Jeff Koons is known and famous on the international art market for his sculptures. Above all, the sculptures, which look like balloon animals, have become a distinctive feature of the US artist. Now there is one less of them, because a collector destroyed one of the valuable “Ballooon Dogs” with her clumsy behavior at a trade fair.
According to artist Stephen Gamson, who was also present at the fair, the woman knocked on the shiny blue sculpture. While some visitors initially thought the incident was an art performance, Gamson himself has a completely different, unbelievable theory: It seemed to him that the woman had tried to knock on the sculpture to test whether it was an art performance would trade a real balloon.
A few seconds later, the visitor could only see the result on the floor: the work of art fell from its display case due to the treatment and shattered there “into a thousand pieces”, as Gamson told a US television station – a balloon would have tried to fall almost a meter probably reacted differently.
This knowledge now comes at a high price: Koons’ works are generally considered expensive, and the affected dog itself is estimated at around 42,000 dollars (around 40,000 euros). A blessing in disguise: According to an expert in the “Miami Herald”, the visitor would probably not have to pay for the costs herself, an insurance company would pay for the damage.
Painter and sculptor Jeff Koons draws inspiration for his work from everyday objects such as balloon animals. His balloon dog is available in various sizes, from around 30 centimeters to ten meters in height.
