FIFA World Cup Fan Zone art installation gives inflatable tube men a 2nd act in Atlanta

They usually spend their days flailing outside car washes, tire shops and grand openings, competing for attention and dollars along busy roads.

But in downtown Atlanta's FIFA World Cup Fan Zone, a collection of eleven inflatable tube men has been transformed into something else entirely:  public art.

The installation, called Air Dance, is the latest project commissioned by Downtown Atlanta Inc., which uses public art to activate shared spaces and encourage people to experience the city in new ways.

"We see them every day," said project manager Nina Dolgin. "But every time people see one, even if it's advertising a car wash or a dealership, it sparks joy."

The towering inflatables have quickly become one of the more unexpected attractions in the Fan Zone, drawing curious looks, photos and plenty of smiles from visitors gathering ahead of FIFA World Cup festivities in Atlanta.

What many spectators may not realize is that the familiar air dancers have roots in both art and Atlanta history.

The inflatable figures were first introduced to American audiences during the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. They were designed by renowned Trinidadian artist Peter Minshall, who originally created them as part of Caribbean Carnival celebrations before adapting them for the Olympic stage.

Today, the concept has been reimagined by local artists, each of whom designed one of the inflatables now dancing in the Fan Zone.

Among them is a piece by Atlanta artist Killamari, inspired by Cambodian dance traditions.

Behind the scenes, the inflatables occupy a modest patch of grass tucked away near the Fan Zone. Once powered on, however, they become impossible to ignore — swaying, twisting and collapsing before springing back to life moments later.

For Dolgin, that's exactly the point.

"I think it's just total joy that spills out of these guys and spills out of the people watching them," she said. "It makes people want to stand up with them and start moving and flailing."

As Atlanta prepares to welcome visitors from around the world, Air Dance offers a reminder that not every World Cup attraction involves a soccer ball.

Sometimes, all it takes is a little wind, a lot of color and eleven inflatable dancers determined to keep the celebration going.