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Object type

Inflatable sculpture for artists

Reviewed and approved by Jodoc Elmiger, founder and managing director of Digital Inflatables Drafted with AI assistance from verified facts

3 min read Published Updated

Large glowing inflatable sphere painted with yellow, green and red flowers, in a courtyard at dusk, with a silhouetted visitor in front.
Makiko Furuichi’s 9-metre sphere at the Abbaye de Fontevraud. Credit: Digital Inflatables

An inflatable sculpture is an artwork made of fabric and held in shape by air, reaching a large scale at a low weight. Digital Inflatables builds them for artists: Claudia Comte’s Lightning Symphony, 55 metres of waves on the Messeplatz in Basel, her 10 m jellyfish in Venice, and the 9-metre-diameter sphere painted by Makiko Furuichi at the Abbaye de Fontevraud.

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Projects of this type

22 projects

Art and culture

Hanging inflatable sculptures with hexagonal tubes

Inflatable art sculptures made of spiked hexagonal tubes with blue and violet sheen, standing or hanging in a hall, built by Digital Inflatables in 2020.

Project · 2020 2 min read

Art and culture

Giant inflatable jellyfish for artist Claudia Comte

Digital Inflatables designed and built a 10 m glowing blue inflatable jellyfish for Swiss artist Claudia Comte, installed in Venice 3 weeks after her call.

Project · 2025 3 min read

Contents · 5 sections

What kinds of inflatable artworks can be made?

Any work an artist imagines, filled with air or helium: standing on the ground, hanging, lit up, or big enough for the public to walk through.

See the project Claudia Comte’s Lightning Symphony inflatable sculpture Credit: Digital Inflatables

For Claudia Comte, the workshop built Lightning Symphony, inflatable sound waves the public could walk through.

For Tine Bech, a giant pear printed with a world map, shown at Light Night Leeds. For Hala Amer, an inflatable artwork that breathes.

For the Uchronia studio, glowing columns at the Saint-Ouen flea market, in a scenography by Julien Sebban. For Dorian Rigal, a giant hanging cloud.

There is also a plane for stage director Massimo Furlan and a tube in tribute to Graham Stevens.

How big can an inflatable sculpture be?

Lightning Symphony measures 55 metres, Claudia Comte’s jellyfish 10 m, Makiko Furuichi’s sphere 9 metres in diameter, and each cone in Bourbonne-les-Bains 1 m.

See the project Giant inflatable velvet heart in Changzhou Credit: Digital Inflatables

A 28 m velvet heart was installed on Changzhou Culture Plaza.

A work can have many pieces: 50 cones of 1 m for the installation by Charles-François Duplain and Philippe Queloz in Bourbonne-les-Bains.

Or 5 sculptures for the GALTA collective and the Croix-Rouge genevoise in Geneva.

Inflatables stay light: according to the workshop, the 3.5 m statue modelled on Easter Island weighs under 10 kg and fits in a cabin suitcase.

A similar project? Describe it to our team.

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How do the artist and the workshop work together?

The artist brings the concept; the workshop designs the shape, fabricates it and can install it. For Claudia Comte’s jellyfish, 3 weeks passed between the artist’s call and the installation in Venice.

See the project Giant inflatable letters for the Papajosette gallery Credit: Digital Inflatables

The artist can work on the object: Makiko Furuichi’s sphere was partly printed, then painted by hand.

The 2.5 m letters of the Papajosette gallery were painted by 8 artists and graffiti writers.

The steps from prototype to storage are in the guide to commissioning an inflatable sculpture, the files to send in the briefing guide.

Which materials and finishes for an inflatable artwork?

The material follows the work: printed fabric, TPU inflatables in an aluminium frame, a helium-filled polyethylene envelope, or a surface that imitates stone.

See the project Inflatable tube installation for the HEAD Geneva book fair Credit: Digital Inflatables

At HEAD – Genève, blue tubes designed by SAPID Studio fill the cells of an aluminium grid.

A white helium-filled shape has a polyethylene envelope.

Fabrics and printing are compared in the fabrics and printing guide.

Can an inflatable sculpture go in a museum or outdoors?

Yes. Lightning Symphony stood on the Messeplatz in Basel, and Makiko Furuichi’s sphere stayed at the Abbaye de Fontevraud until March 2026.

See the project Custom inflatable sculpture for artist Mike Pelletier Credit: Digital Inflatables

Tine Bech’s pear, lit from inside, was shown at night on Playhouse Square. The watertight cones of Bourbonne-les-Bains stood on the water.

Indoors, Mike Pelletier’s sculpture hangs from the ceiling above cushions where visitors lie down.

See the guide to using inflatables indoors and the wind and anchoring guide.

Row of wave-shaped inflatable structures in pastel blue, green, yellow and pink, arranged in a curve on a paved square; people at the edges look tiny beside them.
Lightning Symphony, Claudia Comte’s 55-metre inflatable work in Basel. Credit: Digital Inflatables
Large green inflatable pear printed with a world map, on a square in front of a glass building and a brick tower.
Tine Bech’s pear in Leeds. Credit: Digital Inflatables
Glowing blue inflatable jellyfish with a round bell and long tentacles with wavy edges, photographed against a black background.
The 10 m jellyfish made for Claudia Comte. Credit: Digital Inflatables

Full specifications

Makiko Furuichi’s sphere, Fontevraud 9 m in diameter, painted by the artist
Lightning Symphony, Claudia Comte 55 metres, on the Messeplatz in Basel
Claudia Comte’s giant jellyfish 10 m, in Venice, in 3 weeks
Hala Amer’s breathing artwork designed and made in five weeks
Art cones, Bourbonne 50 cones, each 1 m high
Stone-effect inflatable statue 3.5 m tall, under 10 kg

Frequently asked questions

How much does a custom inflatable sculpture cost?

For Anna Lomax’s 8 m sculpture, the workshop quoted artists prices from 600 $ per metre. The custom inflatable price guide gathers other real budgets.

How long does it take to make an inflatable sculpture?

According to the workshop, usually 6 to 8 weeks. Claudia Comte’s jellyfish took 3 weeks, Hala Amer’s work five weeks.

Can an artist paint their own inflatable sculpture?

Yes: Makiko Furuichi’s sphere was partly printed, then painted by the artist.

Can an inflatable sculpture breathe or move?

Yes: for Hala Amer, the workshop built a breathing function into part of the structure.

What is the difference between a sculpture and an inflatable stage set?

A sculpture is an artist’s signed work; inflatable stage design dresses a stage, a ceiling or a window.

A similar project?

Describe your project to the Digital Inflatables team.

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Sources

  1. Digital Inflatables projects page digital-inflatables.com

Drafted with AI assistance from the company’s verified facts, reviewed and approved by Jodoc Elmiger, founder and managing director of Digital Inflatables.

All projects of this type (16)

Art and culture

Inflatable sculptures for the Geneva Red Cross

Five blue cloud-printed inflatable sculptures, shown in Geneva in 2019, made by Digital Inflatables for the GALTA collective and the Croix-Rouge genevoise.

Project · 2019 3 min read

Art and culture

Giant inflatable letters for the Papajosette gallery

Eight giant 2.5 m inflatable letters designed by Digital Inflatables and painted by eight artists and graffiti writers for the Papajosette gallery in Lausanne.

Project · 2025 2 min read

Art and culture

Giant inflatable velvet heart in Changzhou

A 28-metre giant inflatable heart in velvet fabric, set up at Changzhou Culture Plaza in China in 2025 and featured by Digital Inflatables.

Project · 2025 2 min read

Shows and media

Giant inflatable hand for the theatre

Giant inflatable hand with spread fingers, raised in front of a white building: an inflatable sculpture for theatre, presented by Digital Inflatables in 2022.

Project · 2022 2 min read