Help The Aeromodeller by Panamarenko fly again.

The Aeromodeller (1969-1971) is without a doubt Panamarenko’s most legendary artwork. In the autumn of 1969, the Belgian artist single-handedly built the monumental airship. Just like his later models and prototypes for zeppelins, it consists of three parts: a balloon-shaped floating body made of glued strips of transparent PVC, a wicker gondola, and a construction of propellers with engines on its roof.

While Panamarenko steadily continued working on his dream piece, more and more people from the art world caught wind of the project. In Antwerp, curator Flor Bex tried in vain to obtain a permit for a test flight, and in the spring of 1971, fellow artist and friend Jef Geys offered Panamarenko the chance to complete and test The Aeromodeller in a meadow in Balen (Belgian Limburg). The airship was finished, but a test flight had to be canceled due to rough weather conditions.

In 1980, the work was acquired by Jan Hoet for the collection of the former Museum of Contemporary Art Ghent, the current S.M.A.K., and has since become an indispensable and iconic masterpiece of the collection.

In the meantime, The Aeromodeller has (literally) flown all over the world. It was shown, among others, during 'Sonsbeek buiten de perken' (1971, Arnhem), Documenta V (1972, Kassel), in the Kröller-Müller Museum (autumn 1978), during the Panamarenko exhibition at the Fondation Cartier (1998, Paris), in the Palacio de Cristal in Madrid (2002), in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels (2005–2006), and during the Moscow Biennale (2013). The last time the work was exhibited was on the occasion of S.M.A.K.’s 20th anniversary in 2019.

The balloon was made of flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a material that Panamarenko deliberately chose for its physical and aesthetic properties. Today, however, that choice presents a major challenge. Due to chemical aging — caused by factors such as temperature fluctuations, light, and oxygen — discoloration, browning, and brittleness occur. In addition, the material undergoes mechanical degradation, including stickiness, loss of flexibility, deformation under tension, and an increased susceptibility to tearing. These risks occur both when exhibiting the work and during storage in our depot.

Constant monitoring for new leaks and tears, along with adjustments to the air supply, is currently necessary when presenting this artwork. As a result, exhibiting it at this time is highly complex and only possible for shorter periods.

Vote from September 15th via the National Lottery website for 'The Aeromodeller' by Panamarenko and help the airship fly again. Sign up for our newsletter below and be the first to receive the latest updates on this special project.