The exhibition, BLOW UP: Inflatable Contemporary Art, will be on display at the Jepson Center May 27 through Sept. 18, offering a unique take on contemporary art through artists exploring a range of mediums.

“Telfair is always on the lookout for exciting new projects, and when we learned about this traveling exhibition of inflatable sculptures, we knew it needed to come to Savannah,” shared Crawford (Alex) Alexander Mann III, Telfair Museums’ Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs.

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BLOW-UP is an innovative show organized by Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek, CA and touring to various museums around the nation, with Telfair as its first venue on the East Coast, Mann noted.

The exhibition features inflatable art by well-known contemporary artists and art collectives, with mediums and materials varying by exhibit. Some pieces are hand-sewn, while others are modeled on computers and custom-fabricated, using lightweight and durable synthetic materials, the museum notes.

“Visitors will enjoy the size and playfulness of the pieces in this show, but we hope it will also expand their definitions of art and how it is made,” Mann said.

“These works are a combination of imagination and technology, but the concept is simple: you could build an inflatable sculpture at home. Will this exhibition change your reactions to pool toys and holiday lawn inflatables?”

BLOW UP explores the power of fabric and air (with help from motorized fans) to create giant forms, organizers shared. Subjects range from animals and cartoon characters to abstract shapes.

The inflatable medium enables the pieces to be larger-than-life, sometimes humorous, sometimes foreboding, but always surprising — and they are some of the largest artworks ever presented at Telfair, Mann noted.

The exhibition includes an international roster of well-known artists and art collectives including Nicole Banowetz, Sharon Engelstein, FriendsWithYou, Joshua Harker, Susan Lee-Chun, Matt Ritchie, Lizabeth Rossof, Max Streicher, and Jen Stark.

Museumgoers can also enjoy the Jepson Center’s many exhibits and viewing areas during their visit. The museum is offering free weekends through Aug. 28, with free admission on Saturdays and Sundays at its two sites on Telfair Square to residents across a six-county region: Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, and Liberty (Georgia), and Beaufort and Jasper (South Carolina) with proof of residence or a valid ID. And visitors should note, parking in downtown Savannah is free on Sundays.

Mann says BLOW-UP is a fun and innovative experience, one that they hope will draw in new fans of contemporary art and expand their horizons of what an art exhibit can be.

“Telfair is proud to be a community space, welcoming our neighbors with changing exhibitions and fresh projects,” Mann added.

“We hope visitors will explore BLOW UP and all of our galleries, choose their favorite works of art, and feel at home here.”

For more information on this exhibit and Telfair Museums, visit www.telfair.org.