There's a giant, benippled flying Sky Whale in Galway this week

Yes, those are nipples.

The Galway International Arts Festival kicks off this week, running from July 13–26, with a range of art, music and cinema.

And the Skywhale.

There's something about the Skywhale hot air balloon, but I just can't put my finger on it.... pic.twitter.com/M1JVWhdgjH

— Declan Lee (@DeclanLeePR) July 12, 2015

Skywhale is a giant, 34-metre 34 metres (112 ft) high, 23-metre (75 ft) long balloon shaped like, er, a sky whale.

The product of artist Patricia Piccinini, whose other works are also on display during the festival, it's a vision of what a whale might be like if it went down a different evolutionary path.

Is SkyWhale is a Trojan Horse for intruders from @galway2020 rivals. I've a feelin' Brian Cody is inside. pic.twitter.com/xdWj5Ab7Pn

— Declan Varley (@declanvarley) July 12, 2015

And yes, those are actually nipples. The artist said that for such a creature to fly, "in the place of wings she imagined huge udders that might contain the [lighter-than-air] gas".

Surely the ultimate nip slip? SkyWhale's wardrobe malfunction. @galway2020 pic.twitter.com/r75E82mLMP

— Declan Varley (@declanvarley) July 12, 2015

Originally build as part of the centenary celebrations for the city of Canberra, at a cost of more than AUS $150,000. At the time, the city's chief minister told local media her eyes "nearly fell out of her head" when she first saw the designs - but she came around.

Skywhale will be hanging out on the President's Lawn, Galway, today. If the weather improves, it's scheduled to go on some flights over Galway - an eye-popping sight from below, we're sure.

It can carry two passengers up to 3,000 feet (910 m), but it will only make a handful of flights – so it's not open to everyone.

Here's hoping the rain lets up. Free the Skywhale.

The artist's other work will also be on display in an exhibition titled 'Relativity', and promises the same surrealism as Skywhale. Well worth checking out.

— The Galway International Arts Festival runs until July 26. Details of Skywhale and its other exhibitions can be found on the festival's website.