Welcome to Balloon Diplomacy
Hi ! Welcome to the BALLOON DIPLOMACY Project.
BALLOON DIPLOMACY is one of a number of projects which were created as part of WAR LOUNGE, a live inter-active performance work by Melbourne artists bettybooke.
Every-one has a world-picture : a picture of (how) the world (is), which flows out and shapes our thoughts, opinions, actions.
BALLOON DIPLOMACY is an attempt to reach out, to gather and to share these world-pictures, as a (sort of) peace process.
We want you to take a photo that captures your unique world-picture. In three minutes.
This picture is then attached to a helium balloon along with a postcard, and released by the picture-taker across the city, state and nation.
When those pictures are found, the ‘finders’ are encouraged to take an action in response - to visit this site and view the ever-growing collection of world-pictures (here); to let us know how and where it was found (please leave a message here); and maybe even to become a balloon diplomat themselves, to take a picture and send it off by balloon towards the next person.
In September 2008, War Lounge opened to the public. It consisted of multiple projects and performances. As one of these, BALLOON DIPLOMACY shared its findings, world-pictures and responses with the public.
This, however, is not the end of the project; like other War Lounge projects, it will continue as part of an on-going performance investigation into how war lives in us, what constitutes peace, and what we are moved to do about it.
cheers,
julian