Located in Toronto’s Fort York, during the 2014 Nuit Blanche event, the Semaphore Group created an interactive installation of four transparent mesh cubes, filled with white balloons, were suspended from a 12′ x 12′ wooden frame.
Some balloons were helium-filled and some plain old air-filled. The helium balloons rose to the top and the regular balloons fell to the bottom; thus creating a mysterious negative space between the two masses.
In the dark night the lighting made marvellous shapes against the white balloons. ‘Project Henge’ was a play of light and form – 4 diaphanous cubes in the dark landscape. During the evening the installation took on a whole new meaning.
The original intention was to fill the mesh boxes with the balloons – stand back and visually enjoy. But visitors and passers-by wanted to contribute. Soon enough we had lineups of people waiting to add a balloon and make a wish. Later that night visitors became more interactive with the installation – lying on the ground below the cubes or shaking the mesh cubes and watching the balloons fly.
Richelle Sibolboro 