bubblelung


The installation bubblelung was commissioned for the reopening of the Small Arms Inspection Building, a World War Two munitions plant that has recently been transformed into a cultural hub.
The ten-foot tall pink lung expands and contracts at the top of the red brick chimney of the former coal-fired factory where women once built and tested guns.


Made with the same simple technology used for all-weather outdoor advertising inflatables, the installation was designed to mark the building’s courtyard entrance and to signal the building’s new use from the street.

Unfortunately, on the
day of installation, a flock of chimney swifts — an endangered bird species
that nests in disused chimneys — was discovered on the site.
![Installation in progress at the Small Arms Inspection building with two cranes]()


CHIMNEY SWIFT
We are in the process of installing the work in another location. We’ll keep you posted!
“ My grandmother worked in a factory in this neighbourhood in the post-war era and inspired the idea for the project. Like many of her colleagues she wore lipstick, smoked like a chimney, chewed bubblegum and, sadly, contracted lung cancer.”
— Helena Grdadolnik
Client: City of Mississauga
Location: Missisauga, Ontario
Date: 2018
Team: Helena Grdadolnik , Kellie Chin, and Tony Li
Location: Missisauga, Ontario
Date: 2018
Team: Helena Grdadolnik , Kellie Chin, and Tony Li