The renowned British artist David Hockney is set to unveil his most comprehensive exhibition to date at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, showcasing nearly 400 of his artworks spread across the entire building situated in the Bois de Boulogne. However, the promotional campaign for the April 9th exhibition opening has ignited controversy due to the ban of a photograph featuring the 87-year-old Hockney holding a cigarette in the Parisian metro system. Despite the artwork in question also depicting Hockney smoking, the ban adheres to French law prohibiting any direct or indirect advertisement of tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes. Hockney, an outspoken advocate for smoking, has described the situation as “complete madness,” criticizing the faithful adherence to a distinction between photographs and paintings that depict the same act. His views have been supported by exhibition curator Sir Norman Rosenthal, who decried the ban as an act of censorship that stifles artistic expression within a city historically emblematic of freedom and artistic innovation. Hockney’s history with challenging authority on such issues includes his opposition to the 2005 smoking ban in the UK and his belief in smoking’s benefits for his mental health. However, his controversial stance on smoking has clashed with policies in public spaces, such as the London metro system, where he was invited to design a logo for the Picadilly Circus tube station in 2021 but faced criticism for his design that resembled popular fast-food logos. Despite these setbacks, Hockney’s upcoming exhibition at the Fondation Louis Vuitton is set to run from April 9th to August 31st.

Source: https://www.euronews.com/culture/2025/04/03/paris-metro-bans-david-hockney-exhibition-poster-due-to-artists-cigarette