Gentle Monster’s Giant Head: A Fascinating Art Installation at Sydney Airport

As we were recently departing Australia a two meter high uncanny robotic face stopped me in my tracks. I was unprepared for this at Sydney airport’s International terminal. This striking installation is as intriguing as it is artistic.

The label on the panel at the heads chin said
“The Giant head is a large kinetic installation that allows viewers to experience mysterious emotions through the indecipherable facial expressions which seem to penetrate the essence of the viewer. A two meter high robot, the Giant Head was also introduced at the London futures exhibition blurring the line between retail and art space. The Giant Head is a year long project conducted by the Gentle Monsters’ Robotics Lab which attempts to question viewers about the future of the human-robot relationship.”

The installation is created by a South Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster which describes its installations as cultural experimentation. Gentle Monster works with over 100 in-house artists, including specialists in robotics and kinetic art.

A fusion of Art, Retail space and promotion that catches you unaware as you pass. This giant head is not just a static display; it’s a dynamic piece that appears to respond to people walking past. In doing so transforms the retail space into an immersive art gallery. The scale of the installation and detailed craftsmanship attract your attention.

For travellers passing through, the Gentle Monster’s Giant Head transforms airport duty free shopping into an unexpected artistic encounter. Where you encounter this installation is interesting, as the international departure lounge is a liminal space.

Liminal spaces are transition zones, those in-between areas that are neither here nor there. They are often characterised by their ambiguity and transitionary nature. These spaces are not just physical locations but also psychological and emotional landscapes. They exist at the threshold of different states of being or stages of a journey. The International Departure Lounge fits this description literally as a space between two places. You have passed through immigration and security and the routine of daily life fades as you prepare to embark on a journey. You are in a psychological space that is open to the possibility of different experiences and change.

You encounter Gentle Monster’s Giant Head when time feels a little fluid as your sense of time can become distorted. Flights are delayed, boarding times shift, and as you travel through time zones you time shift. Part of the impact of Gentle Monster’s Giant head is that you encounter this robot in this liminal space, in a particular psychological state. Then the thing turns, and it’s gaze lands on you! There are many artworks in airports around the world but this installation is set apart because it looks at you rather than you looking at it.

When you stand in front of the Giant head the robot appears to react and almost interact with people who pass by. The gaze is returned to the viewer which is interesting as Gentle Monster is an eyewear company. This sense of connectedness provokes other thoughts about the social dynamics and our relationship to robots. Once again it is the space where you encounter this artwork that provokes thoughts about the social dynamics in a departure lounge. Travellers from various backgrounds and destinations converge in this space, sharing brief encounters that highlight the diversity and interconnectedness of global travel but what happens when you encounter a robotic face? I was left asking how connected are we to robots? What happens to social dynamics when robots become more and more part of our lives?

Another question is raised by the fact that this face is white, produced by a Korean company. Why white with western features? Did they feel an Asian face would not speak of the universal?

Like all modern Art Gentle Monster’s Giant Head left me with more questions than answers. If you are passing through the departure lounge Sydney keep an eye out for it. I am sure it will make an impression.

Design Boom has a good article about the installation

Gentle monster website