Giant, inflatable aliens will loom over a Norfolk arts festival this weekend

Prepare for giants to invade the streets of Norfolk.

Forty-six-foot-tall glowing giants are arriving Friday to tower, loom and lounge among human pedestrians on West 43rd Street, next to the Old Dominion University campus.

The colossal inflatable humanoid figures, fabricated from tarpaulin, are the creation of Australian artist Amanda Parer and will act as the central attractions at the third annual Public Arts Festival presented by the Barry Art Museum this weekend.

The festival will run from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and close 43rd Street between Hampton Boulevard and Monarch Way.

It has the theme “Fantastic Planet” and is organized into three zones.

The zone named The Environmental Corridor will feature “Earth-friendly” organizations; the Planet STE[A]M zone will have science-focused presentations; and the Fantastic Festivities zone will have food and merchandise.

Organizers expect 15,000 to 20,000 people to attend over the three nights, and overlooking them, and it all, will be the giants.

Parer drew inspiration for her inflatable artwork from the 1973 movie “Fantastic Planet.”

“It’s the story of a distant future, a distant planet where humans still exist but are considered vermin,” she said.

The French science fiction and animated film, directed by René Laloux, is set in a world where human-like characters are ruled by blue giants.

“I’ve kind of turned the table on that,” Parer said, explaining viewers of her art are meant to feel as though the movie’s giants have come to Earth and “are observing us and kind of playing with us in a very benign manner hopefully instilling a humility in us.”

The executive director of the Barry Art Museum, Charlotte Potter Kasic, pointed out that here on Earth humans are the apex predator. “We don’t usually feel anything is much larger than ourselves.

“And so this, it’s supposed to put your own place on Earth in perspective.”

Three inflatable giants will be on display and illuminated with lights inside them, and scheduled pop-up performances will pop-off on West 43rd Street on the hour each night:

Friday

• 6 p.m. ODU March Band

• 7 p.m. GSA Dance

• 8 p.m. Costume Contest

• 9 p.m. DJ Wizard and Charles Rasputin

Saturday

• 6 p.m. Rhythm Project

• 7 p.m. Moonsmoke

• 8 p.m. ODU Dance

• 9 p.m. Karacell

Sunday

• 6 p.m. Diehn Chorale

• 7 p.m. ODU Theatre

• 8 p.m. ODU Writers in Community

• 9 p.m. Sunnyside Collective

The Environmental Corridor will be just outside the Barry Art Museum and feature conservation and environmentally conscious organizations that examine the impact on the Earth’s ecosystems of commerce, industry, culture and day-to-day activities. Groups including the Back Bay Amateur Astronomers and the Norfolk Botanical Garden will present on topics like stargazing, native plant gardening, and environmental health and safety.

The Planet STE[A]M zone, inside the museum, will focus on technology and engineering. Groups including Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and ODU Video Game Design will use virtual reality games, robots and displays to engage festival-goers.

The Fantastic Festivities zone will include food trucks and entertainment such as glass blowing, face painting and graphic design showcases.

Colin Warren-Hicks, 919-818-8139, colin.warrenhicks@virginiamedia.com

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If you go

When: 6 to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday

Where: Barry Art Museum, 1075 W. 43rd St., Norfolk

Tickets: Free

Details: barryartmuseum.odu.edu