September 23, 2014
Image from florentijnhofman.nl
Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman's giant sculptures reveal an exuberant sense of play and whimsy, often while engaging with the current and historical narratives of the landscapes they inhabit. His two most recent installations are HippopoThames, swimming in London's Thames as part of this month'sTotally Thames celebration of the iconic river and a nod to the prehistoric hippos who inhabited it, and Moon Rabbit, a larger than life bunny made of paper and styro-foam who lounges dreamily on a former bunker in Taiwan's Taoyuan military base.
Hofman has been experimenting with scale since he first created a very different rabbit in 2002 from salvaged wood. He is most well known for his giant rubber ducky, which has popped up in waterways from Beijing to Pittsburgh. His obsession with recreating everyday objects in large scale stems from a desire to truly engage, both physically and emotionally, with his viewing audience while encouraging them to also interact authentically with one another. In his own words, "My sculptures cause an uproar, astonishment, and put a smile on your face. They give people a break from their daily routines. Passers-by stop in front of them, get off their bicycle, and enter into conversation with other spectators. People are making contact with each other again. That is the effect of my sculptures in the public domain." Be sure to visit Hofman's website to see the full gallery of his awe-inspiring work.
Image from florentijnhofman.nl