Art floats away from Australian festival

SYDNEY - Australian arts festival organizers said on Monday they were devastated that a huge helium-filled sculpture had to be taken down after parts of it floated away soon after it was unveiled.

Argentinian artist Tomas Saraceno's Cloud City - described as a balloon-like, floating sculpture depicting a cloud formation - was 18 months in the planning before its debut at the Perth International Arts Festival.

But just hours after it was inflated on Saturday in a park in the center of the western Australian capital, parts of the transparent artwork were carried away by gusts of wind, even though it was anchored to the ground.