The gallery that we are putting the installation into is a typical white walled empty rectangular space about 12 metres by 8 metres in size. It is situated next to a café within the Waterfront Building of the University of Suffolk, with public access from the main building and café.
We plan to have the installation as an immersive experience where visitors are encouraged to interact, firstly by stepping into the creation. The design will be under their feet, across all walls and even cover the ceiling.
The focus of the design will be a tree. Built full size with the ‘Pop’ starburst design forming a knot on the trunk. This ‘pop’ would be an open void, revealing the pulsing red inside representing the heart of the design. The tree would sit on fake grass and bark chippings, covering the whole of the gallery floor. Each branch of the tree would lead out from the centre to different inspirations that form the outer walls of the gallery.
Guests would be encouraged to walk into and through the installation, with ‘grass’ pathways leading them around the tree.
One area would have a forest of smaller, younger trees, casting shade over an actual park bench where visitors can rest and explore the views. Another space would have a building structure with windows made of monitor screens, displaying video art. Poetry would be inscribed onto the walls of the structure and sounds emerging from inside.
One wall would have a large pixilated image covering it, another holding a giant balloon with video being projected onto it. Smaller designs would litter the spaces, in the hope that each time visitors look they see something different.
The whole design would be made from latex balloons, although the hope is that when visitors first see the work, they see the art before they notice what it is made from.
The exhibition will be open for ten days, where we plan to use it to host a programme of inspired events, such as storytelling, teddy bear’s picnics, art demonstrations and dance and theatrical performances. We want this piece of work to continue to pop minds and inspire new art.
Samuel Stamp-Dod, CBA
Balloon Artist
Inflated Inspirations 