If you’re tired of contemplating the meaning of a single curved line or an arrangement of metal cubes, then the upcoming exhibition, Wonderstruck at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), may just offer the visual extravaganza you need.
This free exhibition, showcasing over 100 works, taps into the Gallery’s collection of large-scale sculptures, colourful paintings, immersive installations and playfully-deceptive artworks.
Wonderstruck co-curator Tamsin Cull (Head of Public Engagement, QAGOMA), introduces some artwork highlights. “Audiences will encounter works that transform familiar objects, such as Slovenian artist Tobias Putrih’s Connection 2004, which reconfigures humble cardboard boxes into a monumental arch, and Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s display of Neolithic pottery subversively dipped in brightly coloured paint.
”Patricia Piccinini and Ron Mueck’s hyperreal sculptures offer a window into the fragility of the human experience, inviting viewers to bring their own perspective to read the expressions of the woman in Mueck’s oversized In bed 2005, or the child perched precariously on a stack of chairs in Piccinini’s The Observer 2010,” says Cull.
At the heart of Wonderstruck is the invitation to play and be curious. This comes through in several interactive works that encourage visitors to contribute to the art, including Yayoi Kusama’s The Obliteration Room (2002-present) and Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan’s In flight (Project: Another country) (2009).
Rest assured there are also plenty of opportunities for respite and contemplation, such as Kwaia koromb (2012), a small spirit house by Papua New Guinea-based Kwoma Arts Collective, and Sandra Selig’s ethereal installation, mid-air (2003), comprising delicate white threads.
Read: QAGOMA curates major Olafur Eliasson survey exhibition in 2025
The exhibition will be accompanied by the free Wonderstruck Festival on 28-29 June, with hands-on workshops, talks, storytelling and live music.
Wonderstruck opens on 28 June and runs until 6 October at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art; free.
