US art fair visitor breaks Jeff Koons sculpture | Inquirer News

US art fair visitor breaks Jeff Koons sculpture

/ 05:08 AM February 20, 2023

The sculpture that forms part of artist Jeff Koons’ “balloon dog” series, before and after a visitor tapped the figure.  STORY: US art fair visitor breaks Jeff Koons sculpture

‘THE THING FELL OVER’ | The sculpture that forms part of artist Jeff Koons’ “balloon dog” series, before and after a visitor tapped the figure. (Photos from Stephen Gamson’s Instagram)

MIAMI — A collector visiting a contemporary art fair accidentally toppled over a small glass sculpture by renowned artist Jeff Koons, shattering it to pieces.

The shiny blue sculpture, one of Koons’ famous “balloon dog” series, was valued at $42,000.

Article continues after this advertisement

The mishap occurred during a VIP preview at Art Wynwood in Miami, and some collectors thought it was performance art or a staged stunt.

FEATURED STORIES

The sculpture sat alone on an acrylic base emblazoned with Koons’ surname.

Shattered

“I saw this woman was there, and she was tapping (the sculpture), and then the thing fell over and shattered into thousands of pieces,” artist Stephen Gamson told a Fox News affiliate in Miami.

Article continues after this advertisement

He said he thought the woman tapped on the artwork to see if it was a real balloon.

Article continues after this advertisement

A bystander took a video as gallery employees swept up the glass shards.

Article continues after this advertisement

“I can’t believe somebody would knock that over,” a voice is heard saying in the video.

Benedicte Caluch, an art adviser with Bel-Air Fine Art, which sponsored the Koons piece, told the Miami Herald that insurance would cover the damage, adding that the visitor did not mean to break the piece.

Article continues after this advertisement

Koons, who was not present, is an American painter and sculptor who draws inspiration from everyday objects, including balloon animals.

His works have auctioned for as high as $91 million.

RELATED STORIES

Tourist damages antique table while taking selfie at Yogyakarta museum

Armed robbers raid top international art fair in Netherlands

‘Spiderman’ thief gets eight years for $100m Paris art heist

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: Jeff Koons

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.