Gagosian Gallery will once again represent Jeff Koons, the star sculptor who left the mega-gallery to join Pace in 2021. The announcement completes a return that began in May with a solo presentation at Frieze New York, where Koons showed three sculptures from his “Hulk Elvis” series. Koons had also been represented by David Zwirner at the time of his departure from Gagosian, but he does not appear to have rejoined Zwirner. Reports indicate that Koons split with Pace after a costly Meissen-inspired sculpture series required $50–100 million in investor support, which fell through when additional funds were needed.
This move matters because it signals a strategic recalibration for both Koons and Gagosian. Koons’s market stardom has waned in recent years—though his sculpture "Rabbit" (1986) still holds the auction record for a living artist at $91.1 million—and powerful collectors and dealers have reportedly been working to revive his market. Gagosian, which staged 13 solo Koons exhibitions over two decades, now has 20 global locations and is expected to mount a new Koons show soon, potentially boosting the artist’s commercial and critical standing.