“Of the four versions of the Balloon Venus I created, the ‘Venus of Lespugue’ seems to be most closely connected to the idea of modernism, as it places historical forms of the Paleolithic era in dialogue with the modernist movement. Among other references, one can clearly see echoes of the sculptures of Alberto Giacometti and Constantin Brancusi. In the shape and form of the Balloon Venus, the influence of Cycladic art on modernism is also evident.”
Jeff Koons, 2026
The Museum of Cycladic Art presents, from March 20 to August 31, 2026, the exhibition Jeff Koons: “Venus of Lespugue”, an original curatorial proposal that brings Paleolithic art into dialogue with contemporary art. Exploring the significance of the Venus figure from the Paleolithic period to the present day, the museum presents for the first time to the public the work Balloon Venus Lespugue (Orange) (2013–2019) by internationally acclaimed American artist Jeff Koons, from the Homem Sonnabend Collection of Antonio Homem Sonnabend and Phokion Potamianos Homem. The work is shown in dialogue with ten Paleolithic “Venuses,” through certified replicas of immovable originals housed in major European museums.
The exhibition examines the female form from the Paleolithic era to contemporary art, proposing a dialogue that spans more than 40,000 years of human creativity.
As the artist himself states:
“It is a tremendous honor for me to exhibit my work Balloon Venus Lespugue (Orange) at the Museum of Cycladic Art, where it simultaneously engages with replicas of the original prehistoric ‘Venus’ figurines that span the entire Paleolithic period. Experiencing the objects within the exhibition—from Balloon Venus Lespugue (Orange), which exceeds 2.5 meters in height, to the museum examples, whose height ranges from 4.7 to 15 centimeters—reveals a striking contrast in both scale and materials. There is an ongoing discussion regarding the use of Venus figurines and their significance. Their size, however, suggests their portable nature. One could hold them in one’s hands, thus enabling a physical connection with the magic of fertility.”
For Balloon Venus Lespugue, Jeff Koons draws inspiration from the Paleolithic “Venus of Lespugue,” a figurine carved from mammoth ivory dating back approximately 28,000 years. Referencing the figure of Venus—the goddess of love and fertility—this form has influenced Koons’ work since the late 1970s. His interpretation of the “Venus of Lespugue,” part of the Antiquity series initiated in 2008, encompasses a wide range of references from art history, spanning from Sandro Botticelli and Titian to Marcel Duchamp and Constantin Brancusi, while also engaging with timeless notions of beauty and form. Koons transforms the fetishistic original—known for its exaggerated curvilinear features—into a monumental sculpture made of polished, reflective stainless steel that appears balloon-like, echoing the proportions of works by Alberto Giacometti.
The exhibition does not propose a linear history of art. Instead, it is conceived as a dialogue of forms and ideas that transcends time, exploring key questions: how has the symbolic body evolved from the Paleolithic era to postmodernity? Is there a universal archetype of fertility and femininity that transcends historical periods? How does the transformation of materials—from mammoth ivory and limestone to reflective stainless steel—alter or preserve the sacred meaning of form?
A journey of 40,000 years across Eurasia
Between approximately 42,000 and 20,000 years ago, across the Eurasian continent—from the Iberian Peninsula to Central Europe and Central Asia—Paleolithic humans created small female figurines from ivory, limestone, and clay. These objects, now known as Paleolithic “Venuses,” are among the earliest sculptural works in human history.
Alongside the replica of the “Venus of Lespugue” from the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris, the exhibition presents nine additional Paleolithic “Venuses,” revealing a shared morphological vocabulary repeated across vast geographical distances.
The journey begins with the “Venus of Lespugue,” discovered in the Rideaux cave in southern France and carved from mammoth ivory. Its exaggerated abdomen, pronounced hips, and breasts emphasize fertility and the vital force of the body.
It continues with the “Venuses of Grimaldi,” found in the Balzi Rossi caves near the French-Italian border, which present a more elongated interpretation of the female form. From Italy comes the “Venus of Savignano,” a stone sculpture with a strongly abstracted form, while Central Europe is represented by the “Venus of Dolní Věstonice,” one of the oldest known ceramic sculptures in human history.
The journey proceeds with the renowned “Venus of Willendorf” from Austria—one of the most iconic works of Paleolithic art—as well as the two “Venuses of Parabita” from southern Italy.
Despite the great distances between their places of origin, these figurines share common features: small scale, strong emphasis on reproductive characteristics, and a high degree of abstraction in the rendering of the face and limbs. As noted by the exhibition’s curators, Dr. Panagiotis Iossif and Dr. Ioannis Fappas, the most striking aspect of these Venuses lies in the exaggeration of their form—bulbous abdomens, pronounced hips, and ample breasts—while facial features and extremities are minimized or absent. The body becomes a message, and its form the vessel that carries meaning.
Jeff Koons and the contemporary reinterpretation of Venus
Within the exhibition, the Venus figurines represent one of humanity’s earliest aesthetic codes. At the end of this journey through the prehistoric world emerges the work of Jeff Koons, which reexamines this visual language through a radically different medium and context: the industrial, hyper-material world of the 21st century.
Through the reflective surface of Balloon Venus Lespugue (Orange), visitors are invited to explore how material transformation alters or preserves symbolic meaning, and how contemporary art can reconnect us with ancient aspects of human existence. The work translates the small Paleolithic figure into a monumental sculptural presence in reflective stainless steel. Its polished surface mirrors both space and viewer, transforming the act of viewing into active participation.
The exhibition also includes original drawings by Jeff Koons related to the production of the Balloon Venus Lespugue series, as well as a short video produced by the Museum of Cycladic Art in which the artist discusses his work. It is accompanied by a scholarly catalogue featuring essays by Koons and leading researchers on Paleolithic “Venuses” and their enduring significance.
In addition to guided tours, monthly Guided Talks with special guests will offer further opportunities to delve into the questions raised by the exhibition.
Jeff Koons: “Venus of Lespugue”
March 20 – August 31, 2026
