Baby You
Presented by the Przekrój Foundation
During Make Music Day, the worldwide festival of music-making held annually on the summer solstice, Baby You, a massive, 112-foot-long hot air balloon in the shape of a sleeping newborn, was inflated and rise over Milwaukee, accompanied by a new a cappella choral work by composer Michael Schachter. The installation has been, and will be touring, in many places in Europe and beyond, reminding us of the precious nature of childhood: joyous, full of wonder, and present in the here and now.
Just as in life, it took nine months to build Baby You, in a multinational collaboration between engineers, designers and tailors in Poland, Belgium, and the UK. The project is presented by Przekrój Foundation in cooperation with Belgian artist Bart Van Peel. Baby You—a spectacular sculpture floating in the air—is a symbol for the potential in all of us that’s waiting to be awakened, unlimited, and endless as the sky. It is a reminder of the togetherness of people and the precious nature of life—joyful, full of wonder, and present in the here and now. Baby You aims to impart that each and every one of us is already enough, that we were born this way. Made of tan fabric, the balloon’s colors change with the light, reflecting the many hues of human skin.
As the sun sets in Milwaukee, hundreds of singers gathered in Veterans Park, on the shore of Lake Michigan, to perform the new composition, while behind them the balloon is inflated, takes shape, and begins its tethered ascent. The combined aural and visual experience is meant to invoke the shared humanity of all people. Everyone was a baby once: adorable, vulnerable, and full of potential.
PRZEKROJ Foundation
The PRZEKRÓJ Foundation (pronounced ‘p-SHEH-crooy’) grew out of Poland’s , oldest magazine about society and culture, available in print since 1945 and online, in Polish and English version. The foundation is a holistic center for those who want to consciously co-create positive changes with the environment around them and within themselves. It supports a variety of projects that engage the public in thoughtful and meaningful ways. From mounting ambitious, large-scale art installations and festivals, to sponsoring comedy shows, exhibitions, and film screenings, they hope to spread joy and build community—and inspire others to do the same. Przekrój is a thought-provoking magazine that focuses on big existential questions, well-being, philosophy, art, literature and the sciences. We help our readers foster a fuller, more conscious relationship with themselves and the world. Przekrój is independent and free of advertising.
Make Music Day
Held annually on June 21 to coincide with the summer solstice, Make Music Day is part of the international Fête de la Musique taking place in more than 2,000 cities around the world. The daylong, musical free-for-all celebrates music in all its forms, encouraging people to band together and play in free public concerts. In 2024, over 150 U.S. cities and the entire states of Connecticut, Hawaii, Missouri, North Carolina, Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin were organizing Make Music celebrations, encompassing thousands of music-making opportunities nationwide. Make Music Day is presented by The NAMM Foundation and coordinated by the nonprofit Make Music Alliance.
Michael Schachter
Michael Schachter is a composer, writer, and pianist based in Burlington, VT whose recent compositions have been performed at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, with the Grammy-winning choir Conspirare and the Miró Quartet. His music-theater piece, The Black Clown premiered with sold-out runs at Lincoln Center, where it was a New York Times Critic’s Pick.
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