Jeff Koons 'balloon dog' sculpture valued at over $40,000 accidentally shattered at Miami art festival, and one collector wants to buy the pieces
Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
- A balloon dog sculpture from artist Jeff Koons was accidentally broken at an art festival in Miami.
- A woman attending the event allegedly tapped the sculpture, and it fell off its stand.
- One collector told The Miami Herald and NPR that he is interested in buying the pieces, as its breaking is part of the sculpture's story.
One of Jeff Koons' famous "balloon dog" sculptures was broken at an art festival in Miami last week after a woman allegedly bumped the sculpture and it fell off its stand, shattering into pieces.
The small glass sculpture, valued at $42,000, was on display during a VIP preview event for Art Wynwood when it was broken last Thursday evening, according to the Miami Herald.
An art advisor at the event told the Herald the woman who broke the sculpture was an art collector who broke it by accident, and said the incident will be forgiven as the artwork was covered by insurance.
An artist at the event, Stephen Gamson, told the Herald that he assumed the woman was curious whether the particularly realistic-looking sculpture was actually a balloon, not aware that it was very breakable.
The Herald reported that the sound of the sculpture shattering drew a large crowd, and some wondered whether the piece breaking was part of a larger performance art exhibit.
Gamson posted pictures and videos of the broken sculpture to his Instagram, capturing the immediate aftermath as the crowd formed and the shattered statue was cleaned up.
He can be heard mentioning something about wanting to buy the shattered pieces in one of the videos, and Gamson told NPR this week that he is still interested in buying the pieces.
The shards of the sculpture were cleaned up and the event continued, as Gamson wondered at the time whether the broken pieces could eventually sell for more than the original sculpture was worth, according to the Herald.
"I find value in it even when it's broken," Gamson told the Herald. "To me, it's the story. It makes the art even more interesting."
Some of Koons' most famous works include his incredibly realistic balloon animal sculptures, and the world renowned artist has sold works for some of the highest prices ever paid for works from a living artist.
A spokesperson for Koons did not immediately respond to Insider's request to comment.