CURIOCITY BRISBANE Opens Today

Curiocity Brisbane will transform the city's cultural heart from 24 June to 10 July.

By: Jun. 24, 2022
Enter Your Email to Unlock This Article

Plus, get the best of BroadwayWorld delivered to your inbox, and unlimited access to our editorial content across the globe.




Existing user? Just click login.

CURIOCITY BRISBANE Opens Today

Today marks the first of 17 colourful days of Curiocity Brisbane featuring outdoor artworks, interactive installations, conversations and workshops by world-class artists for visitors to explore during Brisbane's winter holidays.

A key pillar of World Science Festival Brisbane, Curiocity Brisbane will transform the city's cultural heart from 24 June to 10 July with 20 large scale artworks across South Bank Parklands, the Cultural Precinct, Brisbane Botanic Gardens and the CBD over an exhilarating five-kilometre trail.

Acclaimed artists from across Australia created these artworks blending science, innovation and art in exciting and thought-provoking ways to encourage visitors to consider some of the most pressing issues facing our planet, future, and society.

Queenslander's Georgie Pinn's seven-metre-tall sculptural head OHCE/ECHO poses the question of whether machines can teach us to be better humans and EphemerLab's augmented reality trail of CurioCreatures asks what the wildlife of Brisbane will look like in thousands of years.

Carol McGregor's Acknowledging Place creates a space to sit and reflect, considering an Aboriginal perspective of caring for Country.

Other Curiocity Brisbane artworks include collaborations between sound artists, lecturers, engineers, interface designers, a First Nations Poet, herpetologist, climate change social scientist and more.

Through the Curiocity Schools Challenge, six Queensland schools have also contributed to the Curiocity Brisbane 2022 program including Boonah State High School, MacGregor State High School, Isis District State High School, Lota State School, Blackall Range Independent School and Dalby South School who have created their own installations or collaborated with Curiocity Brisbane artists.

Curiocity Brisbane is proudly presented by Queensland Museum Network as part of World Science Festival Brisbane and was rescheduled after flooding events impacted its planned delivery in March this year.

Queensland Museum Network CEO Dr Jim Thompson said he was looking forward to seeing visitors inspired by science beyond the walls of Queensland Museum.

"Queensland Museum Network's core purpose is to connect with communities and tell stories that inspire, enrich and empower," Dr Thompson said.

"We do this every day in our network of museums across Queensland, including Queensland Museum at South Bank. It's fantastic to see that connection and inspiration come to life through the Curiocity artworks in Brisbane's great outdoors."

Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said Curiocity Brisbane was a new feature of World Science Festival Brisbane.

"Curiocity weaves science, innovation and art together in way that invites visitors of all ages and levels of scientific or artistic know-how to explore the unique artworks," Minister Enoch said.

"These artistic curiocities, created by a diverse collection of imaginative minds, will provide plenty of hands-on elements, engagement and opportunities to meet with selected artists.

"The Queensland Government supports Curiocity Brisbane as part of our commitment to connect Queenslanders with art and science.

"Events like Curiocity help to grow our state's reputation as a leader in delivering exciting events, growing employment opportunities for artists and arts workers and boosting cultural tourism."

Brisbane artist, academic and Curiocity Brisbane Curator Jay Younger said that today's opening day was highly anticipated by the artists who were eager to see their artworks on display for the public to start exploring.

"Seeing the installations come to fruition on site across South Bank and the CBD has been so rewarding for the artists, particularly after the original Curiocity Brisbane event was postponed in March this year due to flooding," Jay Younger said.

"The artists have been working on these concepts and installations for at least 9 months and for some this is the largest engagement with the public to date. Bringing the artworks out into the public realm is the ultimate reward.

"The feedback, questions and reactions from Curiocity Brisbane visitors is what makes the event truly thrive."

Tourism and Innovation Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said winter in Brisbane and Curiocity were a perfect visitor combination.

"Curiocity's creative mix of art and science and Brisbane's warm winter weather are always popular with visitors from across Queensland and Australia," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"Last year, Curiocity contributed more than $3.65 million to Brisbane's visitor economy which is great news for accommodation providers, restaurants, cafés and the city's world-class tourist operators.

"It's terrific to see Curiocity continue to grow as one of the Queensland capital's premier visitor events."

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Curiocity Brisbane was a perfect opportunity to explore some of the inner city's renowned locations with the kids, given the event coincided with school holidays.

"With artworks popping up in spots like South Bank's Streets Beach and the Cultural Precinct, Curiocity Brisbane is a great excuse to get outdoors and experience some of the best of Brisbane during these winter months," Cr Schrinner said.

"From our riverside hubs to lesser-known laneways, visitors and locals can also enjoy the city's restaurants, cafés and bars along the way.

"This celebration of science and art also reflects Brisbane's reputation as a thriving innovation hub and contemporary city, offering vibrant cultural experiences like this to visitors and locals alike."

Keep up to date with Curiocity Brisbane news and World Science Festival Brisbane program information by subscribing for updates at worldsciencefestival.com.au



Videos