For two Israelis, balloon sculpture goes far beyond dogs and swords
Park Avenue, on the East Side of Manhattan, is sun-washed and noisy on an August afternoon. But as we enter the Park Avenue Armory building, a venue for exhibitions and events, we suddenly find ourselves in a darkened hallway that opens up into a room filled with 140 oversized, eye-popping, brightly colored sculptures made completely of… balloons! We felt like we’d left Kansas to find ourselves over the rainbow in Oz.
Balloon Story, this enchanting exhibition — which, sadly, wrapped up before we went to press — is the brainchild of Israeli entrepreneur Yonatan Eizik and balloon artist Kobi Kalimian. Originally launched in Tel Aviv a year ago, they decided to bring it to New York as a way of sharing the magic, as well as providing employment for several dozen Israelis during the wartime downturn. Balloon Story combines an incredible feat of balloon art with a generous effort to generate parnassah for Israeli families.
We’re greeted at the Armory by Kobi Kalimian, the artistic director of the show, and Yonatan Eizik, the producer. They seem visibly more at ease when they discover their American press contingent is comprised of a reporter wearing a mitpachat and an Israeli photographer.
The exhibit is filled with families of all types, and we have to speak loudly to hear each other over the delighted screams of young children in this cavernous, 55,000-square-foot space. But Kobi and Yonatan’s enthusiasm for this 700,000-balloon wonderland project is contagious. Kobi is a good sport about allowing himself to be photographed sitting in an armchair with a bucket of balloons pouring onto his head.
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