Martin Creed

AUGUST 7 Tin Building

Daydream Air becomes art

"It's just a normal situation: as usual the space is full of air, but half of it is inside balloons." Martin Creed

Work No. 3883 Half the air in a given space

Half the air in a given space is one of Martin Creed's most iconic works. First conceived in 1998, it makes air visible by enclosing it within balloons, transforming an everyday material through the artist's characteristically rigorous yet playful logic.

Visitors are invited to enter and move through the installation, altering its shape and volume with their presence. As they navigate the disorienting environment, the work becomes a shared sculpture defined by the space between people, objects and movement.

"Creed is a social artist; the true magic of his work lies in the way it interacts with people and places." — Jonathan Jones, The Guardian.

Bio

Martin Creed is a British artist, composer, and performer known for his multidisciplinary practice that embraces the ordinary. His work ranges from minimalist, stripped-down installations to expressive, rapidly executed portraits, and neon pieces conveying ironic or uplifting messages.

Through his performances, prints, films, and music, Creed challenges the boundary between art and everyday life, often using materials like paper, cardboard, plastic bags, Lego bricks, and party balloons. In 2001, he was awarded the Turner Prize for his exhibitions of the previous year, notably for his bold Work No. 227: The lights going on and off, presented during the Turner Prize show. Creed has lived and worked in various places, including the Italian island of Alicudi. His works are now part of major collections, such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Galleries of Scotland in Edinburgh, and the Tate Gallery in London, among others.