Rubber Duck Update

Despite major auction houses opening branches in Hong Kong to grab a fistful of yen (or whatever), the most popular work of art for the citizens has been Dutch artist Florentijn Hofmanis' Giant Inflatable Yellow Rubber Duck (2007) which has visited 13 different cities, from Brazil to Australia, on its world tour. It's been bobbing round Victoria Harbour for the past month and caused duck mania among the masses, with replicas flooding the market and restaurants creating special duck dishes. Duck mania has even spread to mainland China, leading to a "plague of ducks". The editor of the People's Daily, the official mouthpiece of China's ruling Communist Party, has railed against this proliferation of copycat rubber ducks, which he claims are mere "kitsch" that "will ruin our creativity and our future and lead to the loss of imagination....", but he applauds Hofmanis' "pure art and anti-commercialisation" (CLICK). Yesterday's photo shows fans in Hong Kong braving pouring rain to wave a fond farewell to the giant rubber duck, which is now heading to the USA (CLICK). Rumour has it that the main reason Chinese leader Xi Jinping travelled to the USA for the recent summit was to warn President Barack Obama about the perils of rubber ducks (CLICK).