Exhibition: The Laughing Cow Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary At The Palais De Tokyo
It has been cracking the whip on cheese boxes for 100 years. The famous Laughing Cow is at the heart of an exhibition that opens on 26 November at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris.
Art and laughter
For the 100th anniversary of the la Vache qui rit brand, the Palais de Tokyo in Paris hosts an exhibition between modern art and popular iconography.
Starting on November 26, 2021, the museum will present under the title 'Elle rit' some 20 works of art (installations, videos and even paintings) that will make you laugh.
These playful creations have been imagined around the character of the Laughing Cow: carpets with its effigy, stacked boxes of melted cheese and even portraits composed of pixels of the Laughing Cow!
As a reminder, it was Benjamin Rabier, one of the greatest illustrators of his time, who drew the first Laughing Cow label in 1923, two years after the creation of the famous processed cheese.
The illustrator imagined a diabolical cow with pointed horns and a scarlet colour. This cow, which has become iconic, was later softened to become more cheerful.
A character who has entered the collective imagination
As early as the 1960s, the Laughing Cow inspired artists who came up with derivative products by the bucketload.
More recently, cheese boxes featuring the red cow have become even more collectible.
Indeed, Lab'Bel, the Bel Group's artistic laboratory, was founded in 2010 to support contemporary creation.
Since 2014, this laboratory of ideas and innovation has asked an artist each year to intervene on its packaging to create a collector's work.
Every year, 350,000 collector boxes are marketed, to the delight of Laughing Cow label collectors!
You can find these various exclusive packagings in the 'Elle rit' exhibition.
Creations by 8 international artists
Portions of Laughing Cow cheese are sold in 130 countries. Six billion were sold worldwide last year.
While most people buy these boxes for the cheese inside, there are also collectors who collect the labels, all of which differ from country to country.
The exhibition 'She Laughs' at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris brings together the works of the 8 European and American artists who took on the challenge of turning simple cheese boxes into collector's boxes.
The centenary of the Laughing Cow was the perfect opportunity to bring together the work of these artists in one exhibition and to illuminate it through the prism of their other achievements.
One of the artists on display, the Belgian Wim Delvoye, is himself one of the most important collectors of Laughing Cow labels in the world.
He owns more than 6,000 of them and believes there is no more popular collection than this one. For this exhibition, Wim Delvoye has made collages with Laughing Cow labels from 130 countries.
Much more than a fun visit to share with the family, this exhibition at the crossroads of industry and contemporary creation could change your perception of a work of art.
Practical information
The exhibition 'She Laughs' can be seen at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris from 26 November to 26 December 2021.
Address
Palais de Tokyo
13, avenue du Président Wilson
75116 Paris
Tel : 01 81 97 35 88
Open from 12pm to 9pm.
Exceptional closing at 6pm on December 24.
Full price: 12 €.
Reduced price : 9 €.
Free for children under 18 years old
Good to know
If you loved this exhibition and want to (sa)see more, go to the Jura in Lons-le-Saunier!
That's where you'll find the Maison de la Vache qui rit a place entirely dedicated to this character. You can discover temporary exhibitions which are regularly renewed.
