The sculptor Joanna Vasconcelos isn’t one for half measures. She produces works that are outsized, iconic, and ironic. “I’m not like the sculptors of the 19th century,” she once explained, “using a technique, or a specific material as starting point and then developing the art pieces. I’m an artist that works from an idea, and then I build it.” This year, Vasconcelos built a 40-foot tree—the fabled Tree of Life!—in the Saint Chapelle of the Château de Vincenes. One hundred thousand black, red, and gold leaves, embroidered by hand, embellish the branches. The glittering installation is a nod to Queen Catherine de’ Medici, Henri II’s widow, who planted the castle’s grounds with 3,000 elms. —Elena Clavarino