Reddish design studios has created a series of balloon sculptures whose rotund shapes are unmistakably a reference to the historical artifact known as Venus of Willendorf.
Archeology-Inspired Balloon Sculptures
One of the most important archeological finds from the Upper Paleolithic era was Venus of Willendorf, a 4.75″ tall artifact found on an archeological excavation in Austria in 1908. The little statue has been conclusively found to date between 25,000 and 30,000 BC following an analysis of the rock layers in 1990.
Crudely carved from oolitic limestone tinted with red ochre pigment, the featureless sculpture is believed to be a fertility goddess, representing the ideal women of the period. The exaggerated sexual characteristics- ample breasts, hips and thighs – are associated with being able to carry and nurture offspring successfully and are believed to depict the concept of a healthy, fertile female.
Replacing the city “Willendorf” with “Jaffa”, a city in Israel which is also the location of Reddish Studios, frames are crafted of copper wire into which balloons in neutral shades are inflated.
The result is an art installation commissioned as part of an exhibition at Jerusalem Design Week, Go for Broke, which focuses on findings and inventions; objects and their stories, situated in the dialogue between archeology and design.
Year: 2022
Production: Limited edition
Material: Copper, Latex balloon
Commission: Jerusalem Design Week 2022 –
Go for Broke exhibition
Curator: Shahar Kedem
Reddish Studio is design duo Naama Steinbock and Idan Friedman