Red Alert

“Oh, my! What’s that red ball doing wedged under that bridge?” one spectator will certainly ask. That might be answered with, “It’s not just any large, rubber sphere, but a whimsical Po-Mo mobile installation art sculpture.”

Guaranteed to mess with a viewer’s sense of scale, RedBall is a 15-foot-diameter, 200-pound inflatable, uh, red ball. New York artist Kurt Perschke has lugged his giant construct around the globe, from Sydney and Barcelona to Korea to Portland, Oregon. To some, the work may beg the typical “my 2-year-old could do that” art-critic summary. Yeah, so? Lighten up a little. What’s not to love about a ginormous red ball? Plus, the installation has the added bounce of being both movable and temporary.

On Friday, January 18, Perschke will be on hand for the initial lob of RedBall at the Trolley Bridge before the incongruous orb volleys to 10 different Scottsdale sites through February 1. You can get into the spirit of the playful project by roaming the city during its two-week run. Here’s a hint in case you do: It’s a big, red ball.