Inflatable Art

The origins of inflatable art

2022

It started with the hot air balloon...

It has been almost 200 years since the invention of the first inflatable: the hot air balloon. It was launched in France in the mid-1800s. An innovation ahead of its time. When around 1960 the production of plastics took off and became more accessible to the entire market, the first creatives began experimenting with inflatable technology.

Inflatable Art

Inflatable art is a relatively young art form that originated in the 1960s. At the time, renowned artist Andy Warhol created his first air-filled works of art with a purely artistic canvas. Warhol's 1966 . Warhols Silver Clouds, consisting of multiple pillow-like objects filled with helium and oxygen, is a pioneering work in that regard.

Peak

Inflatable art peaked in the works of Jeff Koons and Paul McCarthy, who used inflatable artworks to inflate everyday objects, detaching them from their usual appearance and purpose.

Present day

Today, inflatable art is being created more than ever. Lots of artists are using inflatables to explore complex subjects such as identity and violence. By playing with size, color and the lightness of balloons, artists can experiment and break new ground to their hearts' content. This is what makes inflatable Art so fun and challenging, including for Publi Air.

The Process

At Publi Air, we have also noticed an increase in requests for Inflatable Art in recent years. Museums, artists and collectives find it increasingly easy to work with us to create unique Inflatable Art. Both in the Netherlands and abroad.

Design & Creatie

Whether there is a specific idea or an artist wants to hear from us what is possible, cooperation in these projects is very important. The artwork must of course comply with an artist's idea and concept, but must also be realizable and easy to use. After all, installations should be able to be used more than once, without having to move heaven and earth to do so. Convenience adorns...the artist and us of course! But making an impact is of course the most important thing about Inflatable Art.

As an expert in the field of inflatables, we will work out the best options that fit the concept and of course the budget. Through 3D software and drawings, we can create a design that simulates the actual design. Together with the artist we work on the design until everyone is satisfied.

Production

When the design is approved, we move on to production. Our 3D designs are converted to patterns which are then cut and turned together into a whole. We often use lightweight plastic or cloth. Sustainability is also an important aspect.

Installation of Inflatable Art

Safety and ease of installation are very important. Not only for us, but also for the artist and of course the visitors. Our installation partners have years of experience and enjoy working with us to achieve the best possible result. Whether on the water, on top of a building, or in the air, Publi Air solves it!

Of course, it is not unimportant to lose sight of the artistic idea during an installation. After all, in the end, it's all about the art. Our team is also chosen for their artistic eye, allowing us to get the best out of each installation.

Installations are done quickly and efficiently with little impact on the environment and other aspects of production.

• Publi Air has a qualified and experienced team.
• We have an eye for (International) health and safety standards
• Over 50 years of experience in design, production and installation, worldwide!

Inflatable Art we are proud of

The Golden Dean
Gold sculpture for Het Hem

Inflation is art
Using inflatables as art objects is something for which we gladly and increasingly use our many years of expertise. We were commissioned by Golden Dean (Dean Hutton) to create an inflatable art sculpture for Het Hem: Soft Vxnxs, 2021. It stands in the beautiful space of the old bullet factory Het Hem. And was made for the special exhibition Chapter 4OUR: Abundance (developed by a team of curators from Het HEM in dialogue with Simon(e) van Saarloos).

View the entire case study here

Inflatable sunset Delft

An inflatable art object of the setting sun

In the fall of 2021, we received an incredibly nice request! Whether we as Publi Air wanted to collaborate on the art project Sunset in Delft. Artists Ludmila Rodriques and Mike Rijnierse wanted to create an inflatable sunset to be installed in the historic harbor of Delft for the benefit of the Highlight Delft Festival.

Highlight Delft is an annual festival that uses the innovative city of Delft as a platform to present installations at the intersection of art and technology. You can walk a route during the festival discovering unique locations in the Nieuw Delft district and the Delft Campus district.

Unfortunately, the 2021 edition was canceled at the last minute. You can guess why... Fortunately, 1 artwork was allowed to be installed, our Inflatable Sunset installation. And what a beautiful picture it turned out to be! For more information about this project you can take a look at the website Sunset in Delft.

View the entire case study here

Big Fat Trans Light MerQueer

Art sculpture by Golden Dean (Dean Hutton)

Commissioned by Stichting NDSM, Publi Air has once again created an art sculpture designed by South African artist Golden Dean (Dean Hutton). The first inflatable we made for Hutton was the Soft Vnxnxs. This one has been in the HIM and was a huge success.

Dean Hutton asked us to work on his new design: Big Fat Trans Light MerQueer. A hybrid between a human and sea monster that appears to have crawled out of the IJ water with tentacles. Body contours once again play a leading role in the design. With the artwork, Hutton addresses the personal and political experience of "hyper visibility": being visible (fat, queer, trans body) and simultaneously invisible and unimportant (fat, queer, trans body).

The artwork had to be bigger, crazier and more striking than Soft Vnxnxs. It succeeded!

Check out the whole case!