We Can Be Heroes is a large-scale mobile public art work that consists of a series of helium filled inflatable sculptures inspired by the Southern sky, imagined floating lands, local stories and contemporary mythologies. These unmissable poetic outcomes aim to gather and unite new audiences to witness the hyper-real possibilities of people’s imaginations as it shifts their gaze upwards towards the sky.

We Can Be Heroes was the 2019 signature project of the Programme for Innovation in Artform Development (PIAD) and premiered at the Vrystaat Art Festival in Bloemfontein, South Africa from the 1 – 7 July.

Conceived by OSCA Artistic Director Paul Gazzola and made in collaboration with the artist Marius Jansen van Vuuren and local Bloemfontein participants, these unmissable poetic outcomes were situated across the city of Bloemfontein, activating public spaces both day and night with a distinctly evocative allure.

We Can Be Heroes charged the untapped potential of the festival skyline through the creation of a series of community designed floating artworks. The project gave an opportunity for local artists and non-artists to gain skills from industry specialists and be involved in an inclusive community initiative. We Can Be Heroes marked Bloemfontein as being a significant city that promotes positive artistic expression and social cohesion.

We Can Be Heroes was commissioned by the Programme for Innovation in Artform Development (PIAD), an initiative of the University of the Free State and the Vrystaat Art Festival, generously supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Images by Francois Knoetze