Paul McCarthy's Lala Land Parody and Paradise at Haus der Kunst

Paul McCarthy, aged 60, opened his major solo exhibition 'Lala Land Parody and Paradise' at Haus der Kunst in Munich from June 16 to August 28, 2005. This was his first large-scale European show, spanning nearly 2,500 square meters. The exhibition centered on pirate and cowboy themes, featuring two new monumental works alongside drawings, photographs, sculptures, videos, and installations from 1968 to the 2000s. McCarthy himself inaugurated the show by leading four trailer-sculptures through the English Garden, followed by hundreds of guests, in a parade that evoked Nazi marches of 1937 with Bavarian brass band and leather shorts. Inside, the trailers joined a giant ranch where actors dressed as US soldiers got drunk. The 'Pirate Project' included a boat, caravan, and film set, with videos inspired by Disney's 'Pirates of the Caribbean' showing pirates attacking a village and erotic encounters with pigs, including a mechanical pig that farted. The exhibition featured provocative works like 'She Man' (a woman with a man's head), 'Dreaming' (a clone of McCarthy half-naked), and 'Dead H' (a metal tomb). Three giant soft Newport cigarette packets were also displayed. Old performance videos such as 'Plaster Your Head and One Arm Into A Wall' (1973) were shown alongside recent works. Curated by Chris Dercon and Stéphanie Rosenthal, the exhibition critiqued taboos and spectacle, reflecting Munich's conservative values and its role as a global city.