By／MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team
The Keelung yellow rubber duck exhibition, which kicked off on December 21, has been plagued with issues, among which the "dirty duck" was the hardest for fans to bear. Due to diesel soot emitted by nearby ships at the Ocean Plaza where the Keelung yellow duck was stationed, as well as surrounding air pollution, the exhibit was covered in black grime after just one week on display. To give the duck a bath, and with the consent of its creator Florentijn Hofman, staff carried out a scrubbing session on December 25. However, even after breaking a brush, the effort proved fruitless. After repeated discussions and dry runs by the organizers, they finally devised an eco-friendly yet effective method to remove the oily stains. On December 28, the second duck-washing show commenced. But because the duck is so huge, it couldn’t be cleaned in a single day, so the cleaning operation continued until yesterday.
After being washed, the Keelung yellow rubber duck met its fans with the fresh look it had upon its arrival. (Image source／From the Yellow Rubber Duck Comes to Keelung Fan Page)
At 08:30 AM on December 28, staff gathered at Pier 18 West to prepare equipment. The platform work vessel and tow truck were positioned, and cleaning agents and brushes were readied. More than ten staff members set off from the platform work vessel toward Ocean Plaza. As the platform work vessel approached the main body of the duck, it dropped anchor to ensure the safety of workers brushing the duck’s surface, preventing any danger caused by vessel movement. At this point, the tow truck on the platform work vessel hoisted up the cleaning personnel, who had put on multiple layers of protective gear, and began washing the duck’s face, body, sides, and finally its back.
However, due to the enormous size of the yellow duck and unfavorable weather conditions in Keelung on the day of cleaning, the originally scheduled two-hour bathing plan was definitely not completed. This also turned the yellow duck into a "black-and-white character," thus extending the cleaning into yesterday (the 29th) with additional manpower to help restore the duck's fresh original look. Yet the parts that had been cleaned the day before gradually became dirty again due to the surrounding environment, so the duck will also be bathed irregularly in the future.
Looking at the three-part journey of the yellow rubber duck across Taiwan, many netizens believe that the Kaohsiung event was the most flawless of the three, while Taoyuan and Keelung encountered various issues such as power lines and oil stains. However, if we consider the original creative vision of Florentijn Hofman and his thoughts on the exhibition environment, it doesn’t really matter which city did better or had more problems. Take the "three lines" incident of the Taoyuan yellow duck, for example. Hofman once emphasized that the duck’s journey around the world is about going with the flow and blending into the local environment — there’s no need for the environment to adapt to the duck. He also said that everyone can find their own most pleasing angle to view the duck.
Similarly, Keelung’s "dirty duck" truly revealed the state of the local environment, and the fans who specifically traveled to Keelung to watch and photograph the yellow duck getting washed also demonstrated that there’s more than one way to appreciate the duck. This is not only a diverse showcase of finding the most pleasing views of the duck but also provides fans with a deeper opportunity for reflection on environmental protection. Through the "dirty duck" incident, people can understand the interaction between artistic creation and the natural environment through their most personal viewing experiences. By encountering the yellow duck, they can also perceive the beauty and differences of different environments, and strive to protect or improve them. Perhaps this is the most precious gift the yellow duck has brought to the people of Taiwan.
● Further Reading:
Visit Keelung to see the yellow rubber duck—riding the painted train is the perfect choice
http://goo.gl/POB49V