Giant Inflatable Yellow Ducks Wandering In China

Good morning contemporary art lovers! 

A month ago, one could see a giant inflatable duck, the "Rubber Duck", made by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman. The inflatable yellow duck 16.5 meters high was floating for two weeks on the waters of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. Since the installation in Hong Kong, others are inspired such like the one dabbling in Tianjin on June 1st.  

Artist took his inspiration from an old picture (1989). A picture on which one we could see four giant yellow ducks figuring a column of tanks stopped by just one single man. This picture became emblematic of the bloody suppression of the democratic movement of Chinese students, crashed into the blood 4 June 1989, the authorities banned any commemoration Tuesday.

As one can imagine the work caused sensation in China in Hong Kong but also in Hangzhou, Wuhan ou Tianjin. Real estate developers were quick to settle on their land imitations of volatile to attract customers. To the chagrin of the Comunist Party. Chinese netizens have diverted censorship which prohibited typing on the internet the words "big yellow duck". Nearly a quarter of a century after these events, the anniversary of Tiananmen remains a significant date for the scheme, which has a draconian censorship on social networks. But even if the commemoration of this anniversary is forbidden, inflatable ducks are for sale on Tabao, China's largest online auction site. The prices range from 2,800 yuan (350 euros) for the smallest to 149,800 yuan (18,800 euros) for a sample of 20 meters.

Jay-Z's performance in Chelsea

Good afternoon contemporary art lovers!
As you’ve probably heard by now, Jay-Z filmed the video for his new single “Picasso Baby” in an art-world extravaganza organized by Salon 94 at Pace's 25th Street gallery. To fill the room with appropriately arty-looking extras, the rapper and the acclaimed director Mark Romanek invited gallery staff, artists, and art journalists to what was billed as an experimental performance in which Jay-Z would rap the song for six hours straight—an Abramovic-esque (or Kjartanssononian) feat of “endurance and duration.”

Throughout the event, he singled out a rotating cast of celebrities who each took a turn on a bench in the center of the room where they were personally serenaded by Jay-Z: MoMA PS1 director Klaus Biesenbach, Rosie Perez, Jemima Kirke, Alan Cumming, Judd Apatow, and Picasso’s own granddaughter, Diana Widmaier Picasso, among them.

Dom Pérignon & Jeff Koons, reveal of a creative collision

Good morning contemporary art and fashion lovers!

On June 28th in New York, Dom Pérignon has announced its limited edition collaboration with Jeff Koons, revealing the Balloon Venus, their first accomplishment in collaboration.

Dom Pérignon and Jeff Koons are widely recognized icons, unrivalled in originality and in power of fascination. Both have joined audacious forces to deliver a playful expression of the power of creation. Beyond their very strong respective universes, both share a symbiotic approach to the creative act, regarding their respect for the great history and their constant innovation. Adapted from Jeff Koons’s monumental sculpture, the Balloon Venus for Dom Pérignon pays homage to the power of a continued creative energy, echoing the spiritual legacy of Dom Pierre Pérignon that is still a source of inspiration for the wine creator, Chef de cave Richard Geoffroy.

The Balloon Venus incarnates and accompanies the Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2003 also revealed upon the occasion. When opened, the Balloon Venus unveils a limited edition bottle of Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2003 designed by Jeff Koons. Dual, the Balloon Venus for Dom Pérignon is not just a decorative object, but a true symbol of creative energy that both envelops the bottle of Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2003 and protects it as its guardian.The new Rosé Vintage 2003 is defined by extremes. Its colour is deep, with light amber and copper tints. The wine’s bouquet erupts theatrically from its silken fleshy body, just as the sculpture’s reflective surface envelop the viewing in a dynamic invitation to tasting. A limited edition designed and signed by Jeff Koons will be revealed on September 10th, 2013. “Dom Pérignon by Jeff Koons” takes the form of two gift boxes: one for Dom Pérignon Vintage 2004, the other for Dom Pérignon Rosé Vintage 2003. Each piece of the Balloon Venus for Dom Pérignon is available through a bespoken service and is made-to –order. Please visit www.domperignon.com/dpballoonvenus for more information.

Jeff Koons, born in 1955, is one of the most famous American contemporary artists. He is an incredible chronicler of the contemporary world, and a perfectionist artist obsessed with proposing an art accessible to everyone. He has blended the concerns and methods of Pop, Conceptual, and appropriation art with popular culture to create his own unique iconography

Dom Pierre Pérignon was the procurator of the Abbey of Hautvillers in Champagne from 1668 to 1715. His life’s work was guided by the single aim of experimenting and innovating to elaborate what he named: the “best wine in the world”. Today, each new vintage of Dom Pérignon is inspired by the same quest. For every vintage is a new beginning, a reinvention.