Jan Hakon Erichsen (born June 23, 1978) is a Norwegian contemporary artist. He is known for his short "destruction videos", often featuring balloons being popped.
Jan Hakon Erichsen | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 23, 1978 |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Alma mater | Oslo Academy of Fine Arts[1] |
| Website | janhakon.com |
Work
editErichsen has become well known for his "destruction videos", which he began making in late 2017.[2] Now, he typically posts one video a day on Instagram.[3] The videos most commonly depict elaborate methods of popping balloons, but other recurring themes include crushing dry pasta and taco shells, destroying household items, and wearing bizarre "hats" made from food.[4][5] Items often used in the videos include balloons, dry pasta, bananas, cacti, and knives, of which Erichsen has said he owns "somewhere between 500 and 1000".[5][6][3]
Erichsen's influences include Chris Burden, 1960s and 1970s performance art, punk rock, and horror films.[4][7][1]
In 2019, a 2-minute compilation of Erichsen's balloon popping videos went viral on Twitter, accumulating 9.5 million views in 24 hours and hundreds of thousands of likes and reetweets.[4][8] He was nominated for a Shorty Award in 2020, in the category of "Best in Weird".[9]
Personal life
editErichsen lives in Oslo with his girlfriend and two teenage children.[1] While working out in April 2020, Erichsen fell on a "knife sculpture" he had built for a video, requiring 25 stitches and multiple trips to the hospital.[10]
References
edit- ^ a b c Bellah, Andrew (2019-01-20). "Interview with Jan Hakon Erichsen, Norwegian Artist". The Politic. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ "This Artist's Balloon Popping Instagram Videos are Surprisingly Satisfying". www.vice.com. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ a b Feldman, Brian (2019-08-13). "A Brief Chat With Jan Hakon Erichsen, the Twitter Balloon Guy". Intelligencer. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ a b c Mann, Keith (2019-08-13). "Jan Hakon Erichsen: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ a b Carney, Sean J. Patrick (2019-10-30). "Avant-Garde Populism: How Odd Stunts Made Jan Hakon Erichsen Instagram Famous". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ "The Guy Who Makes Videos Popping Balloons With A Bunch Of Knives Explained His Creative Process". BuzzFeed News. 12 August 2019. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ Nikolov, Nikolay (16 April 2020). "From popping balloons with knives to destroying food with his face, he's the ideal quarantine companion". Mashable. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ Mann, Keith (2019-08-13). "WATCH: Viral Video of A Man Popping Balloons in the Most Dangerous Ways". Heavy.com. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ Perelli, Amanda. "Exclusive: The full list of nominees for the Shorty Awards, including Jeffree Star, Sophie Turner, and Baby Yoda Sipping Tea". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- ^ "That Guy Who Went Viral For Popping Balloons With Knives Just Had A Bad Accident". BuzzFeed News. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-08.