(Michelle Tonkin)
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Puckering Sky
DATE
October, 2022
LOCATION
The Stables, Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), University of Melbourne, Southbank, Melbourne
MATERIALS
Weather balloon, lawn, Tasmanian oak frame, plinth, acrylic, ink and pen on board. Dimensions variable.
'Puckering Sky' is an immersive, interactive installation inviting viewers to engage through touch, movement, and shared presence. As participants remove their shoes and step onto a field of fresh grass within the gallery, they become active elements of the work itself.
Suspended at the heart of the space, a weather balloon mediates the interaction between bodies and environment. Through outstretched arms and entwined hands, viewers stretch and compress the balloon’s surface, generating a shifting, haptic dialogue between themselves and the air around them.
By juxtaposing natural elements — grass, air, sky — within the built environment of the gallery, 'Puckering Sky' disrupts familiar boundaries between interior and exterior, human and landscape. Through playful gestures, the installation invites reflection on connection, touch, and the delicate tension between consumption and communion with the natural world.
