The award of 2017: Florentijn Hofman calls on young artists to remain elusive

“Make sure you remain elusive,” advises Florentijn Hofman. “And take your time.” These are the words of a now world-famous artist who emphasizes that he does not want to be a teacher. However, he finds it special that through this path, he can inspire young creators to keep going.

Florentijn himself broke through in 2007 with the artwork ‘Beukelsblauw.’ In Rotterdam, he painted several houses, designated for demolition, entirely blue so that they stood out extremely in the streetscape. Shortly thereafter, he presented the piece Rubber Duck, a 32-meter-high inflatable yellow rubber duck that floated in various locations around the world. The rubber duck was first launched in France but later appeared in Osaka, Sydney, Sao Paulo, and Hong Kong.

Internet 

Now, over ten years later, his work is globally known, and international clients approach him. His colossal works, placed in public spaces around the world, often begin as small models that he frequently creates at his studio table at home. Florentijn lives in a house in the woods near Arnhem, where little commotion occurs.

Looking back, he notes that the rise of the internet contributed to his recognition as an artist. As an emerging artist, he was able to benefit from the opportunities the internet suddenly provided, and his previous works, like Rubber Duck, gained more recognition. However, he also admits that he prefers not to engage with social media nowadays. He sees it primarily as a form of distraction and advises young artists not to seek publicity online too quickly or excessively. “As an artist, you first need to take the time to develop yourself,” he says. “Get some meat on your bones until you have a certain strength.”

Uncertainty 

According to Florentijn, being an artist is intertwined with uncertainty. As an artist, he understands better than anyone that it can be difficult to make the right choices at the start of your career because everything is still possible. What he particularly wants to convey is that they must continue, despite possible setbacks and uncertainty. Being an artist also requires concentration.

Success does not always come immediately, he notes, and most artists need to have patience. But once success is achieved, the uncertainty remains, Florentijn discovered. “You must be able to continue matching your success,” he explains. “When you're doing well, the public often wants more of the same. But you still have to remain critical and evaluate your work.” He believes that as an artist, you shouldn’t create a specific type of work just because there’s a market for it. He stresses that creators should remain autonomous and, above all, “elusive.” As an artist, you must embrace uncertainty. “You have to take it as one of the ingredients of being an artist.”

Working Process 

He calls it an honor to create the award for the Piket Art Prizes, but he also says he had to think for a long time about what it would be. Ultimately, he made a representation of himself, using a 3D scan of himself as the starting point. He then worked with the scan to create a mold for casting the bronze sculpture. Now, in the statue, he has ‘frozen’ himself in a posture where he gives a thumbs up to the younger generation. “It’s not an indication of a big ego,” he adds. “It’s meant to be humorous, but there’s also a clear message behind it.”

Since he often uses scale models in his work, creating the award, which is much smaller than his well-known pieces, didn’t feel like something completely different from his body of work. Since he usually works with synthetic materials, the choice of bronze is striking. In response to this, he admits that bronze is actually a synthetic variant of the precious metal. “The award has a classical appearance, but the technique behind it and the material are actually very modern,” Florentijn explains.