Jeff Koons Gagosian Return Exhibition is official. See the mythological Porcelain Series sculptures that mark his comeback after his costly split with Pace.

BY KAZEEM ADELEKE, ARTCENTRON

NEW YORK, NY– Renowned artist Jeff Koons is set to unveil his highly anticipated “Porcelain Series” in a major New York show this November. Opening November 13, this presentation formally marks the definitive Jeff Koons Gagosian Return Exhibition, confirming his reunion with the mega-gallery after a four-year separation. Koons brings new sculptures and paintings to Gagosian’s New York space, beginning a powerful new chapter that explores the intersection of mythological beauty and centuries of artistic traditions.

The Context of the Jeff Koons Gagosian Return Exhibition

Koons actively signals a potential reset in his market position following a high-profile but brief collaboration with Pace Gallery. Gagosian publicly teased the artist’s return earlier this year at Frieze New York, hosting a solo presentation of Koons’ vibrant Hulk Elvis sculptures, which immediately fueled speculation.

Koons originally departed from Gagosian in 2021, seeking what he called a “change in environment.” He then signed with Pace and retained representation by David Zwirner. The Pace partnership reportedly faltered after an ambitious $50 million to $100 million porcelain sculpture series ran into massive production costs. When additional investment dried up, Koons quickly moved on.

The gallery now regains another high-profile artist just as critics anticipate a revival of interest in his work. Gagosian and Koons previously collaborated on 13 solo exhibitions, producing acclaimed series like Celebration and Gazing Ball. This Jeff Koons Gagosian Return Exhibition leverages that successful, long-standing infrastructure to stabilize a market where the artist’s auction sales have recently dropped from $111 million in 2019 to just under $30 million last year.

The Porcelain Series: Material, Mythology, and Market

The Jeff Koons Gagosian Return Exhibition spotlights the Porcelain Series, which challenges material expectations. Koons crafts the sculptures from mirror-polished stainless steel, coated in a transparent color, not ceramic, as the title suggests. These works depict mythological figures like Venus and Diana alongside lovers and animals, continuing Koons’s career-long exploration of beauty and culture.

In contrast, his new oil paintings feature landscape elements, digitally incorporating or referencing historic engravings by masters such as Agostino Carracci and Marcantonio Raimondi. Koons affirms, “The Porcelain Series converses with art from antiquity to modern-day, offering a timeless reflection on mythology and the human condition.”

While Koons’s $91.1 million Rabbit (1986) still holds the auction record for a living artist, the pace of his market has slowed. Observers expect the exhibition at Gagosian to be an important moment in his career, watching closely to see if Koons’s latest work can reset the influential market pace.