A massive 20-meter inflatable sculpture of Kermit the Frog has been installed at Place Vendôme in Paris this week as part of Art Basel Paris on Tuesday, October 21. The artwork, created by American artist Alex Da Corte, draws inspiration from a balloon that was damaged during a New York parade in 1991 to highlight environmental issues. Its placement among luxury jewelry stores and the Ministry of Justice has already generated significant reactions both on-site and across social media platforms.
The installation comes at a particularly sensitive time, just days after a spectacular jewelry theft at the Louvre Museum. Art Basel, which brings together more than 200 international galleries at the Grand Palais, has announced that it has strengthened its security measures in response to recent events.
Paris has previously experienced several controversies related to monumental art installations in public spaces. In 2014, artist Paul McCarthy installed what appeared to be a Christmas tree on the same Place Vendôme, but it was quickly perceived by the public as resembling an anal plug. The controversial piece was vandalized and subsequently removed due to public outcry.
The city's history with provocative contemporary art extends beyond Place Vendôme. In 2008, Jeff Koons exhibited an inflatable lobster and pop art sculptures at the Palace of Versailles, reigniting debates about the appropriate use of heritage sites for contemporary art installations. More recently, in 2017, Joep van Lieshout's "Domestikator" sculpture was rejected by the Louvre due to its explicit nature before being welcomed by the Centre Pompidou.
These incidents have established a pattern of public discourse surrounding the intersection of contemporary art and traditional Parisian landmarks. The current Kermit installation continues this ongoing dialogue about the role of modern artistic expression in historic urban spaces.
Looking ahead, artist JR is scheduled to transform the Pont-Neuf bridge in 2026, an installation that will undoubtedly generate its own share of public attention and discussion. The recurring nature of these artistic interventions suggests that the tension between contemporary art and traditional Parisian aesthetics remains a defining characteristic of the city's cultural landscape.
