INFERNO

Claes & Coosje A Duet – Pace Gallery New York – Mar 26–May 9, 2021

This exhibition sheds new light on the philosophical, aesthetic, and artistic dialogue between Claes Oldenburg and the late Coosje van Bruggen—among the best-known artist-couples of the post-1960s era.

Emphasizing the indispensable role that van Bruggen played in their collective practice and curated in close collaboration with the artists’ daughter, Maartje Oldenburg, the exhibition charts the evolution of one of the 20th century’s most influential artistic duos, culminating with the unveiling of the large-scale work, Dropped Bouquet—the final sculptural work that Oldenburg and van Bruggen conceived together before her death in 2009.

Pace Gallery is honored to present an exhibition celebrating the collaborative spirit that animated Claes Oldenburg and the late Coosje van Bruggen’s artistic achievements and romantic partnership. Over the course of three decades, Oldenburg and van Bruggen created some of the most famous landmarks in urban and civic spaces around the world. Bringing together a selection of seminal works in sculpture spanning the full arc of their shared history—from early collaborations in the 1980s to their final works of the late 2000s—the exhibition pays homage to one of the 20th century’s most influential artistic duos, highlighting in particular van Bruggen’s vital yet underrecognized role in their collective oeuvre. In addition to sculptures, models, and drawings, the exhibition debuts the large-scale work Dropped Bouquet (2021), the final sculptural collaboration that Oldenburg and van Bruggen conceived together before her death in 2009. On view from March 26 – May 1, 2021 at Pace Gallery in New York, Claes & Coosje: A Duet sheds new light on the philosophical, aesthetic, and artistic dialogue between these two artists and the indispensable role it played on their collective creative output.

Above: Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Dropped Bouquet, 2021, painted aluminum, 12′ 3″ × 9′ 3″ × 14′ 10″ (373.4 cm × 281.9 cm × 452.1 cm), Edition of 3 © 2021 Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen