Can we get a hefty Amen for short weeks? Although a Wednesday public holiday definitely isn't ideal, it's nice to come back to work knowing there are only about 16 working hours left between you and freedom. From trailer trash pageants to beery good marriage equality parties, we've rounded up what's good to do on the August 17–20 weekend in Brisbane. more
Here at The Weekend Edition office, one of the quickest and easiest ways to capture our attention is with food. We love everything to do with it and how totally engaging it is – from the feeling of juice running down your chin after biting into a ripe strawberry to the sound bacon makes on a hotplate, the food experience is so much more than just what you taste. It turns out we aren’t the only ones who love to nerd out over what we’re eating – the Museum of Brisbane has got a whole darn exhibition dedicated to the good stuff. Running from August 18 to November 12, Tastes like Sunshine is an all-in sensory exploration of Brisbane’s rich and ever-evolving food story that is sure to get you salivating. more
Some things are just so quintessentially Queensland that it almost physically hurts. If someone is to mention the Big Pineapple, The Veronicas, XXXX Gold or Stefan’s Skyneedle, we undoubtedly feel a twang of pride deep within – that’s a seriously impressive legacy in anyone’s eyes for sure. Jokes aside, there is one thing that stands above all as being the cornerstone of our state’s rich culture – the Royal Queensland Show, or The Ekka as it's more affectionately known. This year sees the show celebrating its 140th edition, returning to its home at the Brisbane Showgrounds from August 11–20 to celebrate the best that our fair state has to offer across food, fashion and all things fun. more
The best things often take on a bit of an edge after dark – the lights dim, the music gets louder and the atmosphere changes completely. Things are just a little bit more exciting, you know? This is the premise of GOMA’s absolutely killer Up Late sessions, where night owls can gain exclusive access to world-class exhibitions with a side of live music and quality chat. The latest instalment sees the awesome Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe exhibition host six unique sessions across Friday nights starting from July 28, treating punters to some of the best live acts in the business. more
In the words of one Ferris Bueller, life moves pretty fast. We’re living in a time in history where we have so much access to information and the world around us, yet we are becoming increasingly disconnected. There seems to be precious little that can drag us away from our screens and into the moment – heck, how many times have you been ploughed into by someone who was text-walking? It really pays to take a moment to stop, look around and think – you might be surprised by what you see. This is the premise of a brand-new project from groundbreaking contemporary collective The Good Room, which sees Jacob’s Ladder and the Metro Arts laneway come alive with world-class art pop-ups that provide much more than just something awesome to look at. more
Any Brisbane local who is trying to impress someone from interstate or overseas will almost always bring up two things – the Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art. This writer is definitely guilty of humble-bragging to mates across the border about our world class, kickass cultural jewels (I am not sorry and I will never apologise). One of the key factors to QAGOMA’s success – apart from the amazing staff – is the Future Collective, a group of benevolent young guns that throw their financial support behind the galleries. Once a year they throw a party to end all parties in the name of raising dosh for art – prepare yourself for Future Collective Revel. more
Let’s face it – Mother Nature has copped a beating at the hands of her human inhabitants, particularly in modern times. A huge part of this problem is a lack of communication around the subject – sure, we know the bare bones of how to recycle but there’s a heck of a lot more that we could be doing. One of the best ways to illustrate the impact that our junk is having on the environment is by repurposing it into something beautiful (or functional), paving the way for a more sustainable future and a more open conversation. Salvage is Brisbane City Council’s annual recycling art exhibition, heading to the Judith Wright Centre from July 7 to August 19 to prove that with a little imagination you can turn one man’s trash into another man’s treasure. more
July is a great month for a lot of reasons – winter days full of crisp air and sunny skies, officially marking the halfway point of the year and of course, the Teneriffe Festival sets up shop. This social calendar highlight celebrates everything we know and love about one of Brisbane’s (technically) newest suburbs, bringing together delicious food, awesome entertainment and a wholesome sense of community. Mark your diary for Saturday July 1 because it’s going to be one delight of a day. more
There’s a reason that the phrase ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ is so universally recognised – the power of photography is undeniable. Returning for another year, the World Press Photo Exhibition is one of the biggest and best examples of this philosophy – the travelling showcase reveals to audiences some of the most iconic, controversial and intimate moments from the past year. The globetrotting event is coming to the Brisbane Powerhouse from June 30 to July 23, ready to stun and delight. more
Everyone loves a good superhero, and nowhere else knows how to craft one quite like Marvel. The iconic company has been gifting us with some of the most bold, brave and badass characters for more than 70 years now, growing a fictional universe that has captivated people the world over. Delving into the connections of all of these famous friends and foes is Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe, a massive exhibition that has landed exclusively at the Gallery of Modern Art. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or your knowledge of comic books spans about as far as Aqua’s smash hit ‘Cartoon Heroes’, this exhibition will blow you away. more
Whether you love them or hate them, there’s no denying that we are living in the age of the selfie. It’s easy to forget that back in the day you couldn’t just snap a photo of your mug at any given time – portraits took time, thought and a lot more care than the mere click of a button. Sit. Pose. Snap. is an exhibition taking over the Museum of Brisbane from Friday March 24 to give us an inside look at the history of portrait photography in Brisbane, from haunting studio sessions to kitschy candid captures. more
Great art is both timeless and unifying – in what other industry will you find work from three different people who have never met that manages to stand individually but still seem intrinsically linked? North American artist Georgia O’Keeffe and Australians Margaret Preston and Grace Cossington Smith lived separate lives but were united by their love of the Modernism genre, creating beautiful pieces that continue to captivate those who come across them. O'Keeffe, Preston, Cossington Smith: Making Modernism is a groundbreaking exhibition landing at the Queensland Art Gallery on Saturday March 11, uniting these three powerful painters under one welcoming roof. more
Ask anyone about the street art scene in Australia and they will generally be quick to point a finger at Melbourne as our country’s capital of cool. This, my friends, is incorrect. The old River City is making a name for itself as a culture hub, thanks in large part to the maverick renegades who are dedicated to reducing the stigma behind street art. The Brisbane Street Arts Festival is a big part of this worthy cause, returning in 2017 to quite literally paint the town for a month-long stint that reaches out across the suburbs. more
A certain special Brisbane icon has recently ticked over into the double digits – the Gallery of Modern Art has been making our fair city exponentially cooler for a decade now, and this particular birthday is the gift that keeps on giving. Adding to the already impressive list of things the gallery has done to celebrate, the GOMA Turns 10 Summer Festival will be taking over GOMA from January 18–22 in an explosion of colour, education and entertainment. more
We don’t know if you’ve heard yet, but come December a certain beloved art institution is celebrating a decade of making Brisbane beautiful. As part of GOMA’s tenth birthday celebrations, the iconic gallery is putting on a serious spread of amazing free exhibitions for everyone to enjoy. One such sensory delight is Sugar Spin: you, me, art and everything – opening on December 3, this is one visual and interactive delight that will give you a serious rush (no candy required). more
Science is golden, folks, and anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong. How the heck else are we supposed to figure out the secrets of the universe? The Large Hadron Collider – a particle accelerator that’s buried deep beneath the border of Switzerland and France – has been responsible for some pretty amazing discoveries in the science world, and until now us Aussies couldn’t get a proper look at the mammoth structure. Hadron Collider: step inside the world’s greatest experiment is an award-winning exhibition coming to the Queensland Museum from December 9, 2016 to April 25, 2017 inviting us to step inside a world of history-making madness. more
Celebrating a decade of operation is a pretty big deal for most places – you might grab a cake, pop some bottles and invite a few of your nearest and dearest around to herald the milestone, right? Well, the Gallery of Modern Art is doing things a little differently – Saturday December 3 marks ten glorious years of the internationally acclaimed space making Brisbane all the more beautiful, and it’s coming in hot with the festivities. From eye-popping exhibitions to dancing horses, there are celebrations aplenty as GOMA Turns 10. more
It’s amazing how much you can learn about the people around you when you take the time to ask. No. 1 Neighbour is coming to the Queensland Art Gallery from October 15 to showcase fifty years of contemporary visual art from our friends to the north in Papua New Guinea. more
Gender is a funny old thing, and now more than ever it seems to be at the forefront of a lot of socially conscious discussion. At UNBUTTONED // A Festival of Gender, Art and You, the title really explains a lot – it’s a four day program running from September 15–18 at Metro Arts that is crammed full of exciting and inclusive events for everybody (and every damn body). more
It’s been a mammoth year for Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), as 2016 sees the creative dynamo celebrate its tenth birthday in style. A World View: The Tim Fairfax Gift anchors the program of major exhibitions curated to commemorate the milestone, bringing major works by leading international artists into Queensland's Collection for everyone to appreciate. more