Hi !  Welcome to the BALLOON DIPLOMACY Project.

BALLOON DIPLOMACY is one of a number of projects which form the WAR LOUNGE, a live inter-active performance work by Melbourne artists the bettybooke  and  t.v.

Every-one has a world-picture : a picture of (how) the world (is), which flows out and shapes our thoughts, opinions, actions.

BALLOON DIPLOMACY is an attempt to reach out, to gather and to share these world-pictures, as a (sort of) peace process.  

We want you to take a photo that captures your unique world-picture.  In three minutes.

This picture is then attached to a helium balloon along with a postcard, and released by the picture-taker across the city, state and nation. 

When those pictures are found, the ‘finders’ are encouraged to take an action in response - to visit this site and view the ever-growing collection of world-pictures (here); to let us know how and where it was found (please leave a message here); and maybe even to become a balloon diplomat themselves, to take a picture and send it off by balloon towards the next person.

Throughout September & October this year, the War Lounge was open to the public. It consisted of multiple projects and performances. As one of these, BALLOON DIPLOMACY shared its findings, world-pictures and responses with the public. 

This, however, is not the end of the project; like other of the WAR LOUNGE projects, it will continue as part of an on-going performance investigation into how war lives in us, what constitutes peace, and what we are moved to do about it.

cheers,

julian