If you’re shy on time but big on art and culture, Varsha Anjali knows exactly where to find Brisbane’s best galleries, museums and more.
The sun shines bright in Brisbane. In all its aluminium and textiled glory. And I only had to walk a short distance to find it.
It loomed in the corner of the room at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA). Its monochromatic light made the white walls warm orange and my brown skin grey. Some lay underneath the sun. Others froze with big eyes. There is no need to squint to look this time. You cannot turn away this time. It is goliath and frightening. The Earth is already heating up.
This is the striking title work of renowned Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, anchored in Presence, an exclusive major exhibition in Brisbane that ends on July 12. This was also my first stop on a whirlwind 24-hour delve into the city. My reset was marked.
Brisbane held only one purpose for me: to feel. Why? Because, in this attention economy, being vulnerable is hard. I want to be here. But sometimes, I am over there. Here’s the other thing: I’m lazy. As a lazy person, I want the things I need to be exactly where I am. This makes Brisbane City a gift - it only took me 14 minutes to walk to GOMA from my hotel in North Quay, the 5-star W Brisbane.
“This exhibition rewards curiosity, slowing down, taking our time,” the head of international art, Geraldine Kirrihi Barlow (Ngāpuhi: Te Hikutu and Ngāti Rangi), said. Yes, I thought. Take me and repair me. “As we explore the artworks, we are sparked to ask: ‘What am I seeing?’ What we first see, or sense, will change.”
In another room, there was a flowing river. I’m talking a real stream, real water. To see it, I traversed along a wonky bed of water-rounded stones contained by sterile lights and clinical walls. I chose my own path to walk.
Riverbed (2014) was imagined out of Eliasson’s memories of meltwater streams in Icelandic landscapes. I’ve never been to Iceland, but it felt familiar. This scene, barren yet alive - I knew it. It could easily be somewhere high up in New Zealand’s Tongariro National Park. It could have easily been my memories. My home.
Though it’s not all quiet at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art. There is excitement, too. The gallery recently announced that legendary puppeteer Jim Henson’s world of magic will be at the gallery as part of the exclusive Make, Believe, Magic: The Worlds of The Jim Henson Company exhibition from September 12 until April 2027.
If the name of the game is to feel, then there’s probably no better way than conjuring up my childhood heroes. I’m from the Sesame Street era, and a Labyrinth movie fan. Seeing these joyous and weird characters, as well as those from Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal and Muppets come to life will be undoubtedly cool.
“The exhibition will be the definitive look into the craftsmanship and creativity shown across The Jim Henson Company’s many television, film and stage productions,” exhibition curator Amanda Slack-Smith said.
“It will feature hundreds of objects, from practical puppets and animatronic creatures to sets, props, costumes, original drawings and moving image clips.
“Across GOMA’s entire ground floor, Make, Believe, Magic will explore the craftmanship of The Jim Henson Company’s creatures, the art of their performance, and new directions for puppetry supported by digital technology."
A short walk away is the new $217 million Glasshouse Theatre at Queensland’s Performing Arts Centre (QPAC). There are 1500 seats. None of them are bad.
Designed by Blight Rayner Architecture in collaboration with Snøhetta, the aesthetics are extraordinary. From the ripple glass doors and exceptionally spacious women’s toilets to the multiple theatres, there is not a single line of ugly. It is all intimate.
And it had to be - achieving intimacy was part of the brief, QPAC’s executive director for venue infrastructure and production services, Bill Jessop, confirmed.
He added that Brisbane didn’t have a main rehearsal space for major theatre and opera.
“Even Sydney and Melbourne have challenges, but that’s how Melbourne and Sydney get the first big shows,” Jessop said. “Now we will be a sought-after competitor because we’ve got the space.”
The Glasshouse Theatre, which begins its opening season towards the end of March, will expect around 300,000 visitors annually once fully operational.
Around the corner in the Playhouse theatre, I decided to see the matinee performance of The Great Gatsby by the Brisbane-based Shake & Stir Theatre Co & Queensland Theatre Company.
I’ve never read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book, which the 2.5-hour-long production was adapted from. Nor had I seen the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio. But I am convinced it did not matter.
Shake & Stir Theatre Co was unforgettable. The staging was slick. The choreography was fun. And the main character, Nick Carraway (Ryan Hodson), stole the show. My only regret was having to leave before I could see more of them.
Later in the evening, I went to the Stilts restaurant on Kangaroo Point Bridge without a date and felt bad. For if there was any spot to share with a special someone, it is surely here. You eat the most lavish food on Maiwar or the Brisbane River, beside the city skyline and under the moon.
I started with freshly shucked natural oysters sourced from Tasmania, grilled carrots and potatoes. The main, a lamb rack with spiced fioretta, pomegranate, black garlic and jus, was elegant and beautiful. I probably didn’t need the dark chocolate mousse for dessert, but it was heaven in the mouth.
A visit to The Bathhouse Albion, which also has a branch in Queenstown, was the correct way to end hours of feasting on luxury and art. For one hour, I moved between the hot pool, sauna and red light room. There’s a neutral room where you can take a breather and drink tea or water. I admit, I was too precious for the cold plunge. Though I was not too precious to have quiet time, apparently. Tip: Avoid peak times when the gossip girls come out.
It was brief, but I think I did feel you, Brisbane. You were exciting, cultured and beautiful, far better than the vacation I went on before you. I’ll be back to get spoiled in your galleries and theatres again.
Varsha Anjali is a journalist in the lifestyle team at the Herald. She is based in Auckland.
The journalist was a guest of Tourism and Events Queensland.