'Heartbreaking:' Visitor accidentally shatters Jeff Koons 'balloon dog' sculpture

The artist Jeff Koons’ well-known sculptures may seem like they’re constructed from balloons – however the works are literally fragile, as one artwork honest attendee came upon when she knocked over a $42,000 (A$61,170) piece Thursday, inflicting it to shatter.

A blue balloon canine sculpture created by Koons broke into tiny shards when a customer by chance kicked its podium, in accordance with the gallery internet hosting the piece.

Bel-Air Fine Art was displaying the piece at its sales space at Art Wynwood, a recent artwork honest in Miami, Florida.

The sculpture, shown here before it was broken, was one of 799 editions created by Koons. — The sculpture, proven right here earlier than it was damaged, was one in all 799 editions created by Koons. (Bel-Air Fine Art Contemporary Art Galleries)

In an announcement shared with CNN over e-mail, the gallery’s district supervisor, Cédric Boero, who was managing the Art Wynwood sales space, instructed CNN that the gallery serves as “one of the official representatives for the famous Jeff Koons balloon dogs sculptures.”

“Of course it is heartbreaking to see such an iconic piece destroyed,” mentioned Boero.

He mentioned the piece fell after an unnamed artwork collector visiting the sales space unintentionally kicked the pedestal throughout the honest’s opening cocktail hour Thursday night.

Bel-Air Fine Art was displaying the sculpture as part of its booth at Art Wynwood in Miami. — Bel-Air Fine Art was displaying the sculpture as a part of its sales space at Art Wynwood in Miami. (Bel-Air Fine Art Contemporary Art Galleries)

“The collector never intended to break the sculpture, in fact she never touched it with her hands,” he mentioned.

“It was the opening cocktail, lots of people were on our booth, she gave unintentionally a little kick in the pedestal, which was enough to cause the sculpture to fall down.”

“This kind of thing unfortunately happens, that is why the artwork was covered by insurance,” he mentioned.

A porcelain Jeff Koons "balloon dog" sculpture, valued around A$61,000 broke into tiny pieces after an art collector accidentally kicked its podium at Art Wynwood in Miami. — A porcelain Jeff Koons “balloon dog” sculpture, valued round A$61,000 broke into tiny items after an artwork collector by chance kicked its podium at Art Wynwood in Miami. (Bel-Air Fine Art Contemporary Art Galleries)

The gallery shared images of the sculpture diminished to scraps of ceramic mendacity on the ground.

The 2021 piece was entitled “Balloon Dog (Blue)” and valued at round $61,170 in accordance with an e-mail from Bel-Air Fine Art.

The sculpture was made from porcelain and measured 40 x 48 x 16 cm. A complete of 799 editions of the sculpture have been made.

Koons and Art Wynwood didn’t instantly reply to CNN’s request for remark.

Koons’ balloon animal figures are among the most iconic – and costly – sculptures within the up to date artwork world.

His items have fetched jaw-dropping sums at public sale: “Rabbit” (1986) offered for $132 million at Christie’s New York in 2019, and “Balloon Dog (Orange)” (1994-2000) offered for $85 million six years earlier.

He has created a whole lot of renditions of the balloon canine, a few of them towering over three-metres tall, and a few of them simply over a foot tall, just like the sculpture that shattered.

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