THERE'S a giant inflatable melanoma sitting on Bondi Beach right now as part of the annual Sculpture by the Sea event this weekend.
The three-metre-high by 20-metre-wide sculpture was developed by advertising creative Andrew Hankin, who also founded Skin Check Champions to raise awareness of skin cancer after a close friend died from the disease.
Interestingly, the melanoma will actually change colour, shape and size throughout the duration of the exhibition.
"We almost want people to not recognise that it's changed at first," Hankin explained to The Guardian.
"We want people to feel like, 'oh wow, that changed in front of my eyes, and I didn't really realise it'...because that almost feels like how you would recognise a melanoma on your own skin."
Skin Check Champions provide free early detection services and educates Australians about the dangers of skin cancer.
The organisation will be offering free skin checks for people viewing the sculpture until 04 Nov.
After that, it will take up a 10-day residency at the Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club, where it aims to screen about 2,000 people.
The costs of both creating the sculpture and staging the mass skin check events are being jointly funded by La Roche-Posay and pharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb.
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