Koons unveils 'Seated Ballerina' in New York

Renowned visual artists Jeff Koons on Friday unveiled an 45-feet (13.7-meters) inflatable ballerina in front of one of New York's busiest plazas.

The work "Seated Ballerina" was commissioned by American cosmetics designer Kiehl's to raise awareness of National Missing Children's Month in the US.

"I really hope that Seated Ballerina can represent to people of all ages a sense of hope and optimism for the future, but especially that young children can look at this and can get a sense of their own potential," Koons told reporters.

"Every time we take a deep breath and expand our lungs, we are inflatable and that's kind of a symbol of optimism."

Koons' work is set to remain near the Rockefeller Center until June 2. "Seated Ballerina" marks his third work to be exhibited in the bustling plaza.

Known as the "king of kitsch," Koons' "Balloon Dog (Orange)" set an auction record in 2013 for the highest price paid for any work by a living artist. The work sold for $58.4 million (53.4 million euros).

Koons said he created "Seated Ballerina" as inflatable in order to juxtapose the effect of his "Balloon Dog" works, which appear to be inflatable pieces but are made of stainless steel. He said he realized the impact would be "tremendous" givens its meaning.

ls/kl (AFP, EFE)