Art and the River Public Art Trail
Explore this public art trail that meanders along the Brisbane River, taking in artworks that celebrate the environment.
About the trail
The Art and the River Public Art Trail tells the story of the Brisbane River’s maritime and industrial history.
It includes sculptures that evoke memories of World Expo ‘88 and artworks that celebrate the beauty and grandeur of the surrounding Kangaroo Point Cliffs and the river.
You’ll also pass significant heritage sites such as the South Brisbane Dry Docks and remnants of the coal wharves.
Finish the route by enjoying a panoramic view of the Brisbane River and the City Botanic Gardens from the top of the cliffs.
Art and the River Public Art Trail map
This 2.4-kilometre trail begins at the Maritime Museum, South Bank.
It ends at the Thornton Street ferry terminal after taking a detour to the top of the cliffs at Kangaroo Point Park.
Points of interest
Man & Matter series, Peter D Cole (1992) Brisbane
Artist: Peter D Cole
Location: Kangaroo Point Boardwalk, South Bank Qld 4101
Description: In Australia’s bicentennial year, 1988, Brisbane was host to a six-month party, World Expo ‘88.
To showcase Australian art for the duration of the festivities, Expo ‘88 commissioned some of Australia’s leading artists to exhibit alongside internationally renowned artists in the Expo ‘88 sculpture park.
With sculptures loaned from galleries and museums all over the world, the Expo ‘88 curators formed a collection of 90 artworks that responded to Expo’s ‘Leisure in the Age of Technology’ theme and illustrated “… the interdependence of art and technology. Water, sound, light and motion merge with the respective mediums of steel, bronze and wood, in reassessing the traditional limitations of sculpture”. (The World Expo ‘88 Collection: Phillip Bacon Galleries)
Peter D Cole’s Man & Matter sculptural series was one of the works commissioned by Expo ’88. Relocated to Kangaroo Point Boardwalk in 1992 as part of the parklands upgrade, this is the series of sculptures that can be seen throughout the first section of the Art and the River trail. To fully appreciate Cole’s artwork, it helps to understand the scale of Expo ’88 and how much the people of Brisbane enjoyed the party.
The site chosen for Expo ‘88 was South Brisbane. As the government began land resumptions, protests from displaced residents impacted the project. However, by July 1985 Stanley and Grey streets had been closed and demolition had begun.
Architects, Bligh Maccormick 88, created the vision of Expo ’88 including the 8 famous canopies that provided shade throughout the site. Deputy Premier under the Bjelke Petersen Government, Sir Llewellyn (Llew) Edwards, was appointed Chairman of the Expo ‘88 Authority.
Expo ’88 was opened on 30 April 1988 during a ceremony attended by Queen Elizabeth II. 55 international participants, including 36 nations, participated in Expo ’88.
Large, temporary pavilions showcased each country’s displays. Favourites included Canada, New Zealand, Nepal, Japan and the USSR. The German Beer Hall was a popular night spot where steins were left on tables as the chicken dance took place.
Expo ’88 was open every day for 6 months between 10am and 10pm. Street performers, day and night parades, daily fireworks and laser shows set to music, rock concerts, street art, the monorail, amusement park and aquacade were all added attractions. Weekly themes including ‘towards 2000’, ‘heritage’ and ‘planet earth’ added to the variety. Brisbane residents who fondly remember Expo '88 tell of the exciting vibe and carnival atmosphere, as well as the amazing array of international foods.
Many believe that Expo ’88 was Brisbane’s coming of age, as the city experienced different cultures, food, lifestyle and entertainment. The Courier Mail described Expo '88 as “bridging the yawning gap from a hayseed state to an urbane, international future”. The number of visits over the 6 months exceeded 15.7 million.
The closing ceremony was held on 30 October 1988. The closing song, 'The Carnival is Over', was performed by the Seekers and was an appropriate end to Brisbane’s biggest party.
Materials: Painted mild steel
Date of installation: 1992
Biochemical Pelicans, Christopher Trotter (1995) Brisbane
Artist: Christopher Trotter
Location: Brisbane River pylon, near Captain Cook Bridge
Description: The only exceptions to the Man & Matter artworks on the first section of the trail are Christopher Trotter’s 2 stylised pelicans that sit upon a river pylon, near the Captain Cook Bridge.
The Biomechanical Pelicans were Trotter’s second public commission and early evidence of Trotter’s interest in environmental themes and the concept of renewal through recycling. Since this early work, Trotter has continued to refine his concept of sustainability and the use of recycled materials is an intrinsic part of his work.
Trotter explains, “the pelicans reference the time when our waterways were healthy. The element of recycling in my work is important to me and helps promote the concept of creative solutions to future generations”.
Materials: Found metal and concrete pedestal
Date of installation: 1995
Sunflower Mobile, Jonathon Coleman (1995) Brisbane
Artist: Jonathon Coleman
Location: Kangaroo Point Cliffs, below St Vincents Hospital Brisbane, Kangaroo Point Qld 4169
Description: Set against the backdrop of the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, this large sunflower draws energy from its solar powered panels. In turn, the panels activate the 3 metre flower head which spins on top of its stem. The speed with which the flower head rotates depends on how much of the sun it receives.
The artwork lives and interacts with the environment in the sense that it converts energy from the sun and creates movement.
Materials: Stainless steel, shinkolite sheet
Date of installation: 1995
Fish Fossil, Christopher Trotter (1995) Brisbane
Artist: Christopher Trotter
Location: Kangaroo Point Boardwalk, below St Vincents Hospital Brisbane, Kangaroo Point Qld 4169
Description: Drawing inspiration from the surrounding cliffs and the Brisbane River, Christopher Trotter explains how Fish Fossil evolved from an interest in what lay beneath the cliffs and the element of discovery. “This was my first fossil style of work…I created an organic steel skeletal form made from discarded components and laid them in a panel of wet concrete. I jack hammered them out again like an archaeologist revealing a true fossil."
Materials: Found metal and cast concrete
Date of installation: 1995
Flickering Wind Generator, Jonathon Coleman (1995) Brisbane
Artist: Jonathon Coleman
Location: Kangaroo Point Boardwalk, below St Vincents Hospital Brisbane, Kangaroo Point Qld 4169
Description: Flickering Wind Generator is another installation about sustainability by Johnathon Coleman. Installed at the top of a shelter, the rotor blades of this piece turn in the wind and convert wind energy into electrical energy through a series of electromagnetic charges.
Materials: Painted steel, shinkolite, solar panels
Date of installation: 1995
Crossover Guardians, Mona Ryder (1995) Brisbane
Artist: Mona Ryder
Location: Near Thornton Street, Kangaroo Point Qld 4169
Description: Mona Ryder has welded, fabricated and bolted together various thicknesses of galvanised steel to form the sculpture Crossover Guardians. Ryder’s intention was to create sculptures that act as guardians or beacons over the river and the ferry. The tall oar-shaped pieces resemble the cross bars of the Story Bridge and reference the history of the rowboat, which was the main form of transport in the early settlement of Brisbane.
Materials: Painted steel
Date of installation: 1995
Venus Rising, Wolfgang Buttress (2011) Brisbane
Artist: Wolfgang Buttress
Location: Kangaroo Point Park, near The Cliffs Cafe, Kangaroo Point Qld 4169
Description: Venus Rising is a 23-metre, polished, stainless steel structure that radiates silver or a deep gold depending on the intensity or position of the sun. The shape of the artwork emulates the spiral form of a nautilus shell with hundreds of interlocking rings and tubes that twist up to the open sky. It is possible to enter at the base of the artwork and look up through the spiralling structure to the sky.
The artist, Wolfgang Buttress, says the significance of the Kangaroo Point Park site to Indigenous and local people shaped his approach to the creation of Venus Rising: “One of the most obvious things to do when you are in this park is to look back at Brisbane and its fantastic skyline, but this skyline only exists because of the river and sky so rather than look horizontally I wanted to make the connection vertically, between the water the rocks and the sky. It is a connection to what has happened here before, of moving forward and I hope a connection to nature”.
Inspired by the power and symbolism of the Indigenous Morning Star Poles, the artist named the artwork Venus Rising. Morning Star is the name given to the planet Venus just before sunrise when it is at its brightest.
Materials: Stainless steel
Date of installation: 2011
Seven Versions of the Sun, Daniel Boyd (2010) Brisbane
Artist: Daniel Boyd
Location: Kangaroo Point Park, Main Street, Kangaroo Point Qld 4169
Description: Seven Versions of the Sun is a series of 7 viewing platforms or arbours along the main promenade adjacent to the Kangaroo Point Cliffs. Each shelter is located to draw attention to the stunning views of the river and the city.
The screens that form the canopy of the arbours are electroplated to create a luminous and reflective surface. From Lower River Terrace below, the screens appear a shimmering, warm gold against the blue sky. Underneath the arbours, the shelters exude warmth, casting shadows through the laser-cut sun motifs and create an interesting interplay of light and shadow over the landscape.
Daniel Boyd explains why he was inspired by the universal and timeless theme of the sun:
“The driving component of Seven Versions of the Sun is people moving through the landscape, connected by a common signifier, the sun. People and their journeys overlap.
The sun becomes a symbol of this process irrespective of what place in time one passes through a specific landscape”.
This symbolism and site resonate with Boyd. His Aboriginal ancestors once lived in the place now called Kangaroo Point.
Materials: Electroplated aluminium plate
Date of installation: 2010
Wormholes, Alexander Knox (2009) Brisbane
Artist: Alexander Knox
Location: Kangaroo Point Park, Main Street, Kangaroo Point Qld 4169
Description: Wormholes is a compilation of fun, boldly striped, wormlike fantasy creatures that feature a soundscape of people and events from years gone by. Alexander Knox worked with musician Michael Munson to create sounds drawn from the history of the site – the voice of an Indigenous narrator, the squeals of children playing in the former Kangaroo Point Primary School, birds, frogs, ships’ whistles and church bells. Wormholes is a compilation of fun, boldly striped, wormlike fantasy creatures that feature a soundscape of people and events from years gone by.
Knox explains that Wormholes is intended as an interactive piece: “…where children (and adults) can discover the site and its histories through a combination of free form, exploratory play and exploration without overly prescribing particular activities or readings. The work’s vaguely zoomorphic forms suggest any number of fantasy creatures and scenarios whilst remaining formally abstract”.
Materials: Mild steel, coated in an acrylic urethane enamel paint
Date of installation: 2009
The Green Room and Afforest, Nicole Voevodin-Cash (2010) Brisbane
Artist: Nicole Voevodin-Cash
Location: Kangaroo Point Park, Main Street, Kangaroo Point Qld 4169
Description: The Green Room is a soft amphitheatre, a genre of art often referred to as ‘land or earth’ art.
Nicole Voevodin-Cash explains that it is a direct reference to the theatre where the city is the stage: “A theatre of the everyday puts on a spectacular show at night as the lights of the cityscape come on to take centre stage”.
Afforest is the result of extensive research on traditional gardening techniques of spalier and pleaching. Described as a living artwork, Afforest is a series of grafted and shaped flame trees that “exaggerates and heightens our relationship with nature, emphasising man’s manipulation and control over nature and our role within the natural environment."
Materials: Turf, soil, tuff stone and LED lights
Date of installation: 2010
