Niki de Saint Phalle : The Grotto

The final, astonishing work of Niki de Saint Phalle: a revitalized German grotto bedecked with mirrors, glass ceramics and colored stones

The three rooms of the Grotto, built in the Herrenhäuser Gärten in Hanover in 1676, were originally decorated with mussels, crystals, glass and minerals, serving as a place of enchantment and as a cool retreat on hot days. After its restoration for Expo 2000, the inside of the Grotto was newly designed according to plans by French American artist Niki de Saint Phalle (1930–2002). This represents the final work in her remarkable oeuvre, beautifully captured in this volume. The octagonal middle room and those to its left and right were splendidly decorated with mosaics made from colored glass and mirrors, with pebbles and numerous painted sculptures made of fiberglass. The spiral-shaped arrangement of the ornaments around the column in the entrance hall symbolizes spirituality, with the western mirrored room signifying day and life and the eastern blue room night and the cosmos.