Brisbane's must-see art exhibitions
Brisbane’s art scene is on fire, offering a year-round calendar of big exhibitions at the major galleries, and smaller niche ones at the boutique art spots around town. Whether you’re looking to reflect and browse through the work of an established local artist, or be inspired by some of the cutting-edge international contemporary art, have a read below to find out what’s on right now.
Permanent
At dusk, the Gallery of Modern Art turns into a captivating light installation that illuminates the Brisbane night sky along the bank of the Brisbane River. Commissioned in 2017 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Gallery of Modern Art, James Turrell’s Night Life 2018 ignites different coloured panels that compliment the architectural design of the gallery from within the building. Running from sunset to midnight everyday, these blocks of light challenge the viewer and play with perception, engaging the inquisitive mind to examine how we are affected by light. We recommend taking in this installation after work, wander down and have a picnic dinner, listen to some tunes and enjoy bathing in the glow.
Permanent
The Queensland Art Gallery has spent over 120 years establishing and building the Australian Art Collection. This collection is comprised of local and indigenous artists from different time periods and cultures that specifically focus on themes of geography, country and identity. These key pieces explore the artists environment while revealing a network of connections to their stories of traversal and encounter, of immigration, colonisation and the expatriate experience.
Permanent
This exhibition showcases work from Albert Namatjira a Western Arrernete-speaking artist from the MacDonnell Ranges, west of Alice Springs in Central Australia. A pioneer of contemporary Indigenous Australian art in the 1950's, Namatjira landscape painting style is different from traditional Aboriginal art. He adopts bold colours and approaches his landscapes with a western-style. Hanging alongside his works in this exhibition are the paintings by those he influenced, creating a strong narrative of his work and story as an artist.
Permanent
From the influence of Japanese art on French Modernism to the representation of daily life, the display explores rich dialogues across time and between cultures, punctuated with contemporary works that engage with these themes and histories.
The walls of the Powerhouse throughout the year become a gallery space for artwork from local and international artists. A calendar highlight out of the rotating body of work is the World Press Photo Exhibition held annually. This exhibit showcases the world’s most compelling, controversial and intimate moments, as captured by award-winning photojournalists, press photographers, and documentary photographers from 125 countries, submitting 73,044 images.
Until 19 April 2020 | Free
This exhibition celebrates Queensland languages delving into the complex cultural history of the survival and revival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island languages. In Queensland, over 125 languages were once spoken and now only 50 remain. Come and be inspired by the work of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities who tell their own language stories through art, song and creativity.
Until 4 May 2020
Be amazed by what our arachnid friends get up to at this Queensland Museum exhibition, with 12 live spider species and 200 spider specimens.
30 August - 19 April
Love music? High Rotation delves into the songs, stories and images of Brisbane's killer music scene exploring everything from the fans through to producers and labels. Follow the journey of some of Brisbane's most successful and influential musicians and experience what makes their music so popular and unique. Don't fret and play this one by ear, make sure you check it out before it closes in April 2020.
The Stroytellers
Starts 4 May 2020
Walking through Brisbane's sunlit streets, have you ever wondered at the history of your surrounds? Who used to walk the same streets as you? Uncover Brisbane’s histories, myths and tales as told by the storytellers of our city.
7 May - 9 July
This exhibition celebrates the stories of regeneration and continuation of important cultural traditions, and the strong women and vital water places that sustain them from Aboriginal and Torress Straight Island communities. This collection curates the work and fibre practices of artists from Yuwaalaraay (North West NSW), Quandamooka (Moreton Bay, South East QLD), Kuku Yalanji (Far North QLD), Zenadh Kes (Torres Strait Islands, QLD), Yurruwi (Milingimbi Island, NT), and surrounding homelands.
This gallery showcases a selection of Australia's leading Aboriginal and contemporary artists work. With a new exhibition every month, you will be able to visit again and again and discover the amazing talent the Australian art-world has on offer. Check out the 2019 exhibition calendar here.
2 - 17 May 2020| Artwork up all year | Free
Over the past three years Brisbane Street Art Festival has connected hundreds of multidisciplinary artists, showcasing the work of local, national and international street artists.
For more art exhibitions across Brisbane, use our events calendar to see what else is on.
Until 28 October 2018 | Free
Back in 1824 life was unrelentingly harsh for the 3,000 men and women imprisoned as convicts here until the penal colony’s closure in 1839. This also irrevocably changed the life of the Aboriginal peoples on whose Country the colony was built. This exhibition offers a rare chance to view some of the few remaining official documents from the Brisbane penal colony.
Until 30 June 2019 | Free
We are pulling back the layers of our city, going beneath the surface of high rises and the jacaranda trees to discover the very real heart of Brisbane’s story. You. Me. And everyone in between. This landmark exhibition also invites you to have your say and contribute to this incredible self-portrait of the city. 100% Brisbane will not only change the way you think about museums, it will change the way you think about Brisbane.
Coming soon
23 November 2018 - 22 April 2019
Australia’s fashion storytellers, Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson, took a unique approach to fashion, referencing art, travel, film, literature, music and emotions to design and craft a bold aesthetic withdaring patterns, innovative materials, meticulous techniques and a sustainable ethos. For the first major exhibition from the Easton Pearson Archive (donated in 2017 by Dr Paul Eliadis, a Brisbane-based philanthropist and arts patron), Museum of Brisbane asked Pam and Lydia to select the designs they felt highlighted the greatest innovations of their design practice and to share the stories behind the evolution of each garment. Expect to see the garments displayed on more than 60 forms along with lookbooks, sketches and more.
Make the most of your day
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Tip-top tapas in Brisbane
Gather your friends and head to one of Brisbane's best tapas joints – with small share plates covering every cuisine from the typical Spanish to Japanese, Lebanese and even American.
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Hunt down the best brunch
Each weekend Brisbanites can be found lining the footpaths for this ritual. Brunch is the most important meal in Brisbane.
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Brisbane's hip laneways
Wander down a labyrinth of intimate spaces to discover captivating cafes, boutique bars, hidden secrets and rare finds – let Brisbane’s laneways surprise you.
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Tip-top tapas in Brisbane
Gather your friends and head to one of Brisbane's best tapas joints – with small share plates covering every cuisine from the typical Spanish to Japanese, Lebanese and even American.
-
Hunt down the best brunch
Each weekend Brisbanites can be found lining the footpaths for this ritual. Brunch is the most important meal in Brisbane.
-
Brisbane's hip laneways
Wander down a labyrinth of intimate spaces to discover captivating cafes, boutique bars, hidden secrets and rare finds – let Brisbane’s laneways surprise you.
