Balloon Flower

– © Markus / Wikimedia

The shiny blue sculpture is reminiscent of children’s balloons, which can be twisted and knotted to form strange and wonderful shapes. The style of American artist Jeff Koons is clearly visible here, whose sculpture ‘Balloon Flower’ has graced Marlene-Dietrich-Platz for over ten years now.

Jeff Koons (born 1955) has been creating his mostly large-scale works since the 1980ies. Balloon Flower was designed specifically for display in a public space. Kitsch or art? That is the question, which Jeff Koons' ‘Balloon Flower’ consciously provokes.

The sculpture is part of a series of works by other international artists from the Daimler Art Collection, which are displayed on Potsdamer Platz, including pieces by Jean Tinguely, Francois Morellet, Nam June Paik, Mark di Suvero, Keith Haring, Auke de Vries and Robert Rauschenberg. All of these were designed to be seen in public spaces.