Giant inflatable baby on a ceiling is a modern take on the Sistine Chapel

For those who like their art super-sized and infantile.
 By  Elise Cooper, Jerico Mandybur  on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

If you find yourself in Melbourne, Australia you may want to check out the 36-foot inflatable baby hanging from the roof of the city's Atrium building at Federation Square.

Called "HUMAN MOBILE" the 50 kilogram (110 pound) installation is the work of artist Felipe Reynolds and aims to capture modern society's "constant need for engagement, affirmation, play and novelty," according to a statement.

Affectionately dubbed “Ping Pong” by the Reynolds (a nickname he shares with the sculpture), the baby is both gender neutral and culturally ambiguous, making it the world’s most potentially relatable blow-up baby, as well as the biggest.


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“I wanted it to not be white, not be black, not be female, not be male -- just be as inclusive as possible, so everybody can relate to it,” he told SBS.

The artist created the work by transferring a digital rendering onto polyester. But it’s the bystander’s who’re actually upside down, the artist said, adding that he wanted to turn the world on its head, saying “the baby is actually on the ground, and people just become active players for the baby's amusement.”

With the baby installed, the Atrium resembles a giant play pen, lit up at night by the baby-cum-lantern itself.

Interacting with the artwork isn’t just a cool Instagram opportunity or an excuse to do the “baby dance” either. It could also be a somewhat religious experience.

“I drew from Michelangelo's 'Creation of Adam', so the part of the mural from the Sistine Chapel, where God creates Adam, said Reynolds adding “I've used the same pose as Adam, in the sculpture. So when you come up to it, you play the part of God.”

It also doubles as a great antidote to any unwanted maternal or paternal sentiments, because creepy giant baby.

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Elise Cooper

Previous Watercooler Web Culture Intern - Sydney Australia // misc burden on society

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