What happens when Japan's answer to Damien Hirst, on speed, splatters his super-modern plastic fantastic vision all over the Palace of Versailles? Something utterly compelling and strangely beautiful, that's what.
Famous for his collaborative efforts with another French bastion, Louis Vuitton, and his near-psychedelic manga-inspired landscapes, Murakami - similar to his British counterpart - has a factory of underlings beavering away to produce some of the most iconic (and saleable) work of the 21st century.
In an age where irony is overlord, Murakami is king. Describing his exhibition of 22 giant sculptures "the Wonderland of Versailles" and himself as "the Cheshire Cat who greets Alice in Wonderland with his devilish grin, and chatters on as she wanders around the Château", whatever your thoughts of Murakami, there's no denying his off-kilter brilliance.
Takashi Murakami opens in Chateau Versailles on September 14. www.chateauversailles.fr
