Paul Pfeiffer's "Olympia" at Perrotin Los Angeles Revisits Sports, Spectacle, and the 1936 Olympics
Paul Pfeiffer's exhibition titled "Olympia" is currently on display at Perrotin Los Angeles until November 7, 2026. This show serves as a concentrated version of his 2023 MOCA retrospective, "Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom," and draws its name from Leni Riefenstahl's 1938 film about the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Featured works include the sculptural piece Vitruvian Figure (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum) (2026) and a new addition to the Incarnator series (2018–), showcasing fragmented representations of Justin Bieber. In this exhibition, Pfeiffer examines the significance of athletes within economic and cultural contexts, critiquing capitalism's narratives of personal success while addressing themes of power and spectacle influenced by digital and social media.
Key facts
- "Olympia" is on view at Perrotin Los Angeles through November 7, 2026
- The title references Leni Riefenstahl's 1938 film on the 1936 Olympics in Germany
- Pfeiffer's 2023 MOCA retrospective was titled "Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom" and covered 25 years of work
- The show centers on Vitruvian Figure (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum) (2026) and a new Incarnator series installment (2018–)
- The Incarnator works depict fragmented effigies of Justin Bieber in historical iconography of Christ
- Pfeiffer cites Paolo Virno on artists' knowledge becoming legible through institutions
- Pfeiffer links the athlete's position to the rise of digital media and social media over 25 years
- The interview was conducted by Mark Pieterson, a Ghanaian American conceptual artist and writer
Entities
Artists
- Paul Pfeiffer
- Leni Riefenstahl
- Justin Bieber
- Michael Jackson
- Paolo Virno
- Carl Jung
- Mark Pieterson
- Paul Salveson
- RM
- Jimin
- Jung Kook
Institutions
- Perrotin
- Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
- Coachella
- Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant
- ArtAsiaPacific
- BTS
- SoFi Stadium
- MOCA LA
- Guggenheim Bilbao
- MCA Chicago
- Georgia State University
- Iglesia ni Cristo
- Bellas Artes Projects
- CULTURED
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Germany
- Seville
- Spain
- Houston
- New York
- Honolulu
- Hawaii
- Philippines