Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Acquires Jeff Koons Sculpture

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art has acquired Hanging Heart (Gold/Magenta), a monumental sculpture by internationally recognized artist Jeff Koons, which was installed in the museum this week, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The bright gold heart, which measures some 9 1/2 feet wide, surmounted by an enormous magenta stainless steel “ribbon,” in now suspended from the ribbed ceiling of one of the museum’s eponymous glass-walled bridges.

Hanging Heart (Gold/Magenta) is a massive, high chromium mirror-polished stainless steel heart sculpture, which is one of five unique versions created by Koons, each with a different transparent color coating. It is the only one, however, that was retained by the artist until sold directly to Crystal Bridges in 2013. The Hanging Heart sculptures are part of the series titled Celebration, which began in 1994, and were meant to embody the various celebratory events of a lifetime. Other works in the series include the well-known Balloon Dog, Diamond, and Cracked Egg, each in five unique versions. Other color combinations of Hanging Heart include red with a gold ribbon, magenta with gold, blue with silver, and violet with gold.

“Hanging Heart, ultimately, is a symbol of warmth, humanity, spirituality, and romance,” Koons said. “I’m thrilled to have this major piece in a location in the U.S. where the sculpture will interact with the public. It offers an opportunity for many people to view the work in a space that has a sense of not only romantic but also spiritual transcendence.”

A specially fabricated system was created by international engineering consultants Buro Happold (the structural engineering firm that oversaw Crystal Bridges’ construction) for the installation of the sculpture, which weighs in at more than 3,000 pounds and is now suspended from the arched, pine-beamed ceiling of the bridge building housing the museum’s restaurant, Eleven. Installation took place on Tuesday, Feb. 11, when the museum was closed to the public, and was finalized on Wednesday, Feb. 12.. The sculpture is now available for public viewing.