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The Arts Intel Report

Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely: Myths and Machines

Niki de Saint Phalle, Les Trois Grâces, 1995–2003.

Until Feb 1, 2026

The French and Swiss sculptors, Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely, are reunited in Somerset, England, for a unique garden exhibition at Hauser & Wirth. Tinguely and de Saint Phalle, who were married to each other, often collaborated throughout the 1980s. But the beauty of this exhibition lies in the juxtaposition of their solo works. Tinguely’s art—‘anti-machines’ constructed from scrap metal and everyday objects—is mechanical, mathematical, and austere. De Saint Phalle’s work is colorful, voluptuous, generous, kinetic,and feminine. Both are provocative. Come for Les Trois Grâces dancing in the garden, stay for the never-before-shown works on paper. —Carolina de Armas

Photo: Hauser & Wirth