A visitor to an American art gallery accidentally destroys a $42,000 sculpture by Jeff Koons
An art university visiting a contemporary art fair in Miami mistakenly dropped a small glass sculpture by famous artist Jeff Koons, valued at about $42,000.
The bright blue statuette was part of the “Balloon Dog” series that made Jeff Koons world-famous.
The incident occurred during a special pre-show at Art Winwood in Miami. Some collectors thought it was an art show or an agreed-upon scene.
“I saw this woman while she was feeling the statue, which then fell and shattered into thousands of pieces,” artist Steven Gamson told Fox News in Miami.
He added that he believed the woman was feeling the artwork to see if it was a real balloon.
A passer-by filmed the incident while gallery staff were removing shards of glass.
A voice is heard saying in the video, “I can’t believe anyone would feel that.”
For her part, Benedict Kalloch, artistic advisor at Bel-Air Fine Art, a sponsor of Jeff Koons’ work, told the American newspaper “The Miami Herald” that the collector did not intend to break the artwork and that insurance would cover the damage.
