Some fun for the weekend: Installed in the courtyard of the Manifattura Tabacchi in Rovereto, Italy (one of the locations of Manifesta 7, The European Biennial of Contemporary Art), is a sculpture by Ricardo Jacinto, made of six gigantic black balloons, filled with helium. As the video shows, not only children have fun with the device that is diminishing one’s weight by about 35kg and lifts up peoples bodies and spirits. The installation is called “Labyrinthitis“.
Ricardo Jacinto was born 1975 in Lisbon, Portugal. As an architect, sculptor and musician, Ricardo Jacinto constructs installations “that look at mechanisms of perception and systems of communication”. According to the accompanying text, Labyrinthitis “is an example of synergy between spatial and audible aspects, a correlation of sensation and corporeal volume. It is based upon altering perception by upsetting our system of balance. The title refers to the medical term of labyrinthitis, an inflammatory process affecting the labyrinths that house the vestibular system in the inner ear. Labyrinthitis exemplifies complexities of the relationship of the body with space.”
Ricardo Jacinto: Labyrinthitis (2007, mixed media installation) at Manifattura Tabacci, Rovereto / Italy.
Manifesta 7, The European Biennial of Contemporary Art. Principle Hope. Curated by Adam Budak. July 26, 2008.
PS: More on Manifesta 7 at Rovereto coming soon.

> Right-click (Mac: ctrl-click) this link to download Quicktime video file.