Rubber Duck (sculpture)

Sydney, 2013

Rubber Duck is any of several giant floating sculptures designed by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman. These were built in various sizes, ranging from the prototype which measured 1 inch to the one created in 2007 that is the largest rubber duck in the world, measuring 26×20×32 metres (85×66×105 ft) and weighing over 600 kg (1,300 lb).^[1][2][3]

Design

The creator of the giant rubber duck, Florentijn Hofman, tried to entertain the world by a tour named "Spreading joy around the world" established in 2007. He aimed to recall everyone's childhood memories by exhibiting the duck in 14 cities, starting in his own Amsterdam, Netherlands.^[3]

The giant rubber duck was constructed with more than 200 pieces of PVC.^[4] There is an opening at the back of the body so that architecture/ staff can perform a body check of the rubber duck. In addition, there is an electric fan in its body so that it can be inflated at any time, in either good or bad weather.^[3]

Display

Since 2007, the ducks have been on display in Amsterdam, Baku, Lommel (Belgium), Osaka, Sydney Harbour, Sao Paulo and Hong Kong.^[5] It was on display in Pittsburgh as its first US destination,^[6] from 27 September 2013 through 20 October 2013. Over 1,000,000 people are reported to have visited the duck in Pittsburgh.^[7][8] Its second United States appearance will be in Norfolk, Virginia from 17-26 May 2014, floating in The Hague inlet in front of the Chrysler Museum of Art.

In October 2014, The Lotte group of South Korea asked for the giant rubber duck in order to celebrate the opening of the new Lotte World Mall,^[9] the country's largest shopping mall that also has a supertall skyscraper, Lotte World Tower, under construction. The tower is located between the Han River and Seokchon Lake where the giant rubber duck is placed. ^{[10] [11]} However, the duck deflated during the exhibition. ^[12]

In 2009, while it was on display in Belgium, vandals stabbed the Rubber Duck 42 times.^[13]

Here are the dimensions and location of each duck in order of date:

• Saint-Nazaire, France, 2007 (26×20×32 metres or 85×66×105 feet)^[14]
• São Paulo, Brazil, 2008 (12×14×16 metres or 39×46×52 feet)
• Osaka, Japan, December 2010 (10×11×13 metres or 33×36×43 feet)
• Auckland, New Zealand, February 2011 (12×14×16 metres or 39×46×52 feet)
• Onomichi, Japan, 2012 (10×11×13 metres or 33×36×43 feet)
• Hasselt, Belgium, July 2012 (12×14×16 metres or 39×46×52 feet)^[15]
• Sydney, Australia, January 2013 (13×14×15 metres or 43×46×49 feet)^[16]
• Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, May 2013 (14×15×16.5 metres or 46×49×54 feet)^[17]
• Pittsburgh, United States, September 2013 (14×15×16.5 metres or 46×49×54 feet)^[18]
• Beijing, China, September 2013 (14×15×18 metres or 46×49×59 feet)^[19]
• Baku, Azerbaijan, September 2013 (12×14×16 metres or 39×46×52 feet)^[20]
• Kaohsiung, Taiwan, September 2013 (25×18×18 metres or 82×59×59 feet)^[21][22]
• Taoyuan, Taiwan, 26 October 2013 (25×18×18 metres or 82×59×59 feet)
• Keelung, Taiwan, 20 December 2013 (25×18×18 metres or 82×59×59 feet)
• Parramatta, Australia, 10–19 January 2014 (13×14×15 metres or 43×46×49 feet)
• Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 27 April – 31 May 2014 (22×20×16 metres or 72×66×52 feet)
• Norfolk, United States, 17–26 May 2014 (14×15×16.5 metres or 46×49×54 feet)
• Hangzhou, China, 30 May – 15 July 2014 (25×18×18 metres or 82×59×59 feet)^[23]
• Los Angeles, United States, August 2014 (33×18×26 metres or 108×59×85 feet)^[24]
• Vancouver, Canada, August 2014 (13×14×15 metres or 43×46×49 feet)
• Seoul, South Korea, 14 October 2014 – 14 November 2014 (16.5×19.8×16.5 metres or 54×65×54 feet)^[25]
• Shanghai, China, 23 October 2014 - 23 November 2014 ^[26]

The duck on display in Hong Kong, from 1 May to 9 June 2013, deflated on 15 May after losing air.^[27] It was re-inflated and was again on exhibition on 20 May.^[13] It was damaged and deflated again in Taiwan on 2 November after an earthquake, ^[28] before bursting at Keelung, Taiwan, on 31 December 2013.^[29] The duck was reported as having been swept away in recent floods in China. ^[30]

Big Yellow Duck

This picture circulated the Internet during the 24th anniversary of the Tianamen Square protests

On 4 June 2013, Sina Weibo, China's most popular microblog, had blocked the terms "Today", "Tonight", "June 4", and "Big Yellow Duck". If these were searched, a message would appear stating that according to relevant laws, statutes and policies, the results of the search could not be shown. The censorship occurred because a photoshopped version of Tank Man, which swapped all tanks with this sculpture, had been circulating around Sina Weibo.^[31]

Gallery

• 

  Osaka, 2009

• 

  Baku. 2013

• 

  Pittsburgh, 2013

• 

  Norfolk, 2014

• 

  Los Angeles, 2014

• 

  Seoul, 2014

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rubber Duck by Florentijn Hofman.

• Rubber Duck Osaka 2009
• Rubber Duck Hong Kong 2013
• Hong Kong Harbour City: Rubber Duck Project - HK Tour
• Timable Event: Rubber Duck Project HK Tour