Page 14 - IAV Digital Magazine #610

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
These Massive Inflatable Pink Men Are Waving From Rooftops and Peering Into Windows in Boston
By Sarah Kuta
Giant inflatable pink men are taking over downtown Boston. Last week, residents discovered several of the cartoonish blow- up figures around town.
One is climbing a tree. Another is wav- ing from a rooftop. One pink man appears to be stuck between two build- ings, while another is peeking into a large window.
They’re all part of an immersive outdoor art exhibition called
“Winteractive,” which is “inspired by the vibrant winter festivals and art exhibitions of our neighbors in the province of Québec in Canada,” per the show’s website. It will be on view through the end of March.
The sculptures are part of a series
called Monsieur
Rose (or Mr. Pink). The project was developed by Philippe Katerine, a French artist, actor and singer.
Made of steel cable, PVC and blowers, the sculptures stem from
an artistic movement known as Mignonisme, which Katerine founded to promote the aesthet- ics of cuteness.
“It is the darkest, drabbest time of year in Boston,” Michael Nichols, president of the Downtown Boston Alliance, which is organizing ‘Winteractive,’
tells CBS Boston’s Neal Riley. “It’s gray ... just cold and bitter. And pops of pink color, bubblegum pink dotting the downtown ... is changing peo- ple's day.”
Monsieur Rose has appeared
in Paris, Stckholm, M ontreal and Quebec City. Now, the pink men have made their way to Boston for “Winteractive” along with several other art- works.
Officials are still installing many of them, with 15 pieces planned in total,
per WCVB-TV’s Phil Tenser. But at least one other work has already been unveiled: Created by Canadian artist Brandon
Vickerd, Alouette fea- tures a replica of a 1962 Canadian satel- lite that appears to have crashed down on the hood of a car, reports WHDH’s Stephen Quinn.
“It’s partially like a throwback to the age of space exploration when technology held this great promise of ... a modernist future where everything was going to be better, but in a lot of ways it exists like a modern Icarus,” Vickerd tells WHDH. “That idea of hubris and flying too close to the sun, and then falling back to earth—but it’s also a bit of a joke, right?”
This is the second
year of “Winteractive.” The buzziest piece unveiled for last year’s show consisted of two large inflatable clown heads squished between two build- ings. Called Endgame (Nagg & Nell), the installation was creat- ed by artist Max Streicher.
Other works that dot- ted the streets of Boston in 2024 includ- ed Myth and Evidence, a sculpture of a unicorn enclosed in a frosted glass dis- play by artist Mathieu Valade; a colorful mural called Blissful Rendezvous painted by Kezna Dalz; and a series of untitled fig- ures created by Mark Jenkins, including a figure who appeared to be fishing from the top of Macy’s.
The exhibition was such a success that officials decided to bring it back this year, with another round of head-turning pieces.
“I’m really excited to see these around downtown,” says AJ Longabaugh, an employee at a gym near one of the Mr. Pink figures, to
the Boston Globe’s Marianna Orozco. “It’s allowing people to look up.”
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