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Photography
Balloons Precariously Compressed Between Marble Slabs in Photo Series by Daniel Forero
In art director and photographer Daniel Forero’s most recent series Air, slabs of marble trap, compress, and squish inflated balloons. The series was inspired by the shapes and colors of stones that compose the buildings in his new home of Paris. Forero wanted to focus on the ways that architectural materials create beauty through balance, and decided to create scenes that would emphasize the stone’s weight.
“The sculptures create tension, but at the same time harmony,” Forero explains to Colossal. “It was difficult to put the objects together in a natural way without any help from other objects. There were a lot of failures in the process, but once the objects ‘fit’ they stood still in perfect balance for several days until I removed them from my table.” You can see more of Forero’s compositions on his website, Instagram, and Behance.
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Art Photography
Dreamlike Balloon Compositions by Charles Pétillon Form Hovering Clouds and Lines in Space
Charles Pétillon (previously here and here) arranges groups of balloons in unlikely places—tying bundles of the light white objects to the top of aircraft loading stairs, or positioning them between concrete blocks at the ocean’s edge. Recently the photographer has been focusing on producing sculptural lines in space by linking several of his preferred subject matter together end-to-end, or placing them on top of polls in open landscapes. These images, along with a site-specific balloon installation, are included in Pétillon’s solo exhibition Stigmates at Danysz Gallery in Shanghai through January 10, 2019. You can see more of his balloon compositions on his website and Instagram.
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Art Craft
Balloon Sculptures by Masayoshi Matsumoto Present Air-Filled Interpretations of the Animal Kingdom
Masayoshi Matsumoto (previously) continues to astound us with his balloon twisting skills. The Japanese artist uses a variety of opaque, metallic, and translucent balloons to form tree-swinging monkeys, beetles, and fish out of water. When asked how he plans each of his latex creations Matsumoto explained to Colossal that each work is decided intuitively, and is dictated by whatever he feels like making in the moment. Most often the works take 3-6 hours each, depending on how many folds and colors the animal or insect might require. You can see more of his balloon sculptures on Facebook, Tumblr, and Instagram.
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Art Dance
Wild Balloon Creatures Overtake the Streets of New York in Jason Hackenwerth’s Animal Soul

All photos by Jason Hackenwerth except as noted
In Animal Soul, a fleeting exhibition at Brookfield Place in New York City, artist Jason Hackenwerth (previously) brought to life a menagerie of inflatable creatures. Born from his wild imagination, the interactive inflatable artworks included wearable “Megamite” costumes sported by professional dancers, and towering fabric creatures that soared above the crowds. You can see more from Hackenwerth on Instagram.

Photo: Charles Lenoir

Photo: Charles Lenoir
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Art Colossal
Take a Tour of ‘Inflatable’ at San Francisco’s Exploratorium

Guardian of the Disphotic by Shih Chieh Huang (2018). All images © Exploratorium
The Exploratorium summer show, curated by Colossal, has filled the museum and exploration space to the roof—literally!—with eye-catching, mind-boggling, and joy-inducing interactive inflatable art. Take a peek at the exhibit, which includes artwork by Shih Chieh Huang, Jason Hackenwerth, Amanda Parer, Jimmy Kuehnle, and Pneuhaus. ‘Inflatable’ is on view through September 3, 2018 in San Francisco. Find out more on the Exploratorium website.

Cauldron Veil by Jason Hackenwerth (2018)

Cauldron Veil by Jason Hackenwerth (2018)

Fantastic Planet by Amanda Parer (2016)

Fantastic Planet by Amanda Parer (2016)

Bau(ncy) Haus by Jimmy Kuehnle (2018)

Bau(ncy) Haus by Jimmy Kuehnle (2018)

Compound Camera by Pneuhaus (2017)

Compound Camera by Pneuhaus (2017)
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Art
Colossal Curates ‘Inflatable: Expanding Works of Art’ at San Francisco’s Exploratorium Museum

Fantastic Planet by Amanda Parer. Photo by Parer Studio
Colossal is thrilled to announce the summer show, Inflatable: Expanding Works of Art at San Francisco’s Exploratorium, a museum dedicated to science, art and human perception. Led by our founder and editor-in-chief Christopher Jobson, Colossal has worked closely with the Exploratorium team to curate the museum’s summer 2018 exhibition. Inflatable brings together artists from around the world who work in the mediums of textiles, technology, and air.
Jason Hackenwerth (previously), renowned for his massive balloon sculptures that often simulate the universal biology of living things, will be building an inflated sculpture comprised of thousands of hand-tied balloons. Cauldron Veil will be built in front of the public at the Exploratorium in the days before the exhibition opening, and hoisted up to the ceiling where it will be suspended over visitors.
Tasmania-based artist Amanda Parer (previously) examines the relationships between humans and our natural surroundings in her large-scale white inflatable sculptures. Parer’s series, Fantastic Planet, includes two enormous humanoid figures that will be hard to miss as they tower over gallery walls.
Jimmy Kuehlne taps into interactivity, wonder, and humor in his diverse range of artworks. For Inflatable, he’ll be building a forest of glowing air-filled columns that invite museum-goers to explore his art from within. The Cleveland-based artist describes the spirit of his creations: “If I can make something that you can’t quite put in a category, then maybe there’s going to be a short circuit and you’ll have a genuine interaction.”
Inflatable visitors will also have the chance to step inside a fly’s eye as built by Rhode Island-based design collective Pneuhaus. Compound Camera is a uniquely functional geodesic dome that turns the world upside down and inside out using 109 inflated spherical camera obscuras.
Technology, electronics, and everyday materials collide in Taiwanese artist Shih Chieh Huang‘s responsive sculptures. Huang, who is based in New York, will be installing Guardian of the Disphotic, a fleet of interconnected sculptures that move and breathe in response to their environment.

Pisces by Jason Hackenwerth. Photo by the artist

Please, No Smash by Jimmy Kuehnle. Photo by Robert Muller

Compound Camera by Pneuhaus. Photo by Cassidy Batiz

Reusable Universes by Shih Chieh Huang. Photo by Steve Briggs
The Exploratorium is a unique public learning laboratory with a mission to create inquiry-based experiences that transform learning worldwide. Centrally located on San Francisco’s waterfront Embarcadero, the Exploratorium is filled with hundreds of explore-for-yourself exhibits. These interactive stations will be on view alongside Inflatable. We’re also developing public programming and family-friendly evening events specifically for the summer show—stay tuned! Inflatable opens on May 26 and is open through September 3, 2018. Find out more and plan your visit on the Exploratorium website.
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Editor's Picks: Illustration
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