Rubber Duck (sculpture) explained
Rubber Duck is a series of several giant floating sculptures of yellow rubber ducks, designed by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, which have appeared in many cities around the world. Each Rubber Duck is recreated anew locally, as his public art is intended to be temporary.[1]
Artist
Rubber Duck was created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman. In a 2013 interview, Hofman stated that his initial inspiration came from a 2001 museum visit combined with a popular yoghurt advertisement in the Netherlands in 2000 or 2001. He searched to find what he considered the perfect toy duck and settled on a design by a Hong Kong company called Tolo Toys. The yoghurt company Yogho!Yogho! financed the work.[2]
Sculpture
Design
The size of the rubber duck varies. Hofman's largest rubber duck, in Saint-Nazaire, France, measured, width, length, height of 26x. The rubber duck in Beijing was 14x, and the rubber duck in Seokchon lake was 16.5x with a weight of . The rubber duck was constructed with more than 200 pieces of PVC. All the pieces of PVC are connected by hand with sewing machines.
In order to enhance the duck's durability, they added another piece on top of one layer.[3] On the rubber duck, there is an opening at the back of the body so that architects and staff can perform a body check of the rubber duck. In addition, there is an electric propeller fan in its body so that it can be inflated at any time, in either good or bad weather.[4] The loops that are in the pontoon edges of the rubber duck are connected to the fence of the lake by 16 ropes that are designed to hold the rubber duck still without it floating away by the waves of the lake water. On the bottom of the rubber duck, there is a waterproof cable that gets the energy from a power distribution board near the lake to make the electric propeller fan work.[5] The electric propeller fan keeps the air circulating inside of the rubber duck, so that the air always keeps the shape of the rubber duck sculpture.
Display
Since 2007, the ducks have been on display in Amsterdam, Baku, Lommel (Belgium), Osaka, Sydney Harbour, São Paulo, and Hong Kong.[6] It was on display in Pittsburgh as its first U.S. destination,[7] from 27 September 2013 through 20 October 2013. Over 1,000,000 people are reported to have visited the duck in Pittsburgh.[8] Its second United States appearance was in Norfolk, Virginia, from 17 to 26 May 2014, floating in The Hague Inlet in front of the Chrysler Museum of Art.
In October 2014, South Korea's Lotte group asked for the giant rubber duck to celebrate the opening of the new Lotte World Mall, the country's largest shopping mall that has a skyscraper, Lotte World Tower.[9] The tower is located between the Han River and Seokchon Lake, where the giant rubber duck was placed.[10] [11] The duck deflated during the exhibition.[12]
In 2009, while it was on display in Belgium, vandals stabbed Rubber Duck 42 times. While on display in Hong Kong in 2013, it deflated on 15 May.[13] It was re-inflated and was again on exhibition on 20 May.[14] It was damaged and deflated again in Taiwan on 2 November after an earthquake,[15] before bursting at Keelung, Taiwan, on 31 December 2013.[16] The duck was reported as having been swept away in recent floods in China.[17] On 30 September 2017, during its exhibition in Santiago, the duck accidentally crashed into a sign, which tore a hole on its structure and caused it to deflate.[18]
A "counterfeit" version of the duck went on tour around Canada in 2017 for Canada's sesquicentennial. The tour drew some controversy as it was seen by some as a waste of government spending;[19] reports later found that the sculpture generated profits for the events it attended.[20] This version was not approved by Studio Florentijn Hofman.[21] On 9 June 2023, two Rubber Ducks were installed on Victoria Harbour, to be opened to the public on 10 June. The installation was titled Double Ducks, and was said to bring "double luck" to Hong Kong in a "time of turmoil".[22] [23] On the date of the opening, one duck was deflated due to high temperatures.[24] It was reflated the day after.[25] Although the installation was meant to be removed after two weeks (on 24 June), the installation was removed on 19 June.[26]
Censorship
On 4 June 2013, China's most popular microblogging website Sina Weibo blocked the term "Big Yellow Duck" to prevent users from posting pictures of the sculpture digitally altered in front of Tank Man, a heavily censored subject in the country. If the blocked term was searched, a message would say: "According to relevant laws, statutes and policies, [''the results of the search''] cannot be shown."[27] Currently, there is no censorship of "Big Yellow Duck".
List of locations
The Rubber Duck has made appearances in the following locations:
- Auckland, New Zealand, February 2011 (12*)
- Baku, Azerbaijan, September 2013 (12*)[28]
- Beijing, China, September 2013 (14*)[29]
- Buffalo, New York, United States, 26 August 2016
- Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, 30 May – 15 July 2014 (25*)[30]
- Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, July – August 2016[31]
- Hasselt, Belgium, July 2012 (12*)[32]
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 27 April – 31 May 2014 (22*)[33]
- Kaohsiung, Taiwan (ROC), 27 January 2024 – 25 February 2024 (“Double Ducks”, each measuring 18 metres in height)[34]
- Kaohsiung, Taiwan (ROC), September 2013 (25*)[35] [36]
- Keelung, Taiwan (ROC), 20 December 2013 (25*)
- London, United Kingdom, September 2014[37]
- Los Angeles, California, United States, August 2014 (33*)[38]
- Macau, Macau (SAR China), 29 April 2016 – 27 May 2016[39]
- Norfolk, Virginia, United States, 17 – 26 May 2014 (14*)
- Onomichi, Japan, 2012 (10*)
- Osaka, Japan, December 2010 (10*)
- Parramatta, Australia, 10 – 19 January 2014 (13*)
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, September 2013 (14*)[40]
- Saint-Nazaire, France, 2007 (26*)[41]
- Santiago and Valparaíso, Chile, 28 September 2017 – 8 October 2017[42]
- São Paulo, Brazil, 2008 (12*)
- Seoul, South Korea, 14 October 2014 – 14 November 2014 (16.5*)[43]
- Seoul, South Korea, 30 September 2022 – 31 October 2022[44]
- Shanghai, China, 23 October 2014 – 23 November 2014[45]
- Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, January 2013 (13*)[46]
- Tamar, Hong Kong, 10 June 2023 – 18 June 2023 (“Double Ducks”, each measuring 18 metres in height)
- Taoyuan, Taiwan (ROC), 26 October 2013 (25*)
See also
Notes and References
- News: Chow . Vivienne . 6 May 2013 . Florentijn Hofman, Rubber Duck artist, is man of principles . . subscription . 19 June 2023.
- News: Meija . Carlos . 15 May 2017 . Artist Florentijn Hofman Makes the World's Biggest Toys . . 13 February 2018.
- Web site: 25 April 2012 . Hofman's Rubber Ducky Travels the World . https://web.archive.org/web/20130606032528/http://www.ecogreenglobe.com/2012/04/25/hofmans-rubber-ducky-travels-the-world . 6 June 2013 . 19 June 2023 . EcoGreenGlobe.
- Web site: Sun . Sophia . 25 April 2013 . 6個不可不知的Rubber Duck解碼 . 6 must-know facts about Rubber Duck . 19 June 2023 . . Cantonese.
- Avenuel Art Hall, Lotte Gallery. Rubber Duck Project Seoul. Seoul, 2014. Print.
- Web site: 3 May 2013 . First Day of Florentijn Hofman's Rubber Duck Exhibition in Hong Kong . 19 June 2023 . NextStopHongKong.
- Web site: The Rubber Duck Bridge Party . 19 June 2023 . Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
- Web site: Bloom . Elizabeth . October 19, 2013 . Duck marks last days; lovable bird to be moved, cleaned, deflated Sunday . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029204658/http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2013/10/19/Duck-marks-last-days-lovable-bird-to-be-moved-cleaned-deflated-Sunday.html . 29 October 2013 . 19 June 2023 . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Web site: 14 October 2014 . 롯데월드몰 개장 기념으로 데려온 러버덕, 첫날부터 '김 샜다' . Rubber ducks brought in to celebrate Lotte World Mall's opening are 'steaming' from day one . 19 June 2023 . MoneyS . Korean.
- Web site: October 10, 2014 . Giant rubber duck to arrive in Seoul . 19 June 2023 . The Korea Times.
- News: Woo . Jaeyeon . 8 October 2014 . Lotte Invites Monster Duck To Soothe Construction Flap . . subscription . 19 June 2023.
- Web site: Yoo . Reera . October 14, 2014 . Giant Rubber Duck Goes Flat in Seoul . usurped . https://web.archive.org/web/20141017171033/http://iamkoream.com/giant-rubber-duck-goes-flat-in-seoul/ . 17 October 2014 . 19 June 2023 . KoreAm.
- Web site: 15 May 2013 . Giant rubber duck deflates in Hong Kong . usurped . https://web.archive.org/web/20131104141748/http://gbtimes.com/news/giant-rubber-duck-deflates-hong-kong . 4 November 2013 . 19 June 2023 . GB Times .
- News: 15 May 2013 . Fowl play? Giant rubber duck drowns in Hong Kong . . 19 June 2023.
- News: Brennan . Claire . 2 November 2013 . Giant duck damaged in Taiwan earthquake . . 19 June 2023.
- News: 31 December 2013 . Giant rubber duck bursts in Taiwan . BBC News . 19 June 2023.
- News: 18 July 2014 . China: Giant yellow rubber duck swept away in flood . BBC News . 19 June 2023.
- Web site: 30 September 2017 . Insólito: Patito gigante del Parque Quinta Normal terminó roto y desinflado . Giant duck in Quinta Normal Park broken and deflated . 19 June 2023 . . Spanish.
- Web site: May 29, 2017 . People are upset about $200k cost of giant rubber duck . 19 June 2023 . blogTO.
- News: Rushowy . Kristin . 12 October 2017 . Giant rubber duck all it was 'quacked up to be,' after all . . 19 June 2023.
- Web site: 31 May 2017 . Canada 150 Rented Duck is an Illegal Counterfeit of Real Art . pbs.twimg.com.
- News: 2023-06-09 . Two giant rubber ducks debut in Hong Kong in bid to drive "double happiness" . en . . 2023-06-19.
- Web site: Cazale . Celia . Chan . Holmes . 2023-06-09 . A decade on, giant duck once censored in mainland China returns to Hong Kong as double-bill installation . 2023-06-19 . . en-GB.
- News: June 10, 2023 . One of two giant rubber ducks in Hong Kong harbour deflates . en . Reuters . 2023-06-19.
- Web site: Heung . Sammy . Tsang . Denise . 2023-06-11 . Hong Kong’s swooning duck to return to Victoria Harbour after reliability tests . 2023-06-19 . . en.
- Web site: 2023-06-19 . Hongkongers ignore gloomy skies to say goodbye to beloved Double Ducks . 2023-06-19 . Young Post . South China Morning Post.
- News: Tatlow . Didi Kirsten . 4 June 2013 . Censored in China: 'Today,' 'Tonight' and 'Big Yellow Duck' . IHT Rendezvous . . 19 June 2023.
- Web site: Florentijn Hofman 'Rubber Duck' project / Baku Public Art Festival 2013 . https://archive.today/20130915141604/http://www.yarat.az/exhibitions/43/overview/ . 15 Sep 2013 . 19 June 2023 . Yarat.
- News: Zhou . Laura . 29 August 2013 . Beijing prepares for bigger, better rubber duck than Hong Kong . South China Morning Post . subscription . 19 June 2023.
- News: 30 May 2014 . Giant Rubber Duck waits in wings in Hangzhou . . 19 June 2023.
- Web site: 2016-08-01 . 18-meter-high rubber duck seen in NE China . 19 June 2023 . Chinaculture.org.
- Web site: Rubber Duck Hasselt 2009 . usurped . https://archive.today/20130616050012/http://www.florentijnhofman.nl/dev/project.php?id=104 . 16 Jun 2013 . 19 June 2023 . Florentijn Hofman.
- Web site: Phan . Lộc . Chú vịt vàng khổng lồ ở TP HCM . Giant yellow duck in Ho Chi Minh City . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220409125926/https://vnexpress.net/chu-vit-vang-khong-lo-o-tp-hcm-2984741.html . 9 April 2022 . 19 June 2023 . .
- Web site: 27 January 2024 . Iconic giant rubber ducks set afloat in Kaohsiung as festival opens . 5 February 2024 . . en.
- News: Waxman . Olivia B. . 25 July 2013 . Rubber Duck Finds Permanent Home in Taiwan . . 19 June 2023.
- Web site: Wong . Hiufu . 24 September 2013 . Giant duck conquers Taiwan . 19 June 2023 . CNN News .
- Web site: Florentijn Hofman’s first ever UK commission: at Nine Elms on the South Bank .
- News: Littlejohn . Donna . Mazza . Sandy . August 20, 2014 . Tall ships parade, giant yellow duck greeted warmly by thousands along San Pedro Waterfront . 19 June 2023.
- Web site: Macao Science Center . usurped . https://web.archive.org/web/20160719221206/http://rubberduckinchina.com/macau_en/ . 19 Jul 2016 . 19 June 2023 . Rubber Duck Tour China.
- News: Fuoco . Michael A. . 27 September 2013 . Giant rubber ducky quacking tonight in Pittsburgh . . 19 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131001080505/http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/giant-rubber-ducky-will-get-quacking-here-today-705115/ . 1 October 2013.
- Web site: Canard de Bain St. Nazaire 2007 . usurped . https://archive.today/20130223110401/http://www.florentijnhofman.nl/dev/project.php?id=79 . 23 Feb 2013 . 19 June 2023 . Florentijn Hofman.
- Web site: 28 September 2017 . Rubber Duck: el mapa con los lugares donde podrás fotografiarte con el pato de hule . The map with the places where you can take photos with the Rubber Duck . 19 June 2023 . . es-LA.
- Web site: 러버덕 프로젝트 – 서울 . Rubber Duck Project – Seoul . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160110192940/http://rubberduckproject.kr/ . 10 January 2016 . 19 June 2023 . Rubber Duck Project Seoul . Korean.
- [기업] 대형 고무 오리 '러버덕' 8년 만에 석촌호수 전시 ]. Sep 7, 2022 . Video . Korean . 'Rubber Duck', a giant rubber duck, exhibited at Seokchon Lake for the first time in 8 years.
- News: 2014-10-24 . Giant Rubber Duck Graces Shanghai . . 19 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141025055222/http://english.cntv.cn/2014/10/24/VIDE1414081441181720.shtml . 25 October 2014.
- Web site: Rubber Duck Sydney 2013 . usurped . https://archive.today/20130616074550/http://www.florentijnhofman.nl/dev/project.php?id=190 . 16 Jun 2013 . 19 June 2023 . Florentijn Hofman.
- Web site: Rubber Duck Hong Kong 2013 . usurped . https://archive.today/20130616050004/http://www.florentijnhofman.nl/dev/project.php?id=192 . 16 Jun 2013 . 19 June 2023 . Florentijn Hofman.