The giant, inflatable duck floating in Hong Kong's iconic Victoria harbor has deflated and bobbed over on Wednesday. The 54 feet tall inflatable sculpture mysteriously keeled over. The floating duck is called "Rubber Duck" and the product of Florentijn Hofman, a Dutch artist. The duck arrived earlier this month hand will be on display until June 9.
Hofma said that the duck was built in the area so it will be easier to fix. The duck has traveled through different ports in the world and Hong Kong is it's latest. CNN reported that it has also called Osaka, Sydney, Amsterdam, Belgium and Sao Paolo home.
In 2009 in Belgium, the duck was stabbed 42 times by a vandal.
"We don't know why the person did it," Hofman said to CNN. "But in the Middle Ages there was a moment when they ruined all the sculptures in Europe. We call it a "sculpture storm". The museum that bought the work spoke about 'Sculpture Stormers' that would hit the work - and kill it."
"But [the incident] brought the people of that town together. The community had a stake out at night and protected it and even the police looked after it. It shows that this piece of art means a lot to people in the vicinity of this work."
Hoffman said he created the duck to connect more people with art.
"It's about connecting people, don't take life for granted, your urban space for granted. You walk every day the same route to work, but look and stop going too fast," Hofman said to The Telegraph.
When the duck came to Hong Kong, large crowds watched the giant inflatable duck be pulled across Victoria Harbor by tug boats. People started gathering to see the duck at 6 a.m.
Large crowds watched as the giant six-story inflatable duck was pulled across Victoria Harbor in front of Hong Kong's signature skyscraper skyline by tugboats. The crowds started gathering at 6 a.m. and many bought replica toy versions of the ginormous duck.
The duck team also monitors the weather.
"There is a crew that has wind speed meters and they follow what the weather does," Hofman said to CNN. "They monitor by computer and monitor the weather so they can react in advance because we don't want to cry if it gets ripped up."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
