Inflatable Artworks Installed Across The Hague for Monthlong Exhibition

A 7-meter-tall inflatable stew pot is floating in a small lake in front of the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague. The sculpture is one of 24 inflatable artworks placed throughout the Dutch city as part of the BlowUp Jubilee exhibition. The project was organized while the Binnenhof complex, which includes the Mauritshuis and the Parliament building, undergoes renovation.

The historic site has been closed to the public since 2021.

The first BlowUp Art exhibition took place in 2022 with works from six artists installed near the Binnenhof. Later editions added more pieces, and the 2026 jubilee edition includes all previous installations plus new works. Curator Mary Hessing said the goal was to bring art to a wider audience during the closure.

"What I really wanted to do is show the area and show arts to everybody," she told The Associated Press.

Boon, who is from the former Dutch Caribbean colony of Curaçao, created an inflatable work titled Koncha pa dilanti. The piece shows scenes from local life including parties, food and daily activities. British artist Steve Messam installed a red-spiked inflatable sculpture called Crested on the roof of a parking garage entrance.

The work sits among 100-year-old buildings on a tree-lined boulevard. "The idea was that this piece would hold its own amongst this wonderful architecture that we see around us," Messam said. BlowUp Jubilee continues until June 21.