Balloon Hats?

Ya gotta be kidding me, right?

Normally balloon sculpture makes me shrug and keep on walking; it's a kids thing, and I'm kind of indifferent to it.

There's a couple of individuals out there challenging that viewpoint, right now. Addi Somekh and Charlie Eckert travel to different places in the world to make balloon hats for people and take photos of them. The goal was to show people all over the world laughing and having fun. The results are often hilarious, sometimes poignant.



For me, the best series was called "enemies" which was shot in the Balkans. Pictures of rabid enemy tribes from Serbia, Bosinia, and Croatia yucking it up with big ornate balloon hats on their heads kind of makes you wonder what people have in common more than the urge to throttle each other.

It's a great site; located HERE. And they have a book out now, too. There are far worse things to do with your life than making silly hats to make people laugh... I'm ordering the book for a Christmas present for a friend of mine.

Photos copyright 2005 Addi Somekh and Charlie Eckert