Yayoi Kusama's iconic Yellow Pumpkin artwork swept away by typhoon
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Videos circulating on social media show waves crashing over the pumpkin before eventually sweeping it off the pier.
PHOTO: PPDISUNDIA/TWITTER
TOKYO - Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama's iconic Yellow Pumpkin artwork on the island of Naoshima was swept away and badly damaged by Typhoon No. 9 on Monday (Aug 9) morning.
The larger-than-life work perched at the tip of an abandoned pier has become symbolic of the island famed for its art. Since its installation in 1994, it has appeared in countless tourist photos.
Videos circulating on social media show waves crashing over the pumpkin before eventually sweeping it off the pier.
According to Benesse Corporation, which owns the artwork, staff members later retrieved the pumpkin from the Seto Island Sea, but it was badly damaged.
In the past, the company had removed the artwork when there was a storm approaching.
The process of relocating the 2m-tall hollow work requires a team of about 10 people to lift it and then slowly walk it to the end of the pier, before placing it on a truck.
However, Monday's typhoon took an unexpected turn and the movers were unable to get there in time to save the doomed pumpkin.