As the economy recovered, China and India welcomed a contemporary art boom and artists from the Middle East and Iran inspired an international audience. Art fairs took over, while museums across the globe underwent major rebuilding programmes. In New York in 2004, MoMA opened the doors of its new home, while in Paris the Louvre reopened its Musée des Arts Décoratifs in 2006. It was also a decade of celebrations; the Tate Modern opened in 2000 with over five million visitors in its first year, while the Guggenheim celebrated its 50th anniversary. Public art projects included British artist Antony Gormley’s One & Other performance in 2009, which involved 2,400 strangers occupying the fourth plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square for one hour each over the course of 100 days. UK audiences also enjoyed major shows of works by Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Titian, Edward Hopper and Caravaggio. In Versailles, Jeff Koons pushed the boundaries of taste by installing his flamboyantly kitsch sculptures amongst the opulence of the Palace, including his signature balloon dogs and a rendering of Michael Jackson with his pet chimpanzee, Bubbles.
'Balloon Dog (Magenta)' by Jeff Koons, at the Palace of Versailles in France. Credit: Marc Wathieu
'Michael Jackson and Bubbles' by Jeff Koons, at the Palace of Versailles in France. Credit: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra
Visitors at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Credit: Will Wilson
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