Claes Oldenburg & Coosje van Bruggen

Oldenburg and van Bruggen's monumental sculptures and consumer-product works spanning six decades, installed throughout Lever House's landmark modernist building and plazas.

Why go

The first major presentation since Oldenburg's 2022 death pairs his iconic soft sculptures and plaster works from the 1960s–70s with monumental outdoor pieces, displayed in the original Lever Brothers headquarters—a building whose postwar optimism and product-showcase vitrines directly echo the artists' engagement with consumer culture.

What to expect

Monumental sculptures on outdoor plazas visible from Park Avenue; plaster works from 1961; fabric soft sculptures; drawings for proposed monuments; consumer-product sculptures (toothpaste, lipstick) displayed in restored lobby vitrines; architectural responses like a twelve-foot handkerchief and sixteen-foot garden trowel positioned throughout the

Things to know

• First major presentation since Claes Oldenburg's death in 2022.
• Exhibition spans six decades of work by Oldenburg and van Bruggen.
• Lever House, designed by SOM in 1952, was the original headquarters for Lever Brothers soap manufacturer.
• Two monumental outdoor sculptures installed on plazas, highly visible from Park Avenue.
• Works include plaster sculptures first shown in the East Village in 1961 and iconic fabric soft sculptures from the 1960s–70s.
• Architect's Handkerchief (twelve feet) positioned to face the Seagram Building across Park Avenue.

Plan your visit

Free and open to the public. Lobby open Monday–Friday 7am–8pm and Saturday 8am–1pm. Exhibition runs through Fall 2025.

From the venue

Extensive public presentation will be the first since Claes Oldenburg's death and will feature iconic works from six decades installed inside and outside the celebrated building