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April 27 - October 31, 2008

The Artist

Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002) was a citizen of the world: born near Paris, raised in New York, traveled in Europe, and later worked in Switzerland, France, Israel, Italy, and finally California.

She was the only female member of Europe’s New Realist art movement, a contemporary of American Pop Art. She collaborated with avant-garde artists Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg, and also with Jean Tinguely, whom she later married.

• A prolific self-taught artist, Niki first earned renown for her “shooting paintings,” created by firing a 22-caliber rifle at containers of paint mounted onto canvases.
• Later in the 1960s, the "nanas" made their creator famous. Made of wire and fabric, these brightly painted, oversized female figures became a symbol of female empowerment.
• Inspired by Gaudí, Niki went on to devote 20 years to create a monumental sculpture park, the Tarot Garden in Tuscany.
• The largest collection of her works in the U.S. is found in and around San Diego, California, where she spent her final years. She died in 2002 of emphysema, her lungs damaged by many years of breathing polyester fiber while creating her early works.

Today, Niki is remembered as the creator of playful, larger-than-life creations celebrating diversity, women, children, love, and joy. Her work is beloved throughout the world.

The Sculpture

Niki at the Missouri Botanical Garden is the first time the works of artist Niki de Saint Phalle have been seen in St. Louis in an exhibition of this magnitude.

Forty monumental mosaic sculptures made in a rainbow of colors and materials from fiberglass, stones, glass, mirrors, and semi-precious materials will be placed throughout the Garden.

The sculptures range up to 18 feet tall, and some weigh up to a ton or more, such as the amazing six-ton skull. Children are encouraged to touch, sit on, and even climb some of the works.

Animals
Fantastic animals fill Niki’s work. She felt the part of her that stayed a child was the artist, and loved to see children playing on her sculptures.

Black Heroes
As a young girl, Niki felt she lacked heroines. Later in life, she created the black heroes series for her biracial great-grandson.

Totems
Inspired by Native American traditions, Niki sought advice from the National Museum of the American Indian before creating her designs.

Nanas
Niki’s best-known series, “nanas” is French slang for “chicks” or “babes.” She called them “heralds of a new matriarchal age.” 

Niki will be included with $8 general admission to the historic botanical garden (St. Louis City and County residents, $4 adults, $2 seniors). Members and children age 12 and under are free.

Niki’s daughter, Laura Gabriela, will sign books in the Garden Gate Shop on Sunday, Apr. 27 at 4 p.m. The shop will carry Niki merchandise and mosaics for the home and garden throughout the exhibition.

“Niki Nights” will present casual outdoor dining and fun on Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m. from May
through September. “Niki Nights” admission will be $7 adults, $3 children and $5 Garden members. The Doris I. Schnuck Children’s Garden: A Missouri Adventure will remain open until dusk on these evenings at no extra charge. “Niki Nights” are sponsored by Anheuser-Busch.

The Missouri Botanical Garden is located at 4344 Shaw Blvd. in St. Louis, just south of Interstate 44, two blocks east of the Vandeventer-Kingshighway exit. Park for free at the Garden and two blocks west at the Shaw-Vandeventer intersection. Please note that a section of I-64/U.S. 40 is under construction through 2009.

Before traveling, check www.thenewi64.org for updates. Go to www.GetAroundStL.com for other helpful information. Rail commuters can take MetroLink to the Central West End station and catch a Metro bus to the Garden (www.metrostlouis.org).
For general Garden information, log on to www.mobot.org or call the 24-hour Garden Line recording at (314) 577-9400 or 1-800-642-8842. Read about Niki de Saint Phalle and her art on the Web at nikidesaintphalle.com or nikidesaintphalle.org.

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