This Summer Something Huge is Coming to San Francisco: Inflatable at the Exploratorium

This Summer Something Huge is Coming to San Francisco: Inflatable at the Exploratorium

Fueled by the whimsy and lightness of balloons, the artists of Inflatable have infused their creations with a technology, scale, and creative complexity that expands our vision of what contemporary art can look like.

Installation view of Inflatable: Expanding Works of Art at the Exploratorium

Explore, play, and wonder at gigantic, fantastical, artworks at Inflatable: Expanding Works of Art — a new summer exhibition at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Born out of thin air, these dynamic sculptures include otherworldly organisms, a forest of cushiony columns, an inflatable insect-eye room, and more.

Curated by Christopher Jobson, founder and editor-in-chief of Colossal, Inflatable features existing works by Amanda Parer and Pneuhaus, and site-specific installations by Jimmy Kuehnle, Shih Chieh Huang, and Jason Hackenwerth.

Even visitors familiar with the Exploratorium will see the space in a new way. Museumgoers will be able to enter an inflatable multi-lensed camera obscura that feels like stepping into the compound eye of an insect. Massive crouching inflatable humanoids will fill the building from floor to ceiling, making the West Gallery feel at times like a dollhouse. And visitors will feel they’ve entered a microscopic biological world thanks to a balloon artwork inspired by organic forms that will be constructed onsite, to deflate almost imperceptibly throughout the summer in a process that gestures toward biological decay.

Entry to Inflatable is included with museum admission.

Rated the #1 Museum in San Francisco on TripAdvisor, the Exploratorium is an ongoing exploration of science, art, and human perception. Step inside a tornado, turn upside down in a giant curved mirror, walk on a fog bridge, and explore more than 650 hands-on exhibits. Visitors of all ages will find all of this plus unique programs, discussions, and events; a café and restaurant; two stores; and more at the Exploratorium’s beautiful bayside location on San Francisco’s famous Embarcadero.

Daily Summer Hours (May 26–September 3), 10am–5pm (All ages)
After Dark Thursday Evenings, 6–10pm (Ages 18+)
Friday Evening Extended Hours (July 6–August 31), 10am–9pm (All Ages)

Located between the historic Ferry Building and Pier 39, the Exploratorium is a short distance from San Francisco’s top attractions: Fisherman’s Wharf, the Alcatraz ferries, and Chinatown.

Learn more at exploratorium.edu/inflatable.

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