designboom-french artist and photographer charles pétillon has installed his trademark white balloons within the grand hall of bordeaux’s national opera. however, in developing the project, pétillon — who has previously ‘invaded’ sites in both milan and london with large scale balloon compositions — took a slightly different approach. rather than a static display, the artist created a truly interactive installation that generates sound and music for visitors.

named ‘DIAZEPAM’, the installation was presented within the grand hall of bordeaux’s national opera as part of liberté, the french city’s summer festival of cultural events. the elegant and fluid movements of the balloon sculptures, which serve as a dramatic visual counterpoint to the building’s historic interior, generates accompanying music. sound is also produced as a result of the public’s movement through the space. see the choreography in the video at the top of the page.