Cai Guo-Qiang & California Design at Brisbane's GoMA • The Wanderbug

The Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) in Brisbane is the most visited art gallery in Australia for a reason. Every major exhibition held there goes the extra mile to stun audiences into thinking a little deeper. In my opinion, since it’s opening in 2006 it’s also encouraged the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) next door to lift its game. It’s situated in the heart of the Queensland‘s Cultural Centre in South Bank, near the State Library (where I’ve had fun digging up Airlie Beach newspaper archives for work), the Queensland Museum, the Science Centre and the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.

If you visit now, you can catch two fabulous exhibitions basically for the price of one. Cai Guo-Quiang’s highly anticipated Falling Back to Earth exhibition is on at GoMA until May 11 and next door at the QAG is hosting California Design 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way until 9 February. For two students, you can buy entry to both exhibitions for $32 – approximately $8 per person per exhibition – not a bad deal!

Cai Guo-Qiang Falling Back to Earth

GoMA until 11 May 2014

Cai Guo-Qiang draws much of his inspiration from Queensland, which sits under the surface of one of the most-photographed installations. On soft white sand, 99 African animals drink from a crystal blue watering hole. Inspired by Stradbroke Island, no less!

I love this installation of 99 wolves running in a pack, leaping into the air and then crashing into a glass wall. They pick themselves up and slink back to the end of the queue to try again. He says it represents the way in which humans can take blind leaps of faith when under the spell of a particular ideology, and often they will not see the barrier that will cause them to crash down. Yet, they pick themselves up and try again.

California Design 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way

QAG until 9 February 2014 (Quick!)

I loved this exhibition for the fantastic, retro furniture, fashion and homewares. It was so interesting to learn about the rise of California’s style influence, as new technologies and methods of mass production of certain materials were translated into objects for the home, and peace time, after the war. Check out the Oscar, display living room, Americana bathing suit and the silver van which looks like it belongs in outer space.