Immersive exhibit showcases large-scale balloon sculptures on the Upper East Side
UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- An exhibit on Manhattan's Upper East Side is taking balloon art to a whole new level - showcasing balloon sculptures in a playful, immersive and inspiring way.
Maybe its the colors, shapes and sizes... but the bottom line is, the balloons simply make people happy.
"When they get inside a venue like this and see a huge eagle, seven meters made only with balloons, they're stunned," said balloon artist Kobi Kalimian.
Kalimian knows a thing or two about the spheres filled with air. A whopping 700,000 of them are now inside the Park Avenue Armory.
Kalimian is a certified balloon artist who has been at it for more than a decade.
"I bought a bag of balloons and a hand pump, started to twist myself," he said.
Kalimian is the art director of Balloon Story, an exhibition that will make you see balloons in a different light.
Artists from around the world created these large-scale sculptures which will be in place through August 24.
Balloon artist Jeremy Johnston was doing a little maintenance on his trio of very elaborate animals when Eyewitness News reporter Kemberly Richardson met with him.
"You see how the muzzle is on the giraffe, there are balloons inside of balloons, to give it a different look, it's called distortion," he said.
Each section has a different theme: space travel, under the sea, take a trip around the world or play a piano key.
A trick of the trade to keeping balloons plump: blast the air conditioning.
"If you can put a balloon inside a fridge, it can last a year," Kalimian said.
But what will they do with the balloons at the end? A popping party, of course!
You are invited to come help deflate them. They will be recycled and made into dog toys.
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