///  SMILE TO THE WORLD

Bjørn Bjarre does it with helium!


We like little spectacles at Hove, and this year artist Bjørn Bjarre takes the cake. Hovering 10-15 feet above the ground, you will notice a giant balloon, with a very smiley face, floating over the festival area. No, it is not the remains from the 17th of May (Norway's national day), nor is it a genetically modified plastic bag - it is instead Bjarre's playing with our minds. A well accredited artist, he has made a lot of fine things - check out his website here.

What is the purpose of the yellow face, is it a symbol / icon / trademark, an overblown piece of art? If we listen to Bjørn, the answer is up to each of us. We had a little talk with him ...

We've been hearing rumours about a gigantic Smiley! Can you tell us a little about the actual piece?
- Yes, this is a very detailed piece of art. It is a floating light sculpture created from my instructions by an English company who specialise in helium balloons. It is 4 x 4 x 2.5 m, made of PVC, and is simply a magnification of a normal birthday balloon. Originally I would have liked it to be even bigger, but then it would require a 5 man crew and many anchoring points to make sure it does not take off. Instead, it will be filled with about 300 litres of helium and anchored to the ground by a foundation that weighs just over 100 kg. Hopefully it will float undisturbed about 10 to 15 feet above the ground and smile down on all the festival goers, without being destroyed by rain, wind, slingshots, air guns or stones. It will be exciting to see how it looks at night with light inside!

Ha Ha. 300 litres of helium! That would keep one talking like Mickey Mouse for a long time! You previously worked with comics - what degree has this influenced your work with in sculptures?
- Comics were the first art I was exposed to, so it has affected me enormously. I like to think that the first sculptures I saw were inflatable toys, so I like all inflated things... hehe. But, jokes aside, comics, popular culture, art and plastic bags. What is the difference? What determines whether something is art or not is what context the thing is included in, and the intention behind their creation. Not the things themselves. The art experience is something immaterial, something which is in the mind of person.

What is it with the Smiley face that makes it suitable as a sculpture?
- That it is so simple and yet at the same time it has all these contradictory associations. The fact that it is a sculpture or piece of art is quite irrelevant. Maybe it won't be seen as art? What I am interested in is the uncertainty that I hope will occur by the sight of this clichés. Who is behind it? Is it advertising? Is it genuine? Is it art? What was the artist thinking? I want people to look for a deeper meaning.

It is also quite a spectacle. What will you do with the balloon once the festival is over?
- It is spectacular because the Hove Festival is a spectacular. I will be participating in the festival, whilst at the same time commenting on the culture of these types of festivals, namely those coming out of the U.S.. This symbol was created in the early 60-century, and was initially somewhat innocent and naïve. It has since been and used by others in such diverse contexts as U.S. children's television, on plastic bags for shopping chain Walmart and stamped on the techno culture's ecstasy pills. At the same time, it is still a big smile which we are biologically programmed to respond positively to? After the festival is over, it can be used at a regular exhibition. Only filling it with air then, as the 300 litres of helium is quite expensive. Inside a gallery, it will naturally create a completely different effect, and inspire a different opinion.

Can you tell us ... Are there any artists or something else you are excited to check out at Hove?
- Can not wait to discover new music! I haven't heard too much about everyone who is playing yet, but of what I have heard I especially like Fleet Foxes, Micachu & The Shapes and Rusko. Perhaps the Ting Tings and Lykke Li will be good also? Otherwise, I usually like music that manipulates the emotional life.