After wowing us with a bright pink pond, and transporting us to The Parthenon, NGV Garden is now filled with a massive, inflatable sphere that literally breathes during the day. This outdoor installation, (This is) Air, was developed by Nic Brunsdon in collaboration with ENESS, and is the Architecture Commission for 2023. This creative piece is making the invisible, visible, and drawing attention to the universal act of breathing air. When the structure is fully inflated, it stands over 14 metres tall. The sphere is free to visit, from now until June 2024.
(This is) Air at NGV
This spherical installation uses air as building material, and morphs and changes throughout the day. Watch it expand and release air in a natural rhythm. As it exhales, it releases 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 is a part of the NGV Triennial exhibition, which 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.