IWAGUMI AIR SCAPE by ENESS Transforms Prahran Square into an Immersive Art Playground, 1–17 August
Location: Prahran Square, VIC
Dates: 1st – 17th August 2025
Daily, illuminating from 5pm to 10pm
Website: http://prahransquare.com.au/iwagum This vibrant event will showcase a stunning light installation, creating a magical atmosphere for all attendees. Visitors can also explore the nearby attractions, including the renowned Prahran High Street Hotel renovation, which promises to enhance the local dining and entertainment scene. Don’t miss out on this unique experience that combines art, culture, and community.
For the first time on Australian soil, IWAGUMI AIR SCAPE, the globally celebrated interactive art installation by award-winning studio ENESS, will be unveiled at Prahran Square from 1–17 August 2025. This free, large-scale public artwork invites people of all ages to immerse themselves in a sculptural landscape of monumental inflatable rock forms that shimmer with sound, light and imagination, transforming one of Melbourne’s most iconic urban spaces.
Set in Prahran Square, the installation anchors itself in the heart of Melbourne’s Chapel Street Precinct, a vibrant destination known for its rich mix of culture, shopping and dining. IWAGUMI AIR SCAPE is a free, family-friendly experience that invites people of all ages to add a new dimension to a day out. Whether you’re enjoying a casual stroll, grabbing a
bite to eat, browsing the market, or planning a family outing, the installation offers a unique reason to visit or rediscover this iconic part of the city. With its immersive scale and playful design, the installation brings creativity into the everyday; it adds new energy to the precinct and encourages people to explore everything the area has to offer.
Drawing inspiration from the Japanese design philosophy of Iwagumi ‘the careful placement of stones in natural harmony,’ this installation contrasts wild, mountainous textures with a modern city backdrop. At first glance, the forms appear like ancient stone monoliths. In reality, they are air-filled inflatables, engineered to deliver an astonishing optical illusion, inviting audiences to reimagine the relationship between wilderness and the built environment.
IWAGUMI AIR SCAPE offers a deeply sensory experience, with soundscape inspired by nature and gentle lighting that evolves as the sun sets. Whether you’re starting the morning with yoga, winding down after work, or visiting with your children to explore and play, this is an art experience that is as calming as it is captivating. As you immerse yourself in this tranquil environment, let the rhythm of nature guide your journey. With every two feet and a heartbeat walk, you’ll discover the soothing interplay of artistry and the natural world, inspiring a deeper connection to your surroundings. This dynamic space invites you to pause, breathe, and truly savor the moment, making it an unforgettable experience for all ages.
Created by ENESS, a Melbourne-based, internationally renowned art and technology studio, IWAGUMI AIR SCAPE embodies their mission to make art joyful, accessible and transformative. Founded in 1997 by Nimrod Weis, ENESS is known for producing interactive public installations that fuse sculpture, sound, textiles, technology and story to spark
cross-generational connection.
“Rocks hold a special place in human culture,” says Weis, Artist and Founder of ENESS. “Children collect them, artists are inspired by them, and ancient traditions revere them. IWAGUMI AIR SCAPE taps into that primal connection to earth and invites people right in the heart of the city to slow down, interact, and reconnect with awe.” ENESS’ works have
appeared in leading galleries, festivals and city precincts around the world. Their installations are designed to seduce passersby with curiosity, draw them closer, and turn everyday public spaces into extraordinary places of encounter and imaginationhttp://prahransquare.com.au/iwagumyground, 1–17 August
Location: Prahran Square, VIC
Dates: 1st – 17th August 2025
Daily, illuminating from 5pm to 10pm
Website: http://prahransquare.com.au/iwagum
For the first time on Australian soil, IWAGUMI AIR SCAPE, the globally celebrated interactive art installation by award-winning studio ENESS, will be unveiled at Prahran Square from 1–17 August 2025. This free, large-scale public artwork invites people of all ages to immerse themselves in a sculptural landscape of monumental inflatable rock forms that shimmer with sound, light and imagination, transforming one of Melbourne’s most iconic urban spaces.
Set in Prahran Square, the installation anchors itself in the heart of Melbourne’s Chapel Street Precinct, a vibrant destination known for its rich mix of culture, shopping and dining. IWAGUMI AIR SCAPE is a free, family-friendly experience that invites people of all ages to add a new dimension to a day out. Whether you’re enjoying a casual stroll, grabbing a
bite to eat, browsing the market, or planning a family outing, the installation offers a unique reason to visit or rediscover this iconic part of the city. With its immersive scale and playful design, the installation brings creativity into the everyday; it adds new energy to the precinct and encourages people to explore everything the area has to offer.
Drawing inspiration from the Japanese design philosophy of Iwagumi ‘the careful placement of stones in natural harmony,’ this installation contrasts wild, mountainous textures with a modern city backdrop. At first glance, the forms appear like ancient stone monoliths. In reality, they are air-filled inflatables, engineered to deliver an astonishing optical illusion, inviting audiences to reimagine the relationship between wilderness and the built environment.
IWAGUMI AIR SCAPE offers a deeply sensory experience, with soundscape inspired by nature and gentle lighting that evolves as the sun sets. Whether you’re starting the morning with yoga, winding down after work, or visiting with your children to explore and play, this is an art experience that is as calming as it is captivating.
Created by ENESS, a Melbourne-based, internationally renowned art and technology studio, IWAGUMI AIR SCAPE embodies their mission to make art joyful, accessible and transformative. Founded in 1997 by Nimrod Weis, ENESS is known for producing interactive public installations that fuse sculpture, sound, textiles, technology and story to spark
cross-generational connection.
“Rocks hold a special place in human culture,” says Weis, Artist and Founder of ENESS. “Children collect them, artists are inspired by them, and ancient traditions revere them. IWAGUMI AIR SCAPE taps into that primal connection to earth and invites people right in the heart of the city to slow down, interact, and reconnect with awe.” ENESS’ works have
appeared in leading galleries, festivals and city precincts around the world. Their installations are designed to seduce passersby with curiosity, draw them closer, and turn everyday public spaces into extraordinary places of encounter and imagination.