Fairy Tale intrigue abounds in snow globes

The ‘Fairy Tales’ exhibition at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) until 28 April 2024 brings together a selection of 15 works from contemporary American and Spanish artists Walter Martin and Paloma Muñoz’s ongoing ‘Travelers’ series of snow globes, acquired for the Collection with the generous support of Tim Fairfax AC, each of which presents…

Horseman of the apocalypse

Sitting astride a black horse decorated with beading, crochet, skulls and flea-market finds, a red-turbaned figure stands at a crossroad of histories, cultures and materials. Ambassador 2 (illustrated), acquired with funds from Tim Fairfax AC, comes to the Gallery from celebrated British artist Hew Locke’s series of equestrian statues adorned with symbols of regality and…

Colourful names: Terrible function

The vast plume carefully drawn in Rainbow Herbicides 2018 (illustrated) by Thu Van Tran compiles details of volcanic eruptions, man-made explosions and photographs of clouds taken by the artist herself. The air here is thick and dangerous and marked with six lines of brightly coloured spray paint, reminiscent of a rainbow. Thu Van Tran ‘Rainbow…

30 000 butterflies & moths migrate to GOMA

Carlos Amorales’s Black Cloud 2007/2018 (illustrated) is a sublime and surreal gathering of 30 000 black paper butterflies and moths in sculptural formations. Alighting on the walls, ceiling, and light fittings, the flight of insects is both wondrous for its unexpected arrival in the Gallery and foreboding in how it darkens and crowds the space.…

Anthony McCall makes air visible

While air is often invisible and elusive, Anthony McCall’s light installation Crossing 2016 draws viewers’ attention to the volume of air held within a space. This dramatic ‘solid light’ sculpture makes air visible through shafts of light intersecting with smoke haze. Those entering McCall’s expansive light installation are met with a slow-shifting architecture of light:…