Installation view of “Grottesco,” currently open at le Grand Palais in Paris, France. (Photo: Courtesy le Grand Palais)
By virtue of their immersive, monumental scale, installations often invite us into brand-new worlds. For the past 15 years, Eva Jospin has been crafting these kinds of fantastical settings, drawing viewers into her mythical, cave-like structures. Her latest solo exhibition at le Grand Palais in Paris is no exception.
Aptly titled Grottesco, the show gathers more than 15 works inspired by Roman legend, in which a young man stumbles upon a forgotten cave. While navigating the cave, the man discovers a sprawling network of underground frescoes, the remains of which are later identified as Nero’s Domus Aurea. From this colossal palace that had been buried for centuries, the so-called “grotesque” was born, a style in which vegetation, architecture, and myth all intertwine. It should perhaps come as no surprise that Jospin gravitated toward this narrative, considering her preference for cavernous, organic forms.
Even if her motivations are somewhat expected, Grottesco itself is deeply surprising. Throughout the exhibition, we encounter columns crawling with vines; intricate domes that, once entered, surround us like grottos; petrified forests that, like an ancient civilization, have been frozen in time; and embroidered bas-reliefs that fuse textiles and sculpture, a new technique for Jospin. Imbued with earthy tones and subsumed by plantlife, these installations are almost prehistoric, seemingly transporting us to the same cave in which the young Roman first unearthed Nero’s palace.
Enhancing this “underground” atmosphere is Jospin’s choice of medium. As with previous projects, the artist once again returns to cardboard in Grottesco, masterfully manipulating something that’s typically considered to be mundane into otherworldly architecture. Cardboard’s natural hue, of course, recalls soil, while its status as an overlooked and often discarded material raises questions about sustainability, fragility, and our connection to the natural world.
“Cardboard was everywhere in my studios, and became an accessible and transformable material,” Jospin explains. “It has become definitive in my work because it allows me to create durable works while expressing a certain vulnerability that reflects the relationship to living things and nature.”
Despite being heavily influenced by Roman architecture, Grottesco does also respond to its specific site. The Grand Palais boasts breathtaking arches and domes, complementing Jospin’s own installations in their sense of movement. Notably, the artist also opted to leave the gallery’s windows uncovered, preventing visitors from, as the artist puts it, “forget[ting] that they are in Paris.” The decision plays with our expectations, forestalling complete immersion and staging a fascinating juxtaposition between antiquity and our contemporary era. This is a common thread throughout Jospin’s practice, which straddles fantasy, history, and the present day.
“I create spaces to live in, places where visitors can enter, get closer and let themselves be absorbed by the details,” Jospin says. “My works offer a journey towards an inexplicable and inexhaustible source: we never find it, and it's this mystery that brings us back to it. What counts is each person’s experience, rather than the transmission of a precise message.”
Eva Jospin: Grottesco is currently on view at le Grand Palais through March 15, 2026. The exhibition is displayed in tandem with Claire Tabouret: D’un seul souffle, also on view through the same date.
In her latest solo exhibition, Grottesco, artist Eva Jospin explores a Roman legend through monumental architectural structures, each created with cardboard.
Installation view of “Grottesco,” currently open at le Grand Palais in Paris, France. (Photo: Courtesy le Grand Palais)
Installation view of “Grottesco,” currently open at le Grand Palais in Paris, France. (Photo: Courtesy le Grand Palais)
Installation view of “Grottesco,” currently open at le Grand Palais in Paris, France. (Photo: Courtesy le Grand Palais)
Installation view of “Grottesco,” currently open at le Grand Palais in Paris, France. (Photo: Courtesy le Grand Palais)
Installation view of “Grottesco,” currently open at le Grand Palais in Paris, France. (Photo: Courtesy le Grand Palais)
Eva Jospin: Grottesco is currently on view at le Grand Palais in Paris through March 15, 2026.
Installation view of “Grottesco,” currently open at le Grand Palais in Paris, France. (Photo: Courtesy le Grand Palais)
Installation view of “Grottesco,” currently open at le Grand Palais in Paris, France. (Photo: Courtesy le Grand Palais)
Installation view of “Grottesco,” currently open at le Grand Palais in Paris, France. (Photo: Courtesy le Grand Palais)
Installation view of “Grottesco,” currently open at le Grand Palais in Paris, France. (Photo: Courtesy le Grand Palais)
Installation view of “Grottesco,” currently open at le Grand Palais in Paris, France. (Photo: Courtesy le Grand Palais)
