video transcript

It looks like a daring mountain rescue --- but this helicopter is on a mission for art. Huge, colorful animal sculptures are joining skiers in the French Alps. The man behind the plastic creatures is artist Richard Orlinski. He says he was fascinated by the idea of taking his work out of museums and experimenting with a more accessible venue for contemporary art. SOUNDBITE: Richard Orlinski, contemporary artist, saying (French): "Instead of bringing people to the museum, it's the museum that comes to the people. So it's a pretty new concept that's really cool, because you can ski while also seeing works of art on the slopes." Orlinski says seeing his sculptures in the open gives them a life they don't have in a museum. And they're highly prized -- the French artist estimates that those on display are worth more than 120,000 euros or around 155,000 U.S. dollars. Orlinski's animals will be spending the winter at the Courchevel ski resort from December 8th to April 26th.