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The Korea Times

By Park Han-sol
There is perhaps no bath toy that is as well travelled as Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s six-storey-tall Rubber Duck.
Since its debut in 2007 in Saint-Nazaire, France, the supersized inflatable icon has captured the hearts of millions, from Los Angeles and Sydney to Osaka and Hong Kong.
The mammoth duck also made a splash in Korea on two separate occasions – in 2014 and 2022 – when it popped up in Seokchon Lake in Songpa district, southeast Seoul.

As many as 6.5 million visitors flocked to the lake last year to watch the doe-eyed, tangerine-beaked installation silently drift through the water – a much-needed touch of optimism for the pandemic-weary population.
Hofman, the mastermind behind these larger-than-life attractions that temporarily take over major cities, has returned to Korea – this time, to bring his vision indoors for his inaugural solo exhibition in the country, “Inclusive”, at Whitestone Gallery Seoul.
Two Chinese artists hold contrasting solo shows in Hong Kong gallery
The gallery provides a much more confined space compared to his usual creative playground – the city itself – so to compensate, the artist offers the next best thing: scaled-down versions of his public installations.
The go-to motif for the Dutch artist’s supersized installations has long been instantly recognisable animals – or, to be more precise, the mass-produced toys or everyday objects in the shape of animals. But Hofman insists that his works have “never really been about animals themselves”.
“They’ve always been a metaphor for us humans,” he says.

His pieces can be likened to modern-day, sculptural versions of fables. The creatures inhabiting Whitestone Gallery Seoul represent everything from freedom to hope and inclusivity – values that have increasingly become palpable to the artist, whose self-assigned role has been to connect people beyond languages, culture and geography.
“People flock to and gather around these big sculptures. Then, they start conversing with each other,” he says, noting how the return of the Rubber Duck to Seokchon Lake almost a decade after its first appearance created – and brought back – collective memories for the audience.
“A generation grew up with that image and they really wanted to reconnect with it, and [by doing so] reconnect with themselves, with each other.”

The most salient feature of Hofman’s urban art projects is not their animal-inspired motif, but their sheer scale.
Whether you revel in the sight of these gargantuan installations or not, it’s impossible to take your eyes off them as their presence physically “disrupts” and redefines the very space they occupy.
“Size matters. When you blow up things, you (are bound to) look at it in a different perspective. Instead of us looking at it, it is now looking at us. So there is a shift in perspectives, which really intrigues me,” he says.

His oversized sculptures demand attention, prompting viewers to reconsider their relationship with the surrounding environment, thus adding a new layer of narrative.
“For example, I always call the Rubber Duck a yellow catalyst, because (just by existing) it asks for a narrative of your own. One person in Hong Kong told me that the duck seemed to expose how ugly the city’s skyline was (when it was in Victoria Harbour).
“Likewise, Seokchon Lake will never be the same in people’s eyes after the Rubber Duck has visited there.”

A sense of hierarchy or status also disappears when visitors place themselves in front of Hofman’s sculptures. They make everyone feel small – and in the end, equal.
“Whether you’re a politician or a restaurant worker or a journalist, you’re on the same level as anyone else ,” the artist says.
“Inclusive” runs until January 7, 2024 at Whitestone Gallery Seoul.
Read the full story at The Korea Times.


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Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s scale model of “Rubber Duck” at Whitestone Gallery Seoul. Photo: Whitestone Gallery Seoul

Dutch artist and “Rubber Duck” creator Florentijn Hofman in Hong Kong in June 23 for the return of his giant inflatable artwork to Victoria Harbour, this time with a twin. As a mini duck and other art of his goes on show in Seoul, he explains why size matters. Photo: Dickson Lee

Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s giant yellow rubber duck floats on Seokchon Lake, in Seoul, in 2014. Photo: AFP

Hofman’s sculpture of a Korean native bird at Whitestone Gallery Seoul. Photo: Whitestone Gallery Seoul

Hofman’s model of “Rubber Duck” at Whitestone Gallery Seoul. Photo: Whitestone Gallery Seoul

Hofman has made scale models of his huge urban installations for the exhibition. Photo: Whitestone Gallery Seoul

Hofman’s “Flip Flop Monkey” (2010), a model of an oversized inflatable ape clad with 10,000 flip flops, at Whitestone Gallery Seoul. Photo: Whitestone Gallery Seoul

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“Feldzeichen” (2023), by Neo Rauch. Photo: Neo Rauch

“Trift” (2023), by Neo Rauch. Photo: Neo Rauch

“Sonne” (2023), by Neo Rauch. Photo: Neo Rauch

Rauch (right) at David Zwirner gallery in Hong Kong with wife Rosa Loy and David Zwirner, owner of the gallery; “Sonne” (2023) is in the background. Photo: Neo RauchPhoto: Sun Yeung

“Die Nachtfalterin” (2023), by Neo Rauch. Photo: Neo Rauch

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Alexandria Smith’s “Seers Like Me” (2023) is one of 15 pieces that comprise her first Asian solo exhibition at Hong Kong’s Gagosian Gallery. The African-American mixed media artist talks about her first impressions of Hong Kong, and what inspires her. Photo: Martin Wong, courtesy of Gagosian

“The Wayfinders” (2023), by Alexandria Smith. Photo: Prudence Cuming, courtesy of Gagosian

Smith’s “Starchile In The Wild” (2023). Photo: Prudence Cuming

Smith is an assistant professor in painting and printmaking at the Yale School of Art, in the United States. Photo: Emil Horowitz, courtesy of the artist and Gagosian

An installation view of Smith’s exhibition. Photo: Martin Wong, courtesy of Gagosian

(From left) Smith’s “Reborn” (2023) and “Frolicking our Freedom” (2023) both feature in her exhibition at Gagosian Gallery in Hong Kong. Photo: Martin Wong, courtesy of Gagosian

An installation view of Smith’s Hong Kong exhibition. The artist says she’s inspired by everything from sci-fi to jazz music. Photo: Martin Wong, courtesy of Gagosian

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Lifestyle

Arts

Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman talks about his inflatable artwork, and how it helps bring communities together, especially after the coronavirus pandemic
He explains how his supersized art changes perspectives and, with a show of scaled down versions on in Seoul, why he sees his animal forms as a metaphor


Dutch artist behind giant inflatable animals says they change viewers’ perspectives of the places they occupy, such as Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour or a lake in Seoul, South Korea.


South Korea

Hong Kong

Korea Times