A Jeff Koons Balloon Dog Fell To Its Death During Art Basel

Tuesday’s Design/Miami fair, held during the Art Basel Miami Beach week, ended in tragedy today, when one of Jeff Koons’ iconic balloon dogs inexplicably fell from the silver plate on which he sat, his compact glass physique shattering when it hit the floor. He was magenta.

“It just fell out of the display,” Ally Shapiro, an art collector witness to the grisly scene told The Observer. “The girl standing next to it had it cleaned up in five seconds.”

While Koons’ larger balloon dogs have sold for up to $58 million in the past, this particular breed was less valuable, priced around $8,000. Nonetheless, the loss is too real.

So long little friend. May you meet up with Koons’ cracked egg in the artsy afterlife.

h/t The Observer

Correction: The headline of this piece has been updated to reflect the Koons dog fell during Art Basel Miami Beach week, not at the fair itself.