NEW DATE: Now opening 23 November 2023 till June 2024.
A giant inflatable sphere – which literally breathes throughout the day – has been selected as the NGV’s 2023 Architecture Commission. Making the invisible visible, (This is) Air, developed by Nic Brunsdon in collaboration with ENESS, draws attention to one of the universal and defining features of life on Earth: breathing air.
Utilising air as a building material, the commission will morph and change throughout the day as it expands and then releases air in a natural rhythm. A poignant study of air and time, the fully inflated spherical structure will stand over 14 metres tall, evoking a sense of uplifting optimism.
Installation view of the 2023 NGV Architecture Commission: (This Is) Airdesigned by architect Nic Brunsdon incollaboration with ENESS. ymer(This Is) Airison display from 23 November 2023 until June 2024 at NGV International, Melbourne. Photo: Ben Hosking
Throughout the day, the structure will ‘exhale’, releasing gusts of air and forming an array of cloud-like configurations, before filling to capacity once more.
The structure invites audiences to consider humanity’s relationship to this essential and yet invisible element. By making air seen, heard and felt, the work highlights our connection to and dependency on air – a finite resource whose quality is becoming increasingly affected.
Installation view of the 2023 NGV Architecture Commission: (This Is) Airdesigned by architect Nic Brunsdon incollaboration with ENESS. ymer(This Is) Airison display from 23 November 2023 until June 2024 at NGV International, Melbourne. Photo: Ben Hosking
Ewan McEoin, Senior Curator, Contemporary Art, Design and Architecture said:
‘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. Taking the form of a giant inflatable sphere, this living structure inhales and exhales before our eyes, giving presence to that omnipresent yet invisible element that connects us all. 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.’
Photo credit: NGV International - Nic Brunsdon
The NGV Architecture Commission 2023: (This is) Air is on display as part of the NGV Triennial 2023 from 23 November 2023 – June 2024 at NGV