Skywhales set to soar as sun rises
On Sunday, May 4 at dawn, a spectacle unlike any you’ve seen before will take place in the skies, above UniSC Sunshine Coast.
Patricia Piccinini, Skywhalepapa, 2020 and Skywhale, 2013, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, © Patricia Piccinini.
For the first time in South-East Queensland, a rare opportunity to see Patricia Piccinini’s Skywhales Across Australia, two monumental hot-air balloon sculptures, is presented on the opening weekend of Horizon 25.
The whale-like creatures, Skywhale 2013 and Skywhalepapa 2019-2020 are a family, symbolising nurture and evolution.
Piccinini calls on communities to engage with her skywhale family creatively, make a morning of it, prepare a picnic breakfast, watch in awe as the skywhale family takes flight.
Skywhales is part of the opening weekend of Horizon - the region’s leading 10 day contemporary art festival – and will take flight from the UniSC Athletics Track.
Event details
- Register to be part of this Sunshine Coast-first on the Horizon website .
- Time: Dawn, 4.45 - 6.30am (times may change due to weather - make sure you’re registered for updates).
- Place: UniSC Athletics Track, UniSC Sunshine Coast, 32 Olympic Way, Sippy Downs.
About the Skywhales
Patricia Piccinini’s Skywhale family blends art, science fiction, and surrealism.
The original Skywhale debuted in 2013 as part of Canberra’s centenary celebrations, commissioned by the ACT Government.
It was designed to resemble a gentle, whale-like creature with pendulous breasts—symbolizing nurturing and evolution—rather than a traditional balloon shape.
Built by Cameron Balloons in the UK, it stands 34 meters tall and weighs half a tonne.
In 2021, Piccinini introduced Skywhalepapa, a companion balloon depicting a male skywhale cradling its calves.
Together, they form the Skywhale family, exploring themes of care, connection, and the diversity of life.
Skywhales have toured extensively across Australia and internationally, including appearances in Japan, Brazil, and Ireland.
In 2025, they are scheduled to soar over various Australian landscapes, from Goulburn to Townsville.
While initially met with mixed reactions, the Skywhales have become iconic symbols of contemporary Australian art, sparking conversations about public art, biology, and imagination.
Skywhales Sunshine Coast
Skywhales Sunshine Coast is presented by Horizon in partnership with Caloundra Regional Gallery and UniSC Sunshine Coast.
Skywhales Across Australia is a National Gallery Touring Event, supported by the Australian Government through Visions of Australia and the National Collecting Institutions Touring Outreach Program.
Skywhales is the third instalment of The Balnaves Contemporary Series and is a Know My Name project.
Skywhale Knitting Project
Their needles clacking, local knitting group, the Happy Yarners, has been hard at work creating intricate, miniature knitted skywhales in anticipation of the momentous event on May 4.
The unique community project is a Caloundra Regional Gallery initiative, and anyone can get involved by downloading the knitting pattern from the Caloundra Regional Gallery website.
Image credit: Caloundra Regional Gallery.
Visit the Horizon website to explore the full program of music, performance, visual arts and more.