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Puckering Sky (2022)

Puckering Sky is an immersive and interactive installation that invites viewers to engage with each other and the environment through touch and movement. As viewers remove their shoes and step onto the fresh grass, they become part of the artwork. The weather balloon suspended in the heart of Puckering Sky mediates the interaction between viewers as they embrace the sky and each other. With outstretched arms and entwined hands, viewers can cause the balloon to pucker and expand, creating a dynamic and haptic experience.

The installation juxtaposes the natural elements of fresh grass and sky within the confines of the gallery space, creating a sense of dislocation and disorientation that highlights the nature of our consumption and re-appropriation of the environment. Through play and interaction, participants are invited to explore the boundaries between self and other, isolation and connection, and the importance of touch and connection in an increasingly isolated world.

Weather balloon, lawn, Tasmanian oak frame, plinth, acrylic, ink and pen on board. Dimensions variable.

Installation views, The Stables, VCA, Melbourne, Australia.

I live, love and make art on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation in Naarm/Melbourne in so-called Australia.

I acknowledge all First Nations people of this land and waterways and pay respects to their elders, past present and emerging. 

© 2025 Michelle Tonkin.

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