Announcing Skywhalepapa!

The National Gallery of Australia unveiled its 2020 program this week, including the spectacular news that Patricia Piccinini has been commissioned as part of The Balnaves Contemporary Series to create Skywhalepapa, a new companion to Skywhale (2013), which returns to Canberra after six years touring Australia and the world.

Together they form a skywhale family that will be launched near the Gallery and take flight over Canberra eight times during the exhibition period. The sculptures will then float across the skies of Australia as a National Gallery travelling exhibition.

Skywhales: Every heart sings is an NGA #KnowMyName project celebrating the work of Australian women artists, and the third instalment of The Balnaves Contemporary Series.

Patricia Piccinini’s current exhibition Chromatic Balance is on view now at Tolarno Galleries until 14 December 2019.

Read more at The Guardian, ABC News, AFR, The Age, The Australian and Canberra Times.

Image: Patricia Piccinini Skywhalepapa 2019/20 (artist’s sketch)