Jeff Koons’ giant rabbit balloon arrives in Covent Garden

To celebrate the opening of Tate Modern’s major autumn exhibition Pop Life: Art in a Material World, a giant 53 foot (16 metre) helium balloon by Jeff Koons will go on display at Covent Garden, London, from 8 – 11 October.

It will be the very first time that Koons’ balloon Rabbit replica will have appeared in the UK and its residency in the Market Building marks a new relationship between Covent Garden and Tate Modern.

Modelled on Jeff Koons’ iconic metre-high stainless steel sculpture Rabbit 1986, Koons created the large-scale silver balloon for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2007 in New York. The silver rabbit was floated down the streets of Broadway through the crowds to celebrate the occasion. Both the original sculpture and a film of the balloon in Macy’s Day Parade will be included in Pop Life: Art in a Material World.

Jeff Koons started creating sculptures casting inflatable toys in the 1970s. Taking an inflatable rabbit, Koons rendered the object in stainless steel, playing on the tensions of the two materials weight and texture, merging high and low culture. Koons’ work draws on a variety of sources often taken from consumer culture.

Bev Churchill, Brand Director of Covent Garden commented: “We are big fans of Jeff Koons’ work, so we are delighted to be hosting one of his most recognisable pieces on its inaugural visit to the UK. The Market Building is the perfect home for its short stay in London and the scale of the balloon fits perfectly.”

Rabbit will be shown in the South Hall, Market Building, Covent Garden, London. Pop Life: Art in a Material World will be on display at Tate Modern from 1 October – 17 January 2010.

For further information, visit coventgardenlondonuk.com.