Skywhale Hot-air Balloon Sculpture By Patricia Piccinini

"Piccinini has an ambivalent attitude towards technology and she uses her artistic practice as a forum for discussion about how technology impacts upon life. She is keenly interested in how contemporary ideas of nature, the natural and the artificial are changing our society. Specific works have addressed concerns about biotechnology, such as gene therapy and ongoing research to map the human genome... she is also fascinated by the mechanisms of consumer culture."
• Skywhale
Skywhale creation cost Patricia about $172,000 to build. With a turtle-like face and ten udders hanging from its undercarriage, Skywhale has a strangely serene presence that belies its somewhat grotesque form. Through the unmistakable maternalism of the giant floating creature, Piccinini asks viewers to question the relationship between people, nature, and technology as well as contemplate issues relating to genetic engineering and biotechnology.