Whale of a birthday treat for capital of hot air

A FORTNIGHT ago, a farmer made a disconcerting discovery: a gigantic whale was floating at low altitude over his property.

A FORTNIGHT ago in Horsham, a town in Victoria's Grampians ranges, a farmer made a disconcerting discovery: a gigantic whale, replete with gargantuan mammalian teats, was floating at low altitude over his property.

A call went out to the local paper, the Wimmera Mail-Times. What was this unidentified flying behemoth? What did it mean? Where did it come from?

No one had a clue. Until yesterday, at least.

At an intimate briefing at Canberra's Museum and Art Gallery, artist Patricia Piccinini lifted the lid on a secret she's kept for 2 1/2 years.

Skywhale, a 23m-high, 34m-wide hot air balloon resembling a whale-like creature, will be unveiled in Canberra tomorrow as the headline commission for the Centenary of Canberra celebrations. The balloon will be tethered to the National Gallery of Australia to coincide with a sculpture symposium before making its first flight over the capital on Monday.

VIDEO: Centenary balloon

It will then travel to Tasmania, where it will fly over Hobart as part of the Museum of Old and New Art's DARK MOFO winter program.

Piccinini revealed the details of the artwork - thought to be one of the world's largest hot air balloons - with Centenary of Canberra artistic director Robyn Archer, who said the work was a natural fit for Canberra in its 100th year.

"Canberra loves a balloon," Archer said of Skywhale, which was spotted on its maiden flight over Mount Arapiles and Lake Tyrell late last month. "This must be the only place on Earth where you can fly a balloon close to a government building and not get shot down."

Hyperrealist sculptor Piccinini, a former Australian Venice Biennale representative, said the work was a highlight of her career.

"I am so proud of this work," she said. "It operates outside the realm of art; it's also a feat of aeronautical engineering."

Sixteen people worked on the creation of the balloon, a process that began with drawings by Piccinini after she was approached by Archer for the commission.

The work, a "relative bargain for public art" at $172,000, will be hard to miss. Bristol balloon-makers Camerons made Skywhale from 3.5km of fabric.

A complex system of hot and cold air pumped into internal chambers maintains its shape.

Piccinini joined the Skywhale - which has a full-time pilot and can take two passengers - on its maiden Victorian flight, and admitted to a few nerves after kissing her children goodbye.

"I was anxious; it was exhilarating and frightening at the same time."