Jeff Koons sculpture accidentally destroyed but might still be sold

An iconic sculpture by the artist Jeff Koons, worth $42,000 was destroyed at a Miami art gallery Thursday after it was accidentally knocked over by a visitor.

The blue porcelain balloon dog sculpture, which was 16 inches tall and 19 inches wide, was standing on a pedestal during an art fair at Art Wynwood, which was hosting a VIP preview night on Thursday.

The accident occurred when the aforementioned woman knocked into the transparent pedestal. Speaking to the New York Times, artist and art collector Stephen Gamson said: "Before I knew it, they were picking up the Jeff Koons pieces in a dustpan with a broom."

Gamson, who suspected that the incident might have been part of a staged performance, added to the Miami Herald: "When this thing fell to the ground, it was like how a car accident draws a huge crowd on the highway."

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However, despite the piece of art now being shattered into hundreds of pieces it could still be willing to sell it after Gamson enquired if it was still for sale.

Fortunately, this isn't the only balloon dog that Koons has produced. In 2013, a much larger orange version of the sculpture was sold for a staggering $58.4 million.

Amazingly, this is the first time that one of the sculptures has been broken either. In 2016, another balloon dog was shattered at the Design Miami fair, however, Koons himself wasn't too concerned.

"It’s a shame when anything like that happens but, you know, it’s just a porcelain plate. We’re really lucky when it’s just objects that get broken, when there’s little accidents like that, because that can be replaced," said the artist at the time.

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