December 8, 2021 – February 28, 2022
Richard Orlinski on Avenue George V
Twelve Monumental Sculptures in Paris’s Golden Triangle
Avenue George V and Champs-Élysées, Paris, France
Richard Orlinski on Avenue George V placed twelve monumental sculptures along one of Paris’s most recognizable luxury districts from December 8, 2021 through February 28, 2022. Presented as the third edition of George V Monumental, the route extended along Avenue George V toward the Champs-Élysées, positioning Orlinski’s animal figures among hotels, fashion houses, restaurants and the daily movement of the city.
The setting created a deliberate contrast between highly controlled architecture and the physical energy of the sculptures. Bright resin, reflective surfaces and enlarged animal forms interrupted the rhythm of façades and storefronts, turning the avenue into a sequence of distinct encounters rather than a conventional exhibition space.
Sculpture Among the Façades
The presentation brought together several of Orlinski’s most recognizable figures, including Wild Kong, Standing Bear, Horse, Tiger, Crocodile and Panda. Distributed rather than grouped together, the sculptures developed individual relationships with the architecture and businesses surrounding them.
A monumental red Wild Kong stood in front of Louis Vuitton, using scale and saturated color to compete visually with one of the avenue’s most prominent façades. Nearby, other animals appeared around landmarks including the Four Seasons Hotel George V, the Prince de Galles, Fouquet’s and Hermès.
These placements changed the way the works could be read. A rearing horse near a fashion house, a crocodile extending horizontally along the pavement or a bear standing at the edge of pedestrian circulation each produced a different relationship between sculpture, commercial architecture and the human body.
At night, the exhibition changed again. Reflections from shop windows, street lighting and seasonal illuminations entered the polished surfaces of the sculptures, giving forms designed for daylight another visual life after dark.
George V as an Exhibition Route
The project formed the third edition of George V Monumental, an initiative developed with the Comité George V to introduce large-scale contemporary sculpture along the avenue. Rather than using a temporary pavilion or gallery, the program treated the street itself as the exhibition structure.
The Orlinski presentation extended across nearly two kilometers, reaching toward the Champs-Élysées. This distance meant that visitors did not encounter the works as a single installation. The exhibition emerged gradually through walking, with the sequence continually interrupted by hotels, boutiques, restaurants, traffic and other activities already present along the avenue.
That context was particularly suited to Orlinski’s visual language. His sculptures combine immediately recognizable subjects with surfaces designed to react strongly to their surroundings. On Avenue George V, polished facets reflected buildings, pedestrians and illuminated storefronts, allowing the same sculpture to absorb different aspects of the district as viewers moved around it.
Initially reported in some contemporary listings as ending earlier in February, the presentation ultimately remained in place through February 28, 2022. Its extended run allowed George V Monumental to continue beyond the holiday season and positioned Orlinski’s sculptures within the changing winter landscape of central Paris.
Related artists