As an important centre for art, Hong Kong is used to hosting large artistic events.  Few have been quite as large as Florentijn Hofman’s large Rubber Duck.  Yes, the enormous rubber duck that has made its home in Victoria Harbour this month is in fact an art installation, not the result of a stray bath toy that has spent too much time in the harbour’s less-than-clear waters.

The duck has been making headlines both here and around the world, not just for it’s size, or the fact that it deflated, but also for the crowds that it has drawn.  Hong Kongers simply adore toys and collectables. Office cubicles, homes and cars are adorned with collections of plastic and furry toys.  The SARs fascination with toys can lead some to queue up at McDonalds for the Happy Meal, only to throw away the meal itself and keep the much sought-after toy.  So, in this toy-loving climate a giant rubber duck fits right in (together with all the merchandising that goes with it). Tours of mainlanders are being taken past it and small fights have been reported to have broken out in the crowds on the pier between people desperate to get their photo taken with this most benign of avians.

The Duck with its adoring fans all trying to get a shot of it.

So what’s it about?  It is a work of art, an installation that is relatively site-specific (after all, the duck just wouldn’t do quite so well in a building).  It is a fun piece of art that can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone.  The artist himself says “The Rubber Duck knows no frontiers, it doesn’t discriminate people and doesn’t have a political connotation. The friendly, floating Rubber Duck has healing properties: it can relieve mondial tensions as well as define them. The rubber duck is soft, friendly and suitable for all ages!”

In a world that is in political, environmental, social and economical crisis having cheerful art is a welcome respite.  Let’s face it, what’s not to like about a happy, harmless, all be it giant, bright yellow duck?  It reminds everyone of the time when so many mundane daily tasks and activities were once fun.  There is nothing complex in the concept – a supersized household object – and the sheer simplicity of it encourages us to find joy in the simple things in life.

My brother declared that as he can see it from his office window, “it cheers me up everyday”.  Maybe I shouldn’t dismiss the or poo-poo the Hong Kong love of toys, but rather embrace the simple pleasure of a happy rubber duck.

Self-portrait with Duck

The duck is also part of a global tour.  Incarnations of the duck have been around since 2007 and it has made appearances at cities around the world including: Sydney, Osaka, St Nazaire, Auckland and Sao Paulo.  It changes in size each time.  The Hong Kong duck is 16.5 meters high. It is made up of several parts, including a generator and concrete anchors. It was inflated, then brought into it’s current location (by the Star Ferry pier in Tsim Sha Tsui).  The duck will be in residence until 9th June, though I don’t know his next destination.  If you haven’t already been, and are in HK, go and see it, though be warned it tends to be packed during evenings and weekends.

It definitely put a smile on my face and large-scale art is something that I think my students might enjoy having a go at. Watch this space!

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You can find out more about the artist, Florentijn Hofman, and his projects here.

This blog has a great post on the ‘duck in Hong Kong’ phenomenon. hongwrong.com