Rubber Duck artist Florentijn Hofman makes trunk call to Chinese city
Dutch conceptualist unveils latest jumbo-sized creation in Shenzhen shopping centre
A huge blow-up elephant created by the Dutch conceptual artist Florentijn Hofman has been hoisted to sit on top of a shopping centre in southern China.
Bubblecoat Elephant sits on the roof of MixC World in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and is 12 metres long, 7.5 metres high and has a 24-metre trunk.
At regular intervals it sprays water out of the trunk over the fountains in front of the mall, China News reported on Thursday.
“It’s a work that interacts with the public and attracts people who want to come and play,” Hofman told Xinhua.
A miniature version of the sculpture went on sale on Wednesday, the day the sculpture was officially unveiled.
All revenues from the souvenir will be donated to Obis China, an international non-profit non-governmental organisation dedicated to saving sight worldwide.
Many stars, including Coco Li, Jolin Tsai and GEM, have posted their pictures with Bubble Elephant toy, and urged the public to donate to the charity, according to a report by China Times earlier this month.
Hofman gained international fame for his playful oversized rubber duck that floated in the waterfronts of major cities around the world.
Rubber Duck garnered an especially strong reaction in Hong Kong when it was inflated outside the Harbour City shopping centre in 2013.
The mall recorded a surge in traffic and a sales boost for food and drink and children’s products.
The giant rubber duck also enchanted audiences at Beijing’s Summer Palace during its two months on display in the autumn of that year.
It was estimated that it brought the city more than 100 million yuan (US$15 million) in revenue. And on its final day, nearly 70,000 visitors appeared to bid goodbye to the duck.
