Basquiat's giant dinosaur heralds Year of the Dragon
Contemporary artist Jean-Michel Basquiat's iconic crown-wearing dinosaur has appeared in Shanghai as a giant art installation to celebrate the upcoming Year of the Dragon.
Basquiat (1960-1988) was a trailblazer of the 1970s and 1980s New York art scene. He created Pez Dispenser, as the dinosaur is called, in 1984. It's a typical Basquiat work which nicely blends elements of street art with Neo-expressionist style.
A 15-meter-high Pez Dispenser now stands on the north square of the HKRI Taikoo Hui mall, surrounded by neon lights designed in the shape of 35 of Basquiat's popular works.
The 15-meter-high crown-wearing dinosaur installation.
More than just an installation, it allows people to get into the dinosaur to become part of the public art. People can press crown-shaped buttons to control the neon lights.
The mall is also adorned with wooden boxes painted with 33 of Basquiat's works.
A pop-up store provides limited editions of related products.
A pop-up store provides limited editions of related products.
