object design league: balloon factory

‘balloon factory’ by object design league at the museum of contemporary art chicago all images courtesy of object design league

chicago-based designers caroline linder, lisa smith, michael savona, thomas moran, and steven haulenbeek, from the collective object design league, present their project ‘balloon factory’ on-site at the museum of contemporary art chicago until july 10. replicating the manufacturing process inside a gallery space, this installation is organized into a balloon production line, with eight stations to illustrate each step: preparatory dipping, drying, latex dipping, handpainting, soaking, heating, stripping, and inflation.

the five designers share a previously hidden manufacturing process and personalize it, with continuously evolving latex shaping and coloring techniques. only known to be made industrially before, the resulting balloons are unique, handmade objects that place the practice on the fringes of mass production.

40 balloon molds pass through the production line several times each day. formal characteristics must be exaggerated in the hand-sculpted molds to remain legible in the inflated shape.

balloon molds are dipped in latex.

in the last step of the process, the molds are heated in a low-temperature oven to strengthen the latex.

the oven is made from light bulbs, aluminum foil and an ikea futon frame.

the finished balloons on their molds, ready to be stripped and inflated.

freshly-made balloons are available in limited numbers from the mca store for the duration of the event and will also be available on a wider scale with the launch of an online store in september. both a workshop and a spectacle, this pop-up exhibition explores methods of producing objects for consumption in a transparent way, collapsing fabrication, distribution and purchasing into one space.

guests may purchase balloon vouchers from the museum store and exchange them in the gallery for a balloon of their choice.