Quackers

Time for the annual Beijing Design Week, and this year the star attraction is Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s giant rubber duck. Here it is at the Garden Expo earlier this week - before it waddles over to the Summer Palace. At 16m high, it’s the biggest version yet. The artist declares that “The Rubber Duck knows no frontiers, it doesn't discriminate people and doesn't have a political connotation. The friendly, floating Rubber Duck has healing properties: it can relieve mondial tensions as well as define them.” Well, whatever. What’s certain is that cities around the world are desperate to have it. Us, us, us! We want the duck! The question is, why?