Learn with us online while the Exploratorium is temporarily closed. You can help us reopen—donate today.
Ranging from absurd inflatable “suits” to architectural augmentations, Jimmy Kuehnle’s inflated artworks engage his audiences with a playful sense of the unexpected. “I try to find the line between the spectacle and the absurd,” he says. “If I can make something that you can’t quite put in a category, then maybe there’s going to be a short circuit and you’ll have a genuine interaction.” Kuenle’s art emphasizes the encounter, encouraging visitors to touch, squeeze, and play with soft and whimsical shapes. For Inflatable, Kuehnle has developed an environment of giant cylinders illuminated from within. Visitors can explore them from all sides, wandering through them and squeezing in between.