The Canberra Centenary balloon... a sky whale.
A $170,000 ‘‘sky whale’’ will float above Canberra on Monday, as part of the capital’s centenary celebrations.
The hot air balloon, designed by renowned sculptor and former Canberran Patricia Piccinini, was spotted on a test flight in remote Victoria last month, prompting speculation it was headed to Canberra.
Event organisers confirmed the rumours on Thursday morning.
This balloon had locals wondering when it was spotted near Mt Arapiles, in Victoria, last month. Photo: Supplied
Ms Piccinini, who grew up in Canberra and now lives in Melbourne, said she was delighted to create a artwork for Canberra that would be seen in such a public way.
‘‘Coming from Canberra, where we have this beautiful natural environment and this interesting plan, which is artificial, which aspires to blend in with the environment, was my starting point,’’ she said.
‘‘That’s what I wanted to do with the balloon, something that was obviously artificial, but seemingly natural, that’s why I ended up with this beautiful sky whale.’’
This article appeared in the Wimmera Mail-Times last month.
Ms Piccinini said she thought the sky whale was awe-inspiring, nurturing and challenging, but she was interested in how other people responded to the work.
Jeremy Lasek, executive director of culture for the Chief Minister’s office, said the balloon design, construction and testing was around $170,000, but other educational materials and piloting would cost extra.
It will be shown publicly at the National Gallery on Saturday and it would then be flown over Lake Burley Griffin on Monday.
‘‘This city has a history and a love of hot air ballooning,’’ he said.
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