The Gold Coast Triennial launched at Home of the Arts (HOTA) in 2021, aiming to represent the depth and dynamism of the city’s artistic community. Three years on from the inaugural exhibition, Solid Gold: Artists from Paradise, the Triennial returns for round two with Here and Now.
“It really takes the temperature of the cultural sector of the Gold Coast at the moment” says Susi Muddiman OAM, director of gallery and visual arts at HOTA. “There are a lot of younger artists, their ideas and personal histories are quite contemporary, and reflect what’s happening in the world right now. We wanted to capture that in the title—it’s work that’s created now but it’s also about now.”
The exhibition has grown from 19 participating artists in Solid Gold to 42 in Here and Now—including Larissa Warren, Kathy Mackey, Llewellyn Skye, Shaun Daniel Allen (Shal), Meg Jeffery and Sebastian Moody—with six creating new commissions. Through seven interconnected spaces and a central salon-style display, the works range from installation, sculpture, ceramics, painting, printmaking and video. “It lends itself to a really engaging format for visitors. The artworks radiate off from the central location, and you can dip in and out of the artist’s sections.”
A range of events are programmed to run alongside—and complement—the exhibition, from cocktails with curators, panel discussions, ‘Artist in Conversation’ dinners from the culinary arts team, and ArtLab workshops that enable visitors to create and take home their own works that respond to the exhibition. “I think people will be surprised by what’s being produced,” says Muddiman. “We’re not a huge city, but there’s a lot to choose from.”
Here and Now: Gold Coast Triennial
HOTA
On now—16 February 2025
This article was originally published in the November/December 2024 print issue of Art Guide Australia.
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