Kiehl’s Since 1851 has partnered with the Art Production Fund to sponsor Jeff Koons’s Seated Ballerina, a large-scale public art installation, hosted by Tishman Speyer at Rockefeller Center from May 12 – June 2, 2017.

The inflatable nylon sculpture stands 45 feet high and depicts a seated ballerina from the artist’s iconic Antiquity series. Koons based Seated Ballerina on a small porcelain figurine. The sculpture acts as a contemporary iteration of the goddess Venus, and symbolizes notions of beauty and connectivity. Its reflective surface mirrors its immediate environment and engages with each viewer. 

The work aims to bring awareness to National Missing Children’s Month this May, in an effort to support organizations like the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) that work tirelessly to create a safer world for children.

Chris Salgardo, President, Kiehl’s USA, comments, “We’re thrilled to continue what’s become a Kiehl’s tradition of partnering with Jeff Koons. With more than 465,000 reports of missing children last year in the United States alone, it’s gratifying to know that via this fourth partnership with Koons and the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, we are able to make a difference in the lives of our children.”

Jeff Koons adds, “I hope the installation of Seated Ballerina at Rockefeller Center offers a sense of affirmation and excitement to the viewer to reach their potential. The aspect of reflectivity emulates life’s energy; it’s about contemplation and what it means to be a human being. It’s a very hopeful piece.”

Photo Credit: Seated Ballerina, 2017 © Jeff Koons / Photo: Tom Powel Imaging