The Whale Hearts (2008-2023)
Five life-sized blue whale heart sculptures (tohōra) fabricated over fifteen years for Te Papa, LWL Museum Germany, Übersee Museum Bremen, New Bedford Whaling Museum, and the Ocean Institute in California.
Whale Heart #1 (2008)
The first ever Whale Heart created by Human Dynamo Workshop was commissioned by Te Papa Tongarewa, the National Museum of New Zealand, for the exhibition Whales | Tohorā.
The process began with a hand-sculpted miniature reference model in plasticine. From there, the team developed a full-scale form in polystyrene, meticulously shaped and finished before being painted to achieve a lifelike result.
Whale Heart #2 (2012)
The second heart was created for Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL Museum) in Muenster, Germany.
Whale Heart #3 (2015)
The third Whale Heart made its way to the Ubersee Museum in Germany as a permanent display.
Whale Heart #4 (2018)
Our fourth Whale Heart made its way to New Bedford Whaling Museum in Massachusetts, USA. The project was a blend of traditional and contemporary techniques, with the final sculpture made from hollow, moulded fiberglass with a hand painted finish. New technologies like digital sculpting and CNC milling enabled us to derive the form from a digital file, which can be used for future whale hearts. Learn more.
Whale Heart #5 (2023)
Our fifth and latest Whale Heart was made for Ocean Institute - an ocean education organisation located in Dana Point, California, USA. Learn more.
