(This is) Air, a giant inflatable sphere by architect Nic Brunsdon, which was selected as the NGV 2023 Architecture Commission, will be unveiled to the public on 23 November 2023 at NGV International in Melbourne.

Brunsdon’s creation is a 14-metre tall outdoor installation that ‘makes the invisible visible’. Developed in collaboration with ENESS, (This is) Air draws attention to one of the universal and defining features of life on Earth: breathing air. Using air as a building material, the installation will morph and change throughout the day as it rhythmically expands and releases air. As the structure exhales, it will form an array of cloud-like configurations, before filling to capacity once more.

The structure invites audiences to consider humanity’s relationship to this essential and yet invisible element. By making air seen, heard and felt, the work highlights our connection to and dependency on air – a finite resource whose quality is becoming increasingly affected.

This year’s Architecture Commission forms part of the 2023 NGV Triennial exhibition, which is anchored by three key thematic pillars – Magic, Matter and Memory, with Brunsdon’s architectural concept responding to Matter.

To be open until June 2024, (This is) Air will be the location for a myriad of public programs, performances and more in the NGV Garden.

Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks says, “This magnificent public artwork will, quite literally, breathe life and creativity into the NGV Garden and will delight and inspire people of all ages. The Allan Labor Government is proud to support this work alongside the incredible NGV Triennial, which is set to attract thousands of visitors to the gallery and Melbourne over the summer.”

NGV director Tony Ellwood says, “The annual NGV Architecture Commission offers a platform for Australian designers and architects to realise an ambitious new work of ephemeral architecture that pushes their practice into new and surprising frontiers. Since its inception in 2016, these imaginative structures have created a place for the community to come together, and many of these commissions have gone on to win some of the world’s most prestigious design and architecture awards.”

According to Ewan McEoin, senior curator, contemporary art, design and architecture, the idea for the installation was conceived by the architect during the global pandemic, when the air we breathed was suddenly at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

“Taking the form of a giant inflatable sphere, this living structure inhales and exhales before our eyes, giving presence to that omnipresent yet invisible element that connects us all. Air can be understood as part of our global economic, social and ecological realities. And yet, the quality of air we breathe varies depending on where and how we live. Air is universal, yet clean air is not,” he explains.

The NGV Architecture Commission 2023: (This is) Air will be on display as part of the NGV Triennial 2023 from 3 December 2023 – June 2024 at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne. Entry is free.

Image: Render of (This is) Air by Nic Brunsdon, the 2023 NGV Architecture Commission on display at NGV International, Melbourne from 3 December 2023. Render courtesy of Nic Brunsdon.

Branko Miletic

This-is-Air-NGV-s-2023-Architecture-Commission-1732010010.png

Let’s connect!