Jeff Koons' 'Balloon Dog' for Snapchat Got Virtually Vandalized
Well, that didn’t take long.
Not long ago, Snapchat announced a new augmented reality platform dedicated to featuring three-dimensional figures of iconic artworks. More precisely, the project will allow Snapchat users to view artworks pinned at particular locations in augmented reality as they hold their phones. The tech company’s inaugural exhibitor was none other than Jeff Koons. The major artist’s acclaimed Balloon Dog sculpture was the highlight of the project’s launch this past Tuesday. However, it didn’t take long for the piece to be vandalized—a day later to be precise.
New York-based artist Sebastian Errazuriz of Cross Lab studio virtually buffed Koons’ glossy digital installation in Central Park as “a symbolic stance against imminent AR corporate invasion,” he expressed to It’s Nice That. “It is vital to start questioning how much of our virtual public space we are willing to give to companies.”
How did he do it? Errazuriz mapped out the exact coordinates of the Balloon Dog and created a replica that was covered in graffiti tags. Namely, OG Queens-based writer KLOPS alongside other local artists are represented in the digital defacing.
Snapchat presumably has yet to respond to the designer’s act of vandalism. Nevertheless, folks can visit Errazuriz’s ARNYC website to catch more vandalized variants.
