Jihan Zencirli is not your average balloon artist. Based in Los Angeles and working under the moniker Geronimo, Zencirli builds sprawling conglomerations of perfectly spherical balloons in carefully selected color palettes.
With vibrant colors and organically-inspired shapes, the balloons draw a contrast to the geometric and neutral toned buildings they are affixed to. The artist frequently installs her work outside, to emphasize its ephemeral nature and to allow as many people to encounter the work as possible.
Zencirli’s latest creation has been produced in collaboration with the New York City Ballet, as part of their Art Series. The annual series invites a contemporary artist to install a site-specific artwork in the heart of Manhattan at Lincoln Center, where the ballet has been based since 1964. This is the series’ sixth year and Zencirli is the first female artist to be selected. In anticipation of the event, an appropriately-over-the-top video introduces audiences to Geronimo, directed by Andy Bruntel.
The artwork was unveiled on January 26, and remains up until February 24th, during which time the Ballet has two special performances. There are also public viewing hours every day of the week from February 17 – 25. More information about performance times and viewing hours are available on NYCB’s website. Zencirli shares updates of her work on Instagram, and you can also find examples of some previous installations below.
