A glass sculpture by Jeff Koons worth almost 40,000 euros was reduced to crumbs during an exhibition. It happened in Miami, where a woman touched one of her famous dog-shaped balloons, which fell and broke into a thousand pieces.
The bright blue sculpture was part of the famous ‘balloon dog’ series that forged Jeff Koons’ international reputation. The incident occurred during a private preview at Art Wynwood in Miami. Some collectors have thought that it was an artistic performance or a staging. “I saw this woman standing there and tapping on the sculpture, and it fell and broke into a thousand pieces,” artist Stephen Gamson told the Miami-based Fox News channel. Gamson said he believed the woman was touching the artwork, which sat on an acrylic plinth with Jeff Koons’ name on it, to test whether it was actually an inflatable.
A witness filmed tunnel workers sweeping away shards of glass. “I can’t believe anyone could have spilled this,” he reads in the file. Bénédicte Caluch, artistic consultant of Bel-Air Fine Art, which sponsored the work by Jeff Koons, told the American newspaper Miami Herald that the collector had not wanted to break the work and that the insurance will cover the damages. Jeff Koons, who was not present, is an American painter and sculptor who draws inspiration from everyday objects, including animal balloons. His works challenge the notion of beauty in art, even though some have sold for more than $91 million (€85 million) at auction. His inflatable dog sculptures range in size, from less than a foot tall to over three feet tall, and are all brightly colored.
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