Balloon Release (2017)
Balloon Release is an opportunity to incorporate two actions which I do not commonly use in my works for balloons: helium and a balloon pop. Balloon Release is an action piece, a sculpture and an acousmatic multi-speaker experience rolled into one. For the version exhibited at Harvestworks Digital Media Center, the sculpture was a suspended mesh and wire tunnel, rimmed on either end with lush fake fur, with a large needle embedded in the top interior. Visitors to the installation receive a white inflated helium balloon and are instructed to release the balloon into the sculpture. When the helium balloon rises to the top of the tunnel it is burst by the needle and the detritus falls to the floor below. A motion sensor and a microphone hidden in the sculpture transmit to MaxMSP that the balloon has been exploded which sets off quadraphonic playback of a balloon pop slowed to approximately 30 seconds in length. This is followed by playback of one of several short compositions I have created (approximately one to two minutes long) created from 4 to 24 players making various balloon sounds, with the groups divided equally between the four channels, giving an immersive experience.
A “balloon release” is an event in which a large number of helium-filled balloons are released into the sky for celebrations of various sorts, promotion of causes or campaigns, memorials and other reasons. The balloons are then blown by the wind over land or sea until the helium is no longer effective (which takes anywhere from a few hours to a few days), or they rise to extreme heights that caused them to explode. At this point the balloons become trash, contaminating the land or water on which they fall. In addition to creating an eyesore, the balloons can be eaten by animals causing choking or fatal intestinal blockages. While latex balloons are biodegradable (most are made with 100% natural latex), the vulcanized (heat-processed) latex takes several years to degrade. In the interim they pose both an eyesore and a danger to animals.
In the early 2010’s environmentalists took up the cause of banning balloon releases due to the negative environmental impact. There are now balloon release bans in many areas throughout the world though no single country has banned them nationally. The balloon manufacturing industry also took up the cause, creating a logo that appears on most balloon packaging throughout most of the world that advises users not to release helium balloons and to dispose of balloons properly in the trash (where they can decompose over time in landfills). Because of the environmental impact, my “Balloon Release” participants are required to donate to an environmental cause.
Balloon Release has the ability to trigger other sculptures in the installation “Chamber Ensemble" (for balloons). When the balloon is popped in Balloon Release, the ReBa interactive sculpture reacts emotionally, making a variety of exclamations such as “Oh my!” via her text response, followed by instructions that the visitors should listen to the piece and ReBa will be available again upon its completion. More recent versions of the work include a slide show about proper disposal of latex balloons that is displayed by ReBa during the quadraphonic performance. The illuminated 3-D balloon sculpture Stripes Too also has the ability to respond, temporarily fading to black, and then continuing with a light performance that accompanies Balloon Release’s multi-speaker balloon ensemble performance. Programmed by Judy Dunaway with MaxMSPJitter. The following video shows two different compositions from Balloon Release shot from two different angles in the installation (consecutive videos):
A “balloon release” is an event in which a large number of helium-filled balloons are released into the sky for celebrations of various sorts, promotion of causes or campaigns, memorials and other reasons. The balloons are then blown by the wind over land or sea until the helium is no longer effective (which takes anywhere from a few hours to a few days), or they rise to extreme heights that caused them to explode. At this point the balloons become trash, contaminating the land or water on which they fall. In addition to creating an eyesore, the balloons can be eaten by animals causing choking or fatal intestinal blockages. While latex balloons are biodegradable (most are made with 100% natural latex), the vulcanized (heat-processed) latex takes several years to degrade. In the interim they pose both an eyesore and a danger to animals.
In the early 2010’s environmentalists took up the cause of banning balloon releases due to the negative environmental impact. There are now balloon release bans in many areas throughout the world though no single country has banned them nationally. The balloon manufacturing industry also took up the cause, creating a logo that appears on most balloon packaging throughout most of the world that advises users not to release helium balloons and to dispose of balloons properly in the trash (where they can decompose over time in landfills). Because of the environmental impact, my “Balloon Release” participants are required to donate to an environmental cause.
Balloon Release has the ability to trigger other sculptures in the installation “Chamber Ensemble" (for balloons). When the balloon is popped in Balloon Release, the ReBa interactive sculpture reacts emotionally, making a variety of exclamations such as “Oh my!” via her text response, followed by instructions that the visitors should listen to the piece and ReBa will be available again upon its completion. More recent versions of the work include a slide show about proper disposal of latex balloons that is displayed by ReBa during the quadraphonic performance. The illuminated 3-D balloon sculpture Stripes Too also has the ability to respond, temporarily fading to black, and then continuing with a light performance that accompanies Balloon Release’s multi-speaker balloon ensemble performance. Programmed by Judy Dunaway with MaxMSPJitter. The following video shows two different compositions from Balloon Release shot from two different angles in the installation (consecutive videos):