A visitor to a Miami art fair has wreaked havoc because she couldn’t resist the temptation to touch a statue by American artist Jeff Koons.
One of Koon’s famous Balloon Dogs stood on a table in an art dealer’s stand. He had organized a preview with works of art that are offered at the fair.
Koons’ 41 centimeter high and 48 centimeter long bright blue artwork is much more fragile than it appears; it is made of porcelain. When the VIPs had spread through the stand, a woman tapped the artwork with her finger.
Art collector and artist Stephen Gamson told the Miami Herald that he saw the statue fall and shatter into more than 100 pieces on the stone floor.
Some visitors must have thought of a joke, such as that artwork by the British artist Banksy that half went through a shredder in 2018 after being auctioned for 1.2 million euros.
In this case it was an accident. Koons’ artwork was worth nearly $40,000. It was probably insured.
Art dealer Gamson immediately asked if he could buy the shards. “I think it’s still worth money, even if it’s broken. For me, it’s about the story. That makes the work even more interesting.”
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