Giant Inflatable Sculptures by Steve Messam Reimagine Everyday Environments

"From bubble-like bulges amid the arches of London's iconic Old Billingsgate to a 15-meter-tall red droplet frozen in the center of a disused swimming pool in Aberdeen, Steve Messam explores scale, form, and our experiences of the built environment in large-scale installations. Messam is known for his large-scale inflatable works that reinterpret architecture and explore human influence over the landscape."

"In "Accommodation:Occupation," Messam delves into the history of 19th-century infrastructure in the U.K. through an exploration of what are known as accommodation and occupation bridges-railroad crossings designed for rural areas that provided a tunnel beneath, so that farmers could still access their land on the other side of the tracks. Some of these historic bridges still exist, often on private land, such as two in County Durham along the former route of the Stockton & Darlington Railway."

"For "Below," which Messam situated under a bridge in Tianfu Art Park in Chengdu, China, the site's use as a thoroughfare is retained by creating two symmetric forms with a gap between them, which people can walk through while immersing themselves in the installation. Whether popcorn-like, spiked, bubbling, or cascading, Messam's playful interventions prompt us to view our surroundings with renewed attention."

Steve Messam creates large-scale inflatable installations that reinterpret architectural forms and examine human influence on landscapes. He places ballooning forms in apertures such as arcades, underpasses, and bridges to draw attention to structural geometry while preserving pathways. In Accommodation:Occupation he investigates 19th-century U.K. infrastructure through accommodation and occupation bridges, highlighting surviving examples on private land near the former Stockton & Darlington Railway. For Below, installed under a bridge in Tianfu Art Park, Chengdu, he produced two symmetric forms with a central gap that maintains the site's function as a thoroughfare and invites immersive passage. Playful, varied textures prompt renewed attention to surroundings.

Read at Colossal