Description of work: The Honeysuckle Labyrinth was created for the New Museum Gala in 2006. I made a huge honeysuckle pod that was suspended in the center of the space on a mobile rig flanked by two smaller forms circling around it.

Hovering and floating around these central forms were several large insect like forms that turned ever so slowly around on the air currents and seem to interact with the circling honeysuckle cluster. Above and outlying from them were more sinister creature-like sculptures that lurk ominously in the upper corners of the space providing macabre shadow’s on the darkened walls.

Great lighting made this an incredible jaw dropping installation that filled the Cipriani space on 42nd.

It would be wonderful to create something like this with a proposal specific to your space during Artprize.

In addition to a fantastic installation I would create an army of wearable sculptures that will be on the loose all over GR, MI. Bringing art to the people on the streets guerilla style.

Artist bio: Jason Michael Hackenwerth, Born 1970, St. Louis, MO; lives and works in NYC.

Artist statement: Using balloons to make sculptures has magical results, and built in challenges. The works are instantly recognizable as an exuberant celebration of life. They offer joy, hope, and inspiration to anyone at any age, and require no deep understanding of contemporary art to enjoy. As closely related to exotic flowers as they are to deep-sea creatures, or microorganisms, the works communicate about connectivity.

This becomes literal when a person gets inside a “wearable” sculpture called a Megamite to engage audiences or perform choreographed steps.

These interactions are meant to personalize the experience between the viewer and the art. Breaking down barriers between contemporary art and modern life.

The challenge of balloons is their temporality. This work is experiential, not commodity based. It’s offered as a bright smile of hope if only ever briefly. Some works last just weeks or months. This fleeting fact increases its rarity and the urgency to see it while it exists

Art form: 3-D

Medium: latex balloons

Year created: 2006