Sculpture by renowned artist Jeff Koons worth £35k accidentally smashed during VIP event

19 February 2023, 17:38

An iconic sculpture by American artist Jeff Koons worth £35,000 was accidentally smashed during a VIP event at a Miami gallery.
An iconic sculpture by American artist Jeff Koons worth £35,000 was accidentally smashed during a VIP event at a Miami gallery. Picture: Instagram / @gamsonart

By Chris Samuel

An iconic sculpture by American artist Jeff Koons worth £35,000 was accidentally smashed during a VIP event at a Miami gallery.

The piece, a shiny blue sculpture, which was one Mr Koons' famous “balloon dog” series, was on display during the preview event at the Art Wynwood gallery.

Initially, some collectors thought the incident was a stunt or a piece of performance art when the 16-inch tall piece was knocked over and shattered on the ground.

Artist Stephen Gamson, who was at the event, said that he saw a woman touching the sculpture.

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Speaking to a local Fox News station he said: "I saw this woman was there, and she was tapping [the sculpture], and then the thing fell over and shattered into thousands of pieces."

Jeff Koons in front of another of his balloon dog sculptures before the opening of his retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York June 24, 2014.
Jeff Koons in front of another of his balloon dog sculptures before the opening of his retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York June 24, 2014. Picture: Alamy

Mr Gamson told reporters he thought she tapped on the piece to see if it was a real balloon.

Jeff Koons speaks to a fan with the piece in the background November 15, 2021 in New York City.
Jeff Koons speaks to a fan with the piece in the background November 15, 2021 in New York City. Picture: Getty

A video filmed by a bystander shows gallery employees sweeping up the shards of glass, with a voice in the background saying "I can't believe somebody would knock that over".

Video of the aftermath showed the valuable sculpture in pieces on the floor of the gallery.
Video of the aftermath showed the valuable sculpture in pieces on the floor of the gallery. Picture: Instagram / @gamsonart

Benedicte Caluch, an art adviser with Bel-Air Fine Art, which sponsored the artwork, told the Miami Herald the woman didn't mean to break the piece and that insurance would cover the damage.

Mr Koons, whose works have sold for as much as £75m, was not at the event.

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