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A grizzly bear sized monster made of balloons, the Megamite claims to be an anemone, a creature from the deepest reaches of your id. Operating from inside the Megamite is NY artist Jason Hackenwerth, who first created the bug for the Scope Paris press conference and the Venice Biennale in 2005.
To build the creature, Hackenwerth uses hundreds of skinny, brightly colored balloons that he twists together with fantastic mathematical symmetry. Protruding from the Megamite’s belly are dozens of spear-like balloons that fire off like missiles when the monster becomes excited.
Hackenwerth has built and performed the Megamite in the Deitch Art Star Parade in Manhattan, and during special events in Las Vegas, Miami, Basel, Venice and Paris. The Megamite made its presence felt on the streets of New Haven on June 18, 2006, as part of the International Festival of Arts & Ideas. Hackenwerth's sculptures were also featured in the Great Hall of Dinosaurs at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, June 18-25, 2006. This was Site Project's first collaboration with the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.
