World Expo '88 Public Art Trail

Artist: Greg Johns

Suburb: Brisbane City

Location: Roma Street Parklands, situated near the College Close car park

Forged from corten steel, Continuous Division is now located at Roma Street Parklands.

Artist: Arnaldo Pomodoro

Suburb: Brisbane City

Location: Edward Street

Forme del Mito by internationally renowned Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro tells the tragic story of Agamemnon from Ancient Greece. Fabricated in cast bronze each piece has its own identity. 'The Prophet' Cassandra, 'The Machine' Aegisthus, 'Ambition' Clytemnestra and 'Power' Agamemnon King of Mycenae.

This artwork has recently been restored, as part of Council's restorations and relocation works for the 30th anniversary.

Artist: Baile Oakes

Suburb: Brisbane City

Location: Queen Street Mall

Gestation is the first work in a series of monumental sculptures created by American artist Baile Oakes. Commissioned for World Expo '88, the artwork was created in Seattle and flown to Brisbane, where it has remained since. The sculpture’s spiral form symbolizes the cyclical, balanced nature of the world that nurtures and evolves all life.

This artwork has recently been restored, as part of Council's artwork restoration and relocations works for the 30th anniversary.

Artist: Robert J. Morris

Suburb: Brisbane City

Location: King Edward Park

Juxtaposition 1 artist Robert J Morris exhibited an artwork from the same sculptural series entitled Rainforest on the World Expo '88 site. Best known for his abstract painting, Morris also created sculptural work and jewellery. His work is held in several collection across Australia, including the University of Queensland Art Museum Collection.

Artist: Fumio Nishimura

Suburb: Brisbane City

Location: King Edward Park, Wickham Terrace

Memories of Wind was one of four sculptures exhibited at World Expo '88 by Japanese artist, Fumio Nishimura.

Soft lines of a female figure emerge from the sculpture's abstract granite forms. The figure resists time’s effects, as Nishimura contrasts memory’s fleeting nature with stone’s enduring permanence.

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Artist: Gidon Graetz

Suburb: Brisbane City

Location: Brisbane Arcade, Queen Street Mall

This optical illusion is another popular piece from World Expo '88. Fabricated in stainless steel the piece looks different from every angle. Notoriously difficult to photograph, Mirage is now located in Brisbane Arcade.

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Artist: Jon Barlow Hudson

Suburb: Brisbane City

Location: City Botanic Gardens, close to entrance to QUT

In 1988, acclaimed American sculptor, Jon Barlow Hudson, was commissioned to create Morning Star II for World Expo '88. The colossal sculpture was originally installed at the centre of the expo site within 'Times Square'.

Barlow Hudson harnesses the technologies of mirrored steel to integrate and reflect the environment the sculpture is situated within.

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Artist: Robert Juniper

Suburb: Brisbane City

Location: City Botanic Gardens, Bunya Walk

Throughout his career, Juniper created a number of 'plant form' sculptures - the forms are derived from his semi-abstract landscape paintings. Originally from Western Australia, Juniper interpreted Australian fauna through abstract rendering of oversized steel planes.

Plant Form was loaned by the artist for World Expo '88 and later purchased by Brisbane City Council.

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Artist: Artbusters

Suburb: Brisbane City

Location: Brisbane Square Library, Level 2, 266 George Street (river wall display)

After commissioning nearly 80 life-size Human Factor artworks, Artbusters created this small-scale sculpture and gifted it to the city. The sculpture depicts a saluting Scout, a pose which has also been captured in the cast-from-life sculpture Be Prepared.

Artist: Artbusters

Suburb: Brisbane City

Location: King George Square deck

The Human Factor series was created by Brisbane's Artbusters in the late 1980s. The first iterations of this iconic series were installed throughout the World Expo '88 site. The figure was re-imagined and re-cast for World Expo '88’s 30th anniversary, evoking the spirit of the original celebration.

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Artist: Artbusters

Suburb: Brisbane City

Location: King George Square Car Park entry, Adelaide Street

The Human Factor series was created by Brisbane's Artbusters in the late 1980s. The first iterations of this iconic series were installed throughout the World Expo '88 site. The figure was re-imagined and re-cast for Expo '88’s 30th anniversary, reflecting the spirit of the original celebration.

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Suburb: Brisbane City

Location: Museum of Brisbane

This commemorative stone includes elements from Jon Barlow Hudson’s Morning Star II, once installed at Expo '88’s central ‘Times Square.’ The complete sculpture is now residing in the City Botanic Gardens.

Artist: Artbusters

Suburb: Bowen Hills

Location: RNA Showgrounds, 631 Gregory Terrace

Commissioned for World Expo '88, the Human Factor series was a recognisable, appealing and somewhat whimsical depictions of Australian life. Cast from life, the almost 80 figures acted to unify the site in an ever-changing streetscape of entertainers.

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Suburb: Fortitude Valley

Location: Beirne Lane, TC Beirne & Co, 321 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley

The Carol Lloyd Memorial was installed at the TC Beirne and Co building in Fortitude Valley. It sits along the laneway connecting Brunswick Street Mall and 30 Duncan Street. The memorial shares a short history of Carol Lloyd and her role in Brisbane’s live music scene. Carol co-wrote the iconic 'Together, We'll Show the World' theme song for World Expo '88.

Artist: Artbusters

Suburb: Kangaroo Point

Location: 200 River Terrace

Commissioned for World Expo '88, the Human Factor series was a recognisable, appealing and somewhat whimsical depictions of Australian life. Cast from life, the almost 80  figures acted to unify the site in an ever-changing streetscape of entertainers.

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Artist: Peter D Cole

Suburb: Kangaroo Point

Location: Kangaroo Point Cliffs Boardwalk, Lower River Terrace

The Man and Matter series consists of 12 steel sculptures installed along the Kangaroo Point Cliffs Boardwalk. Originally, these sculptures were commissioned for the riverside promenade of Brisbane's World Expo '88.

Cole references the World Expo '88 theme, ‘Leisure in the Age of Technology.’ He explores human-technology relationships using simple visual symbols and challenges traditional sculptural limitations.

The iconic red figures honor World Expo '88 and symbolize Brisbane’s progress into the 21st century.

This artwork has recently been restored, as part of Council's artwork restoration and relocations works for the 30th anniversary.

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Artist: Stephen Killick

Suburb: Kangaroo Point

Location: Captain Burke Park

Originally near the Australian pavilion at Expo '88, The Rock reflects the theme ‘Leisure in the Age of Technology.’ Killick uses global media and events to craft humorous motifs that capture contemporary political issues.

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Artist: Artbusters

Suburb: Mt Coot-tha

Location: Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha

The Human Factor series was created by Brisbane's Artbusters in the late 1980s. The first iterations of this iconic series were installed throughout the World Expo '88 site. The figure seen here today has been re-imaged and re-cast for the 30th anniversary of World Expo '88, giving residents and visitors a sense of the celebration that World Expo '88 was.

Artist: Inge King

Suburb: South Brisbane

Location: Gallery 5, Queensland Art Gallery

Inge King, a leading abstract sculptor, created Great Planet (1976–77), a simple form that conceals its substantial weight. King began welding in 1959, one of few women artists in the field. She used steel expressively, exposing its rugged welded texture. Over the years, this texture eventually disappeared and her forms became simpler and more monumental. Beyond its formally satisfying design, Great Planet has an air of mystery, an aura of power and a commanding presence. The sculpture was lent to Expo '88 from the Queensland Art Gallery's collection.

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Artist: Charles Sutherland

Suburb: South Brisbane

Location: Manning Street

One of World Expo '88’s most famous artworks is Night Companion, commonly called Sky Needle. It is Charles Sutherland’s interpretation of Robert Owen’s sculpture.

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Artist: Jon Barlow Hudson

Suburb: South Brisbane

Location: State Library of Queensland, 29 Stanley Street

Acclaimed American sculptor Jon Barlow Hudson created this sectional model of his Paradigm sculpture for Brisbane’s Expo '88.

The original Paradigm sculpture, made of stainless steel, stood 30 metres tall and dominated the area outside the USA pavilion. Paradigm, inspired by DNA’s double helix, featured 66 landing lights during Expo '88, illuminating Brisbane’s night-time landscape.

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Artist: Artbusters

Suburb: South Brisbane

Location: Ernest Street Parkway and Stanley Street Plaza, South Bank

The Human Factor series was created by Brisbane's Artbusters in the late 1980s. The first iterations of this iconic series were installed throughout the World Expo '88 site. The figure seen here today has been re-imaged and re-cast for the 30th anniversary of World Expo '88, giving residents and visitors a sense of the celebration that World Expo '88 was.

Artist: Artbusters

Suburb: South Brisbane

Location: South Bank House, Stanley Street Plaza, South Bank

The Human Factor series was created by Brisbane's Artbusters in the late 1980s. The first iterations of this iconic series were installed throughout the World Expo '88 site. The figure seen here today has been re-imaged and re-cast for the 30th anniversary of World Expo '88, giving residents and visitors a sense of the celebration that World Expo '88 was.

Artist: Artbusters

Suburb: South Brisbane

Location: Melbourne Street and Manning Street

The Human Factor series was created by Brisbane's Artbusters in the late 1980s. The first iterations of this iconic series were installed throughout the World Expo '88 site. The figure seen here today has been re-imaged and re-cast for the 30th anniversary of World Expo '88, giving residents and visitors a sense of the celebration that World Expo '88 was.

Artist: Papunya painters

Suburb: South Brisbane

Location: Plaza Gallery, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre

The paintings in this gallery were originally commissioned for display at World Expo '88. They represent a style of Aboriginal painting that emerged from one of the most remarkable developments in 20th century art. In the early 1970s, Papunya artists began painting traditional designs with modern art materials, 250 kilometres west of Alice Springs.

John Truscott, Expo '88’s Creative Director, proposed commissioning central desert Aboriginal paintings for a South Bank display. The 27 paintings were assembled in 1987. They were installed in the Expo Authority pavilion, displayed outdoors under protective sails in a spiral arrangement by Truscott. The collection was called The Art of Central Australia.

Note

The Gallery is occasionally closed for functions.

Artist: Inuit people of Northwest Territories of Canada

Suburb: Spring Hill

Location: Victoria Park, between Gregory Terrace and Herston Road

During World Expo '88, the Northwest Territories of Canada congratulated Australia on its 200th anniversary of nationhood. This stone cairn inukshuk is a symbol of the two countries. In the Canadian Arctic, Inuit built human-shaped stone inukshuks to guide caribou herds and serve as landmarks for travellers.

Artist: Chris Beecroft

Suburb: Spring Hill

Location: Gregory Terrace and Gregory Grove, Spring Hill (median island)

In Australia's bicentennial year, 1988, Brisbane hosted World Expo '88 for a six month period and welcomed more than 15 million visitors. World Expo '88 showcased Australian art throughout the festivities. Leading Australian artists exhibited alongside internationally renowned artists in the sculpture park.

In 2018, Showdown was restored and relocated to Spring Hill to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this city-shaping event.

Suburb: Toowong

Location: Anzac Park

Rainforest Grove, a joint project by several groups, is the only Expo '88 remnant still in its original location. Planted just prior to the commencement of Expo '88, the Rainforest Grove was a beautification project. The Brisbane City Council undertook many street and park beautification projects, mostly on routes from the Airport to the CBD. An exception was the Expo '88 Rainforest Grove at Mt Coot-tha, anticipating a tourist influx during the Expo period.