INFO LA DEPECHE. The major exhibition dedicated to Roy Lichtenstein will ultimately not take place in 2025 in Toulouse

The news will cause some regrets among Art lovers: the exhibition dedicated to Roy Lichtenstein, one of the pillars of the Pop Art movement, will ultimately not be held in 2025 in Toulouse. It was to be one of the cultural highlights of the year in Toulouse, like the recent exhibitions “The time of Giacometti” and “Niki de Saint Phalle. The 1980s and 1990s: art in freedom” in 2022.

Roy Lichtenstein, who died in 1997, marked the 20th century with his works inspired by popular culture and comics. His paintings, with bright colors and graphic lines, question the boundaries between art and consumerism. Among his most emblematic works are Whaam! and Drowning Girl, which redefined the codes of modern art.

Why this quack?

At a time when the budgetary restrictions imposed by the finance bill raise fears of a reduction in municipal subsidies earmarked for culture, the cancellation of this major exhibition is not linked to a financial problem. “The Lichtenstein exhibition is postponed for reasons of succession in the artist's family (death of the main beneficiary)” specifies the Musée des Abattoirs, which adds, “in no case is this postponement correlated to budgetary issues. Our supervisory authorities have assured us of their support for this exhibition project.”

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Postponed, not canceled

“The exhibition is not canceled but postponed,” insists Pierre Esplugas-Labatut, deputy mayor of Toulouse in charge of museums. According to him, complications linked to the inheritance are temporarily blocking the loan of the artist's works from the Lichtenstein Foundation. The one-year period will allow the planned loans to be maintained in their entirety. At a time when Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc is giving himself three months to decide on possible budget cuts, uCould a drop in municipal budgets devoted to culture jeopardize the organization of the exhibition? Pierre Esplugas-Labatut assures us that no, “these are two distinct subjects.” The budget for such an exhibition amounts to 1.1 million euros.

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The Castelbajac alternative

To fill this void, the Musée des Abattoirs will offer an exhibition from September 2025 dedicated to the collections of Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, an iconic figure in design and fashion. “It’s a very rich collection, Castelbajac has been in contact with many artists” assures Pierre Esplugas-Labatut. An avant-garde designer, Castelbajac is known for his eclectic artistic collaborations, mixing art, fashion and pop culture. If the postponement of the Lichtenstein exhibition is a disappointment for many enthusiasts, it also offers an opportunity to highlight artists whose worlds dialogue with Pop Art. Castelbajac, through its link with figures like Warhol, is part of this continuity.