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Crystal Bridges Acquires Koons Sculpture (Yes, Really)
Eileen Kinsella
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It was just in time for Valentine’s Day. On February 13th, the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (created by Wal-mart heiress Alice Walton) in Bentonville, Arkansas, announced it had acquired Hanging Heart (Gold/Magenta), a massive sculpture by contemporary art star Jeff Koons. The bright gold heart, which measures 9 ½ feet wide and hangs from a magenta steel “ribbon,” was installed in the museum last week.
It is one of five unique versions created by Koons, each with a different color coating. This example, the only one retained by the artist, was sold to the museum last year. The price was not disclosed, but another heart from the series (Magenta/Gold), circa 1994–2006, captured $23.6 million from a smitten buyer at Sotheby’s New York in 2007.
Koons said in a statement, “Hanging Heart is ultimately a symbol of warmth, humanity, spirituality, and romance. I’m thrilled to have this major piece in a location in the US, where the sculpture will interact with the public.”
Engineering consultants Buro Happold, the same firm that oversaw the museum’s construction, created a specially fabricated system for the installation.
The sculpture is now available for public viewing.
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