PROPERTY SOLD TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN AID FOR UKRAINE, IN PARTICULAR FOR PROSTHETICS, MEDICAL TREATMENT AND THE REHABILITATION OF UKRAINIANS WOUNDED IN THE WAR
Balloon Monkey (Magenta)
Statement by Jeff Koons:
I am deeply honored to have my artwork Balloon Monkey (Magenta) auctioned at Christie’s London, through the generous donation of Victor and Olena Pinchuk, to create humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian people. Victor and Olena Pinchuk have been working tirelessly to support Ukraine, so it is a sincere privilege to have my artwork be at the service of their extraordinary efforts to raise critical funds to support the Ukrainian people. Art’s true value is to be of service to humanity and there could not be a higher calling at this moment than to support the people of Ukraine.
Through my friendship with Victor and Olena Pinchuk, my life has been enriched by the people of Ukraine and its culture. I have had the opportunity to visit Ukraine numerous times by myself and with my family and have always felt a strong sense of community, friendship, and history. My series of Balloon Venus sculptures are in dialogue with prehistoric venus figurines I viewed in the collection of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine. For me, the sculptures engage with human history and the connectivity of art that spans the history of humankind.
One of the reasons that I have always worked with balloons is that that the membrane is a reference to our skin; it’s about both internal and external life. Balloon Monkey (Magenta) symbolizes hope, affirmation, and transcendence, so, for me, it is very fitting to have this sculpture engaged in this effort to support the Ukrainian people at this time in history.
I have been very saddened by the war and destruction that I have seen affecting the Ukrainian people and their culture and I can only hope that the donation of my artwork by Victor and Olena Pinchuk can help draw attention to the need for aid and support for the Ukrainian people, now more than ever.
More details at: https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-6380417?ldp_breadcrumb=back&intObjectID=6380417&from=salessummary&lid=1