VIBRANT hot-air balloon sculptures of giant skywhales will grace the skies over Red Hill during a sunrise spectacle on 8 November. Leading Australian contemporary artist Patricia Piccinini’s will showcase her iconic Skywhale and Skywhalepapa in majestic flight at Red Hill Recreation Reserve.
The free community event, from 5am–7.30am, will be presented by the National Gallery of Australia and hosted by Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery (MPRG) with support by the Friends of MPRG. The unique 90-minute experience includes a soundscape mood set, followed by a special introduction from Piccinini. Families can pack a picnic, grab a coffee from a food van and feel the anticipation build as the balloons inflate and take flight.
The slow inflation of the balloons, with cold air, then hot, allows the sculptures to rise from the ground and come to life. When fully inflated, and with weather permitting, they take to the skies together.
The site opens to the public at 4.30am.
MPRG director Dunja Rmandić said it was an honour for the peninsula to host the event as part of the floating sculptures second regional tour. “We are delighted to have this major Australian artist’s monumental sculptures floating in our own backyard. They’ve been loved and admired by adults and kids alike every time they’ve taken flight. We are so pleased our community gets to experience the magic of the skywhales at sunrise,” she said.
Register at mprg.mornpen.vic.gov.au/skywhales
First published in the Mornington News – 9 September 2025
