The famous Skywhale hot air balloon was designed by Patricia Piccinini. Photo: National Gallery of Australia.
Canberra’s world-famous Skywhale balloon is returning home and this time, it’s for good.
Thanks to an anonymous donation to the National Gallery of Australia, the gigantic hot air balloon will call Canberra home and will reappear in the capital’s skyline in March.
Commissioned by the ACT Government to mark Canberra’s centenary in 2013, the balloon has attracted its fair amount of love and controversy due to its bizarre design and exorbitant price tag.
National Gallery director Nick Mitzevich said the balloon made its way home thanks to its creator Patricia Piccinini after it was donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program.
“We are currently working with Patricia on a major commission and during our discussions with her, she suggested that she could help us bring Skywhale back,” Mr Mitzevich told Region Media. “I, of course, agreed and the work was donated to us with Patricia’s assistance.
“I am very pleased to now have the work in the National Collection, back to where it was initially commissioned. I think it is the perfect work for the National Collection because we are not bound by geography. It is our job to share the national collection here in Canberra and around the country.
“So we are the rightful place for it to be.”
Mr Mitzevich was ecstatic that the balloon was finally home.
“I love the Skywhale,” he said. “I am a huge fan. When I was the director of the Art Gallery of South Australia some years ago, I brought it to Adelaide. Over the last few years, it has toured around the country and also around the world and it has been loved by hundreds of thousands of people.”
Having featured around the globe, the airborne creature will grace Canberra’s skyline during next year’s balloon festival in March, before beginning a national tour for “her valedictorian lap”.
“We are really excited to show it over the Canberra skyline and then take it on a national tour around Australia,” Mr Mitzevich. “The brilliant thing about it is that we can take her to towns and cities that don’t have galleries so that is exciting.
“We are working with Patricia at the moment to develop an online education and learning facility, so when people see the Skywhale they can learn more about it online and learn why Patricia made Skywhale.
“Hopefully, they will learn a bit more about humanity and nurture.”
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Waste of money
Maddy Weeks you better be in Canberra in march
Agata Nabagło I will be!!!
Absolutely fabulous, I love everything Piccinini does, surreal, thoughtful. Welcome home skywhale ❤️
Skywhale is a disgrace! Its an embarrassment for Canberra. Why bring it back? Was pleased to see the end of it. Stupid titty balloon!
It was revolting and embarrassing. It encapsulated the disaster known as the Centenary of Canberra. The disastrous day at Lake Burley Griffin, Dugan and Ferguson drunk on the roof which greeted us on the front page of The Canberra Times on the day instead of a wraparound with historic photos headed “Happy birthday Canberra”, and this “public artwork” which we were not consulted about, didn’t give permission before it was commissioned and which cost us plenty. The achievement and pride of establishing a national capital and growing up in the city was washed away in a flurry of plastic boobs and ridicule from people interstate which made us a national laughing stock.
I can’t think of anything more inappropriate to symbolise Canberra than this monstrosity. Rather than going on display at the NGA, it should be burnt, the people who made it billed for the cost of making it, and the former Chief Minister who commissioned it, the Penis Owl and the other costly artworks should issue a public apology and the ACT Government should give an undertaking that anything similar will never happen again.
The Return of The Hindenboob
It may well be intended to ‘Illicit a Response’, but, for me, that response is nausea.
Hersha Kadkol more reason
was gonna tag you in this the other day! I'm firmly in the sky whale camp
It's polarising. It's disruptive. That's the point.
I’d pay (even more) money for it to stay away.
There was that other up-high NGA artwork which was struck by lightning, so perhaps a spectacular Hindenberg-style ending awaits this one.
Oh god no!!!
Doesn’t look like many are happy about what they helped to pay for,probably not asked as usual
That’s not a wale it is a joke there are more whales around that look like a wale not that thing
Well just great another hideous thing for Canberra being remembered for first the bloody owl, then the dope now this stupid thing well done Andrew Barr Canberra is so proud for making us
Iconic isn't the word I would use.
Josh Digby Caesar flying udder?
Connor Haas Charlie Martin sky whale!!
Ahh, the mammary mammal lol.
Why? I do not know one soul who likes this abomination and wants it in Canberra!
Artemis seems to be the inspiration. I won’t go in to it here but it might pay to have a look at the myths associated with Artemis and therefor by extension with Skywhale
Why is it iconic? Sure we paid for it but it was actually in Canberra for only a very short time. I can’t see how it represents us at all. 🤔
Because it was commissioned for the centenary celebrations.
Lin Van Oevelen True but how does that make it iconic?