Vilnus, Lithuania-based artist Tadas Cerniauskas who uses the name Tadao Cern has been experimenting with balloons for some time.
His concept and idea, Black Balloons, is based on experimentation with various gasses, suphur hexafluoride, carbon dioxide and helium, to control the weight of the balloons and, through that, manupulate where the balloons stay within a place without any tethers.
We love the concept for several reasons. We’ve been fascinated by balloon art for a while but these black balloons carry a different kind of weight, both literally and conceptually.
The round shape is a familiar often connected with happy and positive ideas: the earth, moon, sun and many other celestial bodies, berries, fruit, the pupils of eyes, and of e, pubbles, balloons and pebbles.
But when represented in black, even the happy balloon takes on a weight wnd starts to look slightly menacing and dangerous. We think of cannon balls and bullets, heavy rocks and Indiana Jones.
