Florentijn and the Fox...

Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman has a new friend in town.

This time it’s an urban fox.

We love his large scale installations of animal characters and have featured many of them on the blog through the years. They always make me smile.

Residents of Rotterdam’s Bospolder-Tussendijken frequently spot bushy-tailed foxes roaming their streets at night, but now, Hofman has given the carnivorous animal a permanent home in the area. He recently created and installed a massive “Bospolder Fox” that peers over a busy intersection in the neighbourhood.

 Spanning 16 meters, the fox holds a pink bag in its mouth, a gesture that anthropomorphizes the wild animal, as Hofman asks, “Has the Bospolder Fox stolen something? Is he clearing up litter? Or has he just returned from a shopping spree on the market?”

While the sculptural installation juxtaposes the natural world and urban landscapes, it also serves as a reminder to residents to be welcoming, although many “have developed a certain fondness for the feral intruders,” the artist said in a statement.

The fox is an interloper, a colourful and gracious nocturnal animal that imparts a romantic twist to this story; and romanticism is a longing familiar to newcomers in the city. The inhabitants of Rotterdam come mostly from elsewhere, and they, like the fox, seek a better life in the city. Rotterdam must, therefore, keep its gates open to nature, to newcomers, and to new perspectives.

I can’t help but wonder what is in his bag.

I hope it’s cake for me. I’ve checked the cupboard twice today and it’s still bare.

Queen Marie

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