In a first for the Queensland Cultural Centre, an artist-designed play sculpture in the form of an oversized 119 metre-long garden hose has been unveiled outside Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). The artwork alludes to Queensland’s domestic architecture, inhabiting GOMA’s 'front yard' and evoking breezy verandahs and subtropical gardens.
The Big Hose 2022–25, a collaborative creation of contemporary Australian artists Tony Albert (Brisbane, Girramay/ Yidinyji/ Kuku Yalanji peoples) and Nell (Sydney), sits on the banks of the Brisbane River at Kurilpa Point, a traditional meeting and trading place for the region’s Turrbal and Yaggera peoples. This artistic collaboration reveals nuanced layers of meaning through local histories of First Peoples, migration and art.
Building on decades of experience collaborating with artists on projects for its Children’s Art Centre, the Gallery has worked closely with Tony and Nell to develop this unique addition to the precinct, and the artists in turn consulted with traditional custodians of the site on which the sculpture sits. The artwork’s acknowledgment of the Indigenous history of Kurilpa is key, as is its commitment to children’s learning.
Event Details:
Dates: Now open - permanent exhibition
Location: Gallery of Modern Art, GOMA Bistro Lawn
Cost: FREE