What world views are brought together in the 2010 Murakami exhibition at versailles and what meaning do you think arises from the contact?

Murakami himself, as an artist is reaching iconic status. In 2008 he was on the list of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People and was the only visual artist on the list. Murakami is a power house dominating in Japanese contemporary art. He is a master of Kawaii and Manga. Murakami started out doing traditional Japanese art, but found it to be irrelevant and switched to contemporary art with a focus on marketing. He has been deemed the “Andy Warhol of Japan” except he isn’t replicating already iconic images, he is creating his own. Murakami’s work is so popular it is on Louie Vuitton bags, key chains, T-shirts, mouse pads, dolls, blackberry cases and ranges from cheap to extremely expensive. He has even worked with Western Pop icons such as Britney Spears and Kanye West. His Paintings and Sculptures are bringing in upwards of 9 million each and his merchandise brings in a yearly turnover of 13 million.

By bringing his work into the Château de Versailles it is bringing together two dream worlds. The Château de Versailles is known for its extreme extravagance and seems like it could be the only place that make Murakami’s sculptures with a price tag of 9 million seem like no big thing. The Château de Versailles is one of Western History’s most lavish symbols and seemingly Murakami is turning into one of Japan’s most influential and recognizable symbols. When at first these two might seem like an odd pair, in fact go hand in hand when looked at from a the perspective of consumerism, consumption and cultural relevance.