The Janis Project

Frank Hyder’s The Janis Project began in Istanbul Turkey, with the support of Frank Del Rio, CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, and concluded a three-month journey off the coast of Europe, with the last placement in Tallinn, Estonia.  A spontaneous daily placement aboard a luxury Oceania cruise liner and its ports of call, surprised cruisers and locals with its presence, stimulating dialogs in many languages. The air-filled huge heads, which at once reference the  Moai of Easter Island, Olmec heads and Janus, the ancient Roman god of new endeavors  At the same time the sculptures have their roots in street art and inflatable toys.  Generally very well received, the Project did attract police action in Seville, Spain, for a lack of permits and received a definite no from Russian border police in St. Petersburg.  Janis carries a message of equality and goodwill and dares to step out of the normal world of art museums or art galleries to be among us.  Made of resilient nylon and paint, Janis has found a place to make us all consider issues that often divide us – usually with a smile.

Janis inflatable sculptures are available for leasing or licensing for public and private events.  The inflatable heads range in size from 4-11 feet tall and operate on 120 voltage.  They are simple to install and inflate and can be deflated in less than 1 minute.  The flick of two switches control the inflation and internal lighting.  They are self-contained and come with a built-in carrying case and tie-down lines and spikes for outdoor installation.  Pricing varies with size, quantity and length of event.  Check out “Janis Installations” above for images of  previous leasing/licensing events. Please contact me for additional information.