and repainted. 

Caroline was the first Nana to be restored, followed a year later, in 2004, by Sophie and Charlotte. In May 2005, all 3 sculptures were reunited. 

Niki de Saint Phalle often spoke of her meaningful connection to the city of Hannover and its people. She left a piece of herself through the three Nanas, the decoration of the Grotto as well as the extensive donation of her art to the Sprengel Museum.

“Hannover sounds like a wonderful dream”, Niki de Saint Phalle wrote in a published letter to Dr. Ulrich Krempel, then director of the Sprengel Museum Hannover.

“The love people showed me was extremely healing for me. [...] Because of the enthusiasm that people from all walks of life in Hannover showed me - forgive yourself, Niki, for your shortcomings and your human weaknesses because you brought joy to so many hearts."

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Niki de Saint Phalle’s first architectural playground titled The Golem in Israel. It is located in the Kiryat Hayovel district of Jerusalem, in Rabinovich Park.

The Golem is a massive public outdoor sculpture – a black and white dragon with three red tongues for slides. The play structure, also called  “HaMifletzet” or “The Monster”, was constructed by the artist for the children of Jerusalem. 

The journey to the creation of this “Monster” began in 1969, with the Israel Museum. Martin Weyl was the sculpture curator of the museum at this time as well as the artistic advisor to Teddy Kollek, the popular and beloved mayor of Jerusalem (1965-1993). Weyl was in New York when he saw Le Paradis Fantastique in Central Park. This was a traveling exhibition consisting of 9 painted sculptures and 6 black kinetic machines; an artistic collaboration between Saint Phalle and her husband, Swiss kinetic artist Jean Tinguely. 

Weyl considered the possibility of Saint Phalle creating a sculpture playground in Jerusalem, but had not yet met the artist. Weyl asked Willem Sandberg, the famous Dutch museum director who was a founding chairman and visiting director of the Israel Museum, to introduce him to Saint Phalle. Sandberg knew Saint Phalle from previous exhibitions at the Stedelijk Museum where he was the director until 1963. 

At first, the museum wanted the artwork built on their property however it was important for Saint Phalle to build on a location that had a great open space and that was also in an underdeveloped, poor area of the city. When Weyl suggested creating a playground in the urban district of Kiryat Hayovel, she enthusiastically agreed.

The artist’s idea of creating a frightening, monumental monster that spits children out of its red mouth alarmed the community. Parents were so concerned this monster would scare their children that it was rejected immediately by the city council, specifically the Jerusalem Parks Commission. Mayor Teddy Kollek convinced the commission to vote once more on the project, and the second time it was approved.

At a 1996 lecture “Niki de Saint Phalle. Reflections on her Art” at the University of San Diego, Saint Phalle spoke about the significance of creating a monstrous creature for a playground. She explained that it was a way for children to conquer their fears, to turn something terrifying into something fun and playful.

Saint Phalle’s construction team consisted of Jean Tinguely, Paul Wiedmer, and Rico Weber. Tinguely was in charge of building the iron sculpture, with the help of Wiedmer and Weber. The trio welded many pieces of iron and worked long hours to complete The Golem. Saint Phalle remembered the commission asking why so much more scrap iron had been used than originally planned: 

“Jean had got it into his head that if Jerusalem was one day destroyed by bombs, one single edifice would survive: The Golem. He had therefore asked Rico to make a chassis of scrap iron dense enough to resist anything. The Golem is a fully-fledged bunker.” 

Niki de Saint Phalle. La Fabrica/Guggenueim Bilbao, 2015

Once the steel frame was in place, it was covered with cement by spraying concrete onto the frame. With the help of local workers in the community, The Golem was completed in 7 months. The structure measured 8 x 14 x 16 meters. The face of the dragon was painted black and white, with hollow eyes and a red open mouth that led to 3 tongues that children could slide down. There was a winding staircase up the back of the dragon and the hollow base served as a seating area.

The inauguration, which took place on Nov 4th, 1972, was staged as a big party for children. There were balloons and flags and a huge crowd of kids. They were climbing up and down the slides, waiting in line to get to the mouth of the dragon.

“I made a three-tongued monster which spits the kids out. I’m really proud of it. Nobody knew me in Jerusalem. I called it The Golem but they all call it The Monster. And it’s the work itself that’s known, not the artist. That was a triumph for me. I was really pleased." 

Faure, L. and Julien, A. An Architect’s Dream. DVD. France: Ideale Audience, 2014

Quickly, the insides of the Golem were covered in wall drawings and messages, which the artist took as a sign for Jerusalem having not only accepted but embraced the sculpture.

“Inside of the Golem (in the Monster’s stomach) is a treasure. A place where children and adults can play and dream in. They have covered the walls with drawings and signs of their own.” 

Saint Phalle, Niki de. The birth of a Monster. Jerusalem: ASP, 1972

In 2007, in honor of the 35th anniversary of The Golem, the massive sculpture was cleaned up and repainted by professionals as well as students from the neighborhood working side by side. 

In 2014, a proposed extension of the light rail system threatened the landscape and size of the surrounding area of The Golem. The expansion of this transit system would result in cutting down hundreds of trees that surround the sculpture, as well as decreasing the size of the land that The Golem sits on (which would result in an overall decrease in playground area).  An online petition to request an alternative plan that would not destroy the park was signed by over 3000 people and presented to the municipal commission. Sadly, this was not enough and the “Monster Park” was decreased in size, although the sculpture itself remained intact.

Then in 2016, the city built many high-rise apartments surrounding The Golem, overshadowing and crowding the artwork even more so. Instead of beautiful trees providing natural shade over the sculpture, tall buildings tower over it now.

Saint Phalle’s vision of a large open space surrounded by the luscious greenery of trees has been diminished over the years due to city expansion and real estate development.

In spite of these detrimental changes, positive developments have occurred as well. An extensive restoration project took place this past year which resulted in the park closing for a period of time. The entire sculpture was stripped of its existing paint, cracks were patched up and smoothed out, then fresh vibrant paint was applied once more.

The decades-old railing was also replaced to ensure safety for the many children that would climb up the monster’s back and slide down one of its 3 radiant red tongues for many years to come.

The Golem, Niki de Saint Phalle’s first commissioned outdoor public sculpture is considered a landmark in Jerusalem. Children and adults have enjoyed this “monster park” for years; parents who climbed up the winding stairs to slide down gleefully on the red tongues now bring their own children to experience the joy of this seemingly frightening monster. This sculpture also serves as the first stepping stone to Saint Phalle’s dream of building a massive sculpture garden park which would later be realized in the creation of the Tarot Garden.

The popularity of the playground was expressed best by Mayor Teddy Kollek in a letter he wrote to Saint Phalle, stating that The Golem had more visitors than the sacred Western Wall. (Steinberg, Jessica. Jerusalemites fear for the Monster Slide Park. Times of Israel, 20 Feb. 2014 ).

“The Golem in Jerusalem is the sculpture I’m most proud of… Day after day hundreds of children play on her and dream. They have conquered the Monster.." 

Saint Phalle, Niki de. The birth of a Monster. Jerusalem: ASP, 1972

The Niki Charitable Art Foundation would like to thank Dr. Martin Weyl for his insight and help with this blog.

Niki de Saint Phalle was many things to many people, and most importantly she was an artist.In the 20 years since her death, Saint Phalle’s art has gained more relevance and notoriety as time passes. Her views on social and political issues such as female roles, equality, and violence were progressive for the time period, even in the world of art. Saint Phalle always seemed to be a step ahead, in her convictions as well as in her artwork. 

On May 21st, the Niki Charitable Art Foundation celebrates the life of an artist, our artist, Niki de Saint Phalle.

Niki Saint Phalle used her art to express her views on issues beyond her own personal life: female independence and equality, racism, LGBTQ+, AIDS, abortion, gun violence, and the environment are some of the topics her artistry covered. 

Since her passing in 2002, there have been 780 exhibitions featuring Saint Phalle’s art worldwide, with 139 being solo shows and installations. Notable among them are the major retrospective Niki de Saint Phalle at the Grand Palais in Paris, curated by Camille Morineau and Lucia Pesapane in 2014 before traveling to Muséo Guggenheim Bilbao in Spain in 2015.

Niki de Saint Phalle: Structures for Life in 2021 at MoMA PS1 in New York was the artist’s first major US survey show after her passing, curated by Ruba Katrib. It featured an extensive body of works, film, and photographs.

The remarkable exhibition Niki de Saint Phalle in the 1960s opened at the Menil Collection in Houston last year. It highlights the ten years during which Saint Phalle created her tirs and Nanas, and was curated jointly by Michelle White of the Menil Collection and Jill Dawsey of MCASD.
The show traveled to the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego where it is currently on view until July. For more information and to plan your visit, go to the museum’s website: https://mcasd.org/exhibitions/niki-de-saint-phalle-1960s

A more unknown fact is that when Niki de Saint Phalle passed away on May 21, 2002 it was already Jean Tinguely’s birthday in Europe due to the time difference. The two were friends, lovers, spouses, competitors, and collaborators united in their art.

Jean Tinguely remains truly contemporary in his work; a kinetic metal poet to be rediscovered. This Sunday, May 22nd, Jean Tinguely’s monumental sculpture Le Cyclop reopens to the public after a major two-year restoration. Visit https://www.lecyclop.com to organize your visit. 

We miss you, but your spirit lives on!