Michaela Gleave
7 Stunden Ballonarbeit / 7 Hour Balloon Work (Reverse Rainbow) - Ongoing
2026
Documentation of performance, video live stream
7 Stunden Ballonarbeit / 7 Hour Balloon Work (Reverse Rainbow) revisits a performance work originally executed in 2010 and streamed live from Gleave’s Berlin studio to the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney.
The performance sees the artist continually blowing up balloons for a seven hour period, burying herself in her own labour. At the conclusion of the performance the artist pops all of the balloons and leaves the space.
Re-performed sixteen years on, the work returns in it’s original format, but performed one colour at a time - the rainbow in reverse. Unfolding over time, Gleave will live stream one video approximately every month until the colours have all been performed.
The video series is viewable on Youtube.
The orginal video is viewable here.
Stella jumpsuit courtesy of Madge Goods.
All balloons used in this work will be diverted from landfill through a specialist recycling program and processed for material reuse.