Dutch Artist Creates Huge Bubble Elephant to Sit Atop Shenzhen Mall

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s affinity for large animal art installations shows no signs of abating. After gaining international fame for his playful oversized rubber duck that parked in the waterfronts of major cities around the world, he is undertaking a similar project, which will see a huge bubble elephant hoisted onto the top of Shenzhen’s MixC World mall.

The creation, titled “Bubblecoat Elephant,” will go on show on Sept. 27. The outdoor installation measures 12 meters long and 7.5 meters tall and weighs 30 tons. Perched overlooking the rooftop edge of the building, the elephant will spray water out of its trunk at regular intervals over the fountains outside the mall. 

The construction of Bubblecoat Elephant. 

A key difference between this art piece and his previous “Rubber Duck” installation, however, is that it won’t be touring internationally.

The “Rubber Duck” garnered an especially strong reaction in Hong Kong when it was parked outside the Harbour City mall in 2013. Landlord Wharf Holdings reported a tremendous uptick in mall traffic and a sales boost for their F&B and children’s products.

A giant rubber duck created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman is towed along Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor.  Vincent Yu/AP/REX/Shutterstock

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