After wowing us with a bright pink pond, and transporting us to The Parthenon, NGV has revealed their Architecture Commission for 2023. Look forward to the large-scale, outdoor installation (This is) Air at NGV Garden. Developed by Nic Brunsdon in collaboration with ENESS, this creative piece will make the invisible, visible, and draw attention to the action of breathing air. When the structure is fully inflated, it will stand over 14 metres tall. The sphere will open to the public on Sunday December 3, and will be free to visit.
(This is) Air at NGV
This spherical installation will use air as building material, and morph and change throughout the day. Watch it expand and release air in a natural rhythm. As it exhales, it will release gusts of air that transform into cloud-like configurations. As you watch the balloon ‘breathe’, think about your dependency on air, and what happens when air quality becomes affected.
“The idea for this project was conceived by the architect during the global pandemic, when the air we breathed was suddenly at the forefront of everyone’s mind,” said Ewan McEoin, Senior Curator, Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture. “Air can be understood as part of our global economic, social and ecological realities. And yet, the quality of air we breathe varies depending on where and how we live. Air is universal, yet clean air is not.”
(This is) Air will launch as part of NGV Triennial, which also opens on Sunday December 3. The thematic pillars of the Triennial are Magic, Memory and Matter. With its framework of biology, geology and physics, this Architecture Commission responds to the theme of Matter.
Set inside the NGV Garden, this piece will be the location for public programs, performances and more during the summer months.