Cover Florentijn Hofman's Rubber Duck is coming back to Hong Kong, and it’s bringing a friend (Photo: courtesy of Allrightsreserved)
Florentijn Hofman's Rubber Duck is coming back to Hong Kong, and it’s bringing a friend (Photo: courtesy of Allrightsreserved)
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The Dutch artist’s giant Rubber Duck installation is returning to Victoria Harbour to mark the 10-year anniversary of its last visit
A decade after its first visit to Hong Kong, Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s giant Rubber Duck Project will be returning to the city this June. The sea trial, which took place this morning (May 25) in Tsing Yi was the first step towards the reveal of the beloved art installation at Victoria Harbour next month.
The Rubber Duck Project consists of 16.5-metre tall inflatable Rubber Ducks that travel around the world to use each location’s body of water as its own personal bathtub. Hofman, known for his playful urban installations, explains on his website that the Rubber Duck “knows no frontiers, it doesn’t discriminate people and doesn’t have a political connotation”. Perhaps that is why his global tour with the Rubber Ducks—which began in 2007 and have visited cities including Amsterdam, Baku, Lommel, Osaka, Sydney Harbour, São Paulo, and Hong Kong—is entitled Spreading Joy Around the World.
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Florentijn Hofman's Rubber Duck during the sea trial on Thursday, May 25, 2023 (Photo: courtesy of Allrightsreserved)
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On its last visit to Hong Kong, from May 2 to June 9 in 2013, the giant Rubber Duck delighted the city and attracted more than 8,000,000 visitors during its stay. It had deflated on May 15, but the resilience of the Rubber Duck was undeterred and it was re-inflated and on display again from May 20.
Fun fact: the design of the giant Rubber Ducks are based on the bath time rubber ducklings by Hong Kong company Tolo Toys.
Salomé Grouard was Digital Editor and Front & Female Content Lead at Tatler Hong Kong. Primarily focused on managing Tatler Hong Kong’s digital platform and content, she also covers gender equality, the music scene and sports through interviews with industry leaders, experts and trendsetters.
Interview highlights include renowned conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, Korean actor Park Seo Jun, singer Jorja Smith, Chinese TV host Yue-Sai Kan, YouTuber Kimono Mom, Japanese rapper Awich, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter Mikey Musumeci.
She has also produced stories on revolutionising sexual wellness in Asia, activism within the surfing community, Asian trans musicians reclaiming their narratives through music and looked at the toxicity of gym culture through the lens of the plus-size community. She also covers music festivals, such as Hong Kong’s Clockenflap and Bali’s Suara.
