The Skywhale.

The story

The Skywhale is the most unusual entry on any Australian Big Things list. It isn't a fibreglass statue beside a highway — it's a working hot-air balloon, designed by one of Australia's most celebrated contemporary sculptors as public art, that takes to the skies periodically and is otherwise stored at the National Gallery of Australia. It's the genre's only kinetic Big Thing, and one of the genre's most controversial.

The commission began in 2010. Robyn Archer, Creative Director of the planned 2013 Centenary of Canberra celebrations, wanted a signature artwork — something Canberra-specific, daring, and visible. She approached Patricia Piccinini, the Sierra Leonean-Australian sculptor who'd grown up in Canberra and trained at the Australian National University, and whose hyperrealist sculptures of mutant hybrid creatures had become internationally famous. Piccinini agreed to design a hot-air balloon. The brief was loose: something to mark Canberra's centenary; something that would fly.

Piccinini's design was unmistakable: a strange, serene whale-like creature, half-bird and half-sea-mammal, with ten pendulous mammary forms hanging from its sides — five on each flank — instead of fins or wings. The colours were soft blues and pinks; the eyes were half-closed and dreamy. Piccinini explained the work as a meditation on natural evolution: "The Skywhale may appear fantastic but think about the blue whale — an air breathing mammal that lives in the ocean — and it doesn't seem so far-fetched."

Construction was carried out by Cameron Balloons in Bristol, UK — the world's leading specialty hot-air balloon manufacturer. The technical work was substantial: 3,535 metres of fabric, approximately 3.3 million stitches, twice the volume of a standard hot-air balloon, and weighing approximately half a tonne when inflated. The commission cost was reportedly $300,000+. Cameron Balloons classified it internally as the "Cameron Skywhale 110", with registration VH-IOQ.

"The Skywhale may appear fantastic but think about the blue whale — an air breathing mammal that lives in the ocean — and it doesn't seem so far-fetched. I think that when we look up at the Skywhale and wonder what it is 'for', it might remind us that nature is not necessarily 'for us'. It just 'is' and we're just lucky enough to be around to see it." — Patricia Piccinini, on the Skywhale's design intent

The first flight took place on 11 May 2013, from the grounds of the National Gallery of Australia. The reception was, to put it mildly, polarised. Some critics and commentators called the Skywhale arresting, dignified, and a worthy public artwork — a genuine contribution to Australian contemporary art. Others called it ugly, undignified, and a waste of public money. The mammaries in particular generated significant tabloid attention. Defenders pointed out that mammary-related shock at a piece of public art primarily aimed at adults was probably more revealing of the audience than the artwork.

Whatever side of that debate you fell on, the Skywhale's career has continued. After its initial tour in 2013, it was acquired by the National Gallery of Australia in 2019 (a gift from an anonymous donor through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program). The NGA now owns and manages the balloon, flying it periodically over Canberra for major public events. In 2020, Piccinini debuted Skywhalepapa — a companion balloon, taller and more vertical, also held by the NGA. Together they're now exhibited and flown as "the Skywhale family" under the banner Skywhales: Every Heart Sings.

How to see the Skywhale

The Skywhale is a working hot-air balloon, not a permanent installation — so seeing it inflated takes either planning or luck. Public flights are scheduled by the National Gallery of Australia, typically aligned with Canberra Day (March), Canberra Balloon Spectacular (annual hot-air balloon festival, March), and major NGA exhibitions. Check the NGA's "Skywhales: Every Heart Sings" page or follow the gallery's social media for upcoming flight dates.

When grounded, both Skywhale and Skywhalepapa are held in storage at the National Gallery and aren't on permanent display. The NGA does occasionally show photography, video, and design materials related to the Skywhale family in temporary exhibitions. The Patricia Piccinini exhibitions across Australia frequently include Skywhale documentation as a major section.

About Patricia Piccinini

Patricia Piccinini is one of Australia's most internationally celebrated contemporary artists. Born in 1965 in Freetown, Sierra Leone, she moved to Australia with her family in 1972 and grew up in Canberra. She completed an undergraduate degree in economic history at the Australian National University before turning to visual art at Victorian College of the Arts. Her major sculptural works — hyperrealist hybrid creatures, often combining human, animal, and machine forms — have been exhibited at the Venice Biennale (representing Australia, 2003), the National Gallery of Australia, and major international galleries.

Piccinini's work consistently explores themes of natural evolution, motherhood, hybridity, and the question of what counts as "natural" in an age of human technological intervention. The Skywhale fits squarely in this body of work — a creature that "might have evolved" if mammals had taken to the air rather than the sea. Piccinini's children's book, Skywhales: Every Heart Sings, was released alongside the Skywhalepapa debut in 2020.

Trivia worth knowing

• The Skywhale was first flown on 11 May 2013 from the grounds of the National Gallery of Australia.
• It was designed by Patricia Piccinini and built by Cameron Balloons in Bristol, UK — the world's leading specialty hot-air balloon manufacturer.
• 34 metres long, 23 metres tall when inflated, weighing approximately 500kg. Twice the volume of a standard hot-air balloon.
• 3,535 metres of fabric were used in construction, sewn together with approximately 3.3 million stitches.
• The design features 10 pendulous mammary forms — 5 on each side — instead of fins or wings.
• Commissioned by Robyn Archer, Creative Director of the 2013 Centenary of Canberra celebrations, at a reported cost of $300,000+.
• Originally owned by Global Ballooning (2013–2019); acquired by the National Gallery of Australia in 2019.
• Skywhalepapa, the partner balloon, debuted in February 2021 at the Parliamentary Triangle in Canberra. Larger and more vertical than Skywhale.
• Together they tour as "Skywhales: Every Heart Sings", a National Gallery of Australia touring exhibition.
• Patricia Piccinini has written a children's book about the Skywhale family, and a song "We are the Skywhales" was commissioned from ANU School of Music alumnus Jess Green (Pheno).

What else is nearby

Canberra is a compact, planned city of ~450,000 people with most major attractions within 20 minutes of the centre. After the Skywhale (or, more realistically, after visiting the National Gallery of Australia where it's owned), easy add-ons include the Australian War Memorial (15 minutes), Parliament House (5 minutes from NGA), the National Library, the National Museum, and the Floriade flower festival (September–October). See our full Canberra travel guide for the comprehensive city itinerary.

For other ACT Big Things, options are extremely limited — Canberra was a deliberate planned capital and the ACT generally lacks the roadside Big Things culture of the surrounding states. The Skywhale is, effectively, Canberra's unique contribution to the genre.