Cairns Festival: Patricia Piccinini’s Skywhale hot air balloons at Cairns Showgrounds on September 3

An artist will launch her spectacular vision at a Far North location next month. Here are the details of how to grab a free ticket.

The Cairns skyline will host to two monumental whale-shaped hot air balloons for one day only nex month.

The two magical creatures named Skywhale and Skywhalepappa are the work of artist Patricia Piccinini’s Skywhale: Every Heart Sings project and will be inflated and tethered at the Cairns Showgrounds to form part of the Cairns Festival 2022 program.

Artist Patricia Piccinini said you need to be lucky to see them in their natural beauty on September 3.

“One of the things about the skywhales is that you need to be lucky to see them. The wind and weather must be right; essentially, nature must allow us to see them and we cannot control that,” she said.

Skywhale sculpture by artist Patricia Piccinini to be featured at the Festival Cairns on September 3 at Cairns showgrounds. Picture: Supplied

“We are lucky if we get to see them, just like we are lucky if we get to see so many of the wonders of the natural world. It reminds us that not everything is just for us whenever we want it and that we should be grateful. I really love that.”

Due to the proximity of the Cairns main flight path, the whales are not able to make full free flight across the Cairns skyline, so people are being encouraged to bring a chair or a picnic blanket to see the giant sculptures in action.

Gates will open at 5am with the launch of the whales starting in time with the sunrise at 6.30am.

The one-day event is presented in Cairns by the Cairns Art Gallery in partnership with the National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri Canberra and Cairns Festival.

The event is free but bookings are essential and can be made at https://www.cairnsartgallery.com.au/whats-on/exhibitions/skywhales

Originally published as Cairns Festival: Patricia Piccinini’s Skywhale hot air balloons at Cairns Showgrounds on September 3