Here I go again, on my quest for aesthetically pleasing days out - this time it was the Balloon Museum in London that had caught my attention - so I headed there with my friend to see if it was worth the hype.
This is billed as a museum of inflatable art and is currently on in London until April 14, 2024. EmotionAir is a unique exhibition that explores the profound relationship between art and emotions through the captivating medium of inflatable art. The Balloon Museum presents this new art project in the historic space of Old Billingsgate. EmotionAir offers a multisensory exposition path that balances the lightness of inflatable works with the complexity of human emotions.
We paid, all told, which included a discount, £30 each to visit, which is way more than I have paid to visit similar exhibitions. In my opinion this did seem very overpriced. Don't get me wrong, you get a huge dopamine rush and it is a feast for the eyes, but I think the tickets could have been more reasonably priced.
We visited on a Wednesday during half term, so there were lots of families there. There were quite a few interactive things here with the best bit being the huge ball pit!
I am going to share some of my favourite exhibits with you - there was plenty to see!
Electric Moons
"Through the deliberate interplay of movement, changing lighting and atmospheric music, the viewer is immersed in a unique and ephemeral experience. The arrangement of the balloons is constantly evolving, creating new formations in space."
This was very pretty and relaxing to watch. Probably one of my faves.
Cannonballs
"The centrepiece of this installation consists of eight large balloons portraying the faces of imaginary monsters, varying in degrees of menace. These faces are accompanied by the projection of other ominous characters onto the surrounding walls."
This one is very quirky, I loved the moving faces on the balloons.
Kaleidoscope
"Kaleidoscope is an interactive artwork composed of large luminous tables where cyan, magenta, and yellow inks float on the surface in separate levels."
These are mesmerising to look at and to touch, the silhouettes and shadows are also projected onto the walls including all of the bright colours.
Swing
"This installation, composed of a series of spheres suspended from the ceiling, comes to life through engaging interaction with the audience. The spheres move in space, bouncing and spinning vortex-like, creating a dynamic and captivating play environment."
This is pretty trippy to look at, you are allowed to spin these (but not allowed to swing them to knock people over!)
Synchronized Chaos
"Along an infinite corridor, the repetition of brightly coloured faces unfolds, becoming, for the artist, eloquent symbols of human existence and the intrinsic complexity of our minds."
Great bright colours, reminded me of the Easter Island heads.
Hyperfeeling
"The artwork is conceived as a total immersion in a luminous and radiant universe, represented by a pool of yellow small balls and a ceiling composed of a sky of balloons of the same colour. Additionally, there is a multimedia and multisensory show curated by Sila Sveta."
For two women in their 40s - this ball pit was the best part. You will be given shoe covers to wear and you will go in for a timed slot. You can leave your belongings at the side and just jump in, sink into the balls and enjoy the show!
Towards the end there were plenty of selfie stations, which provide some good photo opportunities. This was pretty busy so we didn't do this, there was also a cafe area selling things like candy floss and balloons. On the way out there is also a shop selling merch.
We probably spent a good hour or more in the venue, there are lots of steps to go up, so do take that into account (although I believe there are lifts). There were people of all ages enjoying themselves - it was great to spend an afternoon there but just a little pricey.
The museum is currently located at 1 Old Billingsgate Walk which is closest to Monument station - we walked from London Bridge which took around 10 minutes.