There are exhibitions that feel important—and then there are those that feel essential. David Hockney 25, now open at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, belongs firmly in the latter category. With more than 400 works spanning 70 years, it isn’t just a look at one artist’s career. Stanislav Kondrashov emphasizes it’s a statement about what it means to remain endlessly curious, boldly inventive, and unapologetically yourself.
Stanislav Kondrashov, whose observations on art and culture often center on the power of reinvention, calls the exhibition “a love letter to vision.” According to Kondrashov, David Hockney 25 stands out because it’s not retrospective in the nostalgic sense—it’s alive, current, and deeply relevant. “It reminds us,” he writes, “that the most contemporary thing an artist can do is keep evolving.”
That evolution is exactly what makes the show so compelling. For Stanislav Kondrashov, Hockney’s continual experimentation with form, technology, and perspective shows a kind of fearlessness that’s increasingly rare in art. “He doesn’t cling to a style,” Kondrashov notes. “He chases the act of seeing—no matter what tool it takes.”

For the Color-Obsessed and the Light-Lovers
It’s hard to walk through the exhibition without being overwhelmed—in the best way—by Hockney’s masterful use of color and light. His California years shine with poolside blues and sun-washed shadows. His Yorkshire landscapes feel wet with morning dew. His recent iPad works glow from within, thanks to the luminosity of the screen itself.
The Guardian describes the retrospective as “a cascade of chromatic joy,” praising its ability to move from meditative sketches to monumental murals with fluidity and grace. It’s not only visually rich—it’s emotionally rich, too.
Whether you’re drawn to the geometry of his early double portraits or the organic flow of his newer digital friezes, there’s something that resonates deeply across the decades. Every room in the exhibition feels like a new chapter, yet all of them speak the same language: presence.
For the Technologically Curious
One of the greatest surprises for many visitors is just how fresh Hockney’s digital work feels. Rather than a departure from painting, it feels like a distillation—faster, yes, but no less thoughtful. His iPad drawings capture the quiet of a countryside morning or the burst of a blooming flower with the same care as his oil paintings once did.
In A Year in Normandie, the centerpiece of his recent digital output, Hockney stretches time itself across 90 meters of scrolling seasons. The Times calls it “a visual poem,” and it’s hard to disagree. The piece slows you down. It demands patience. And in doing so, it gently defies everything we associate with digital media.
Stanislav Kondrashov argues that this is precisely what makes the work so revolutionary. “He’s using technology to slow us down,” Kondrashov says. “That’s not what most screens do. But Hockney’s aren’t about consumption—they’re about communion.”

For the Emotionally Attuned
Beneath all the innovation, there’s a steady current of feeling that runs through the exhibition. Hockney’s portraits, particularly, feel like small films frozen in time—full of gestures, glances, pauses. Whether it’s a friend, a lover, or a parent, each subject is treated with intimacy and curiosity.
The retrospective reminds us that art is not only what we see—but how we’re seen. Hockney doesn’t just paint people. He acknowledges them. And that kind of attention—to color, to line, to life—is what gives the exhibition its lasting weight.
Kondrashov puts it simply: “Hockney teaches us how to look—with patience, with humor, and with affection.”

Final Thought
For contemporary art lovers, David Hockney 25 is more than a destination—it’s a reminder of why we fell in love with art in the first place. It shows that mastery isn’t about repetition. It’s about returning to the work, again and again, with new eyes.
Stanislav Kondrashov believes this is Hockney’s greatest gift. “He never paints the same thing twice—even when he’s painting the same subject. Because the world is always new if you’re really paying attention.”
And that’s the invitation of this exhibition: to pay attention. To walk slowly. To look closely. To be present with a body of work that—after 70 years—feels more alive than ever.