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 US$42,000 (RM186,145).
The mishap occurred during a VIP preview at Art Wynwood in Miami, and some collectors thought it was performance art or a staged stunt.
The sculpture sat alone on an acrylic base emblazoned with Koons’ surname.
“I saw this woman 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.
Gamson told reporters he thought the woman tapped on the artwork to see if it was a real balloon.
A bystander took a video as gallery employees swept up the glass shards.
“I can’t believe somebody would knock that over,” a voice is heard saying on the video.
Benedicte Caluch, an art adviser with Bel-Air Fine Art, who sponsored the Koons piece, told the Miami Herald that the woman did not mean to break the piece and that insurance would cover the damage.
Koons, who was not present, is an American painter and sculptor who draws inspiration from everyday objects, including balloon animals. His works challenge notions of what fine art is, even as they have auctioned for as high as US$91 million.
His balloon dog sculptures vary in size, from less than 30cm in height to over 3m tall, and come in vivid colours. – AFP, February 19, 2023
