This week, Brisbane is enveloped by two ephemeral art installations. Curated by the powerhouse McCarthy-Swann projects, ‘The Weight of Light’ by Meagan Streader and ‘The Size of Air’ by Kinly Grey encourage Brisbanites to see their city in a new light – literally.

Responding to the non-physical elements of light and air, the public art pieces are grounded in reality, but fall somewhere between futuristic and otherworldly. Well-known local sites, the Spring Hill Reservoir and Queen Street Mall, have been transformed by the artists,  who have reimagined the familiar city spaces to create transcendent experiences in the ordinary.

Using lines of electroluminescent wire, Meagan Streader’s work, ‘The Weight of Light’ (pictured above), creates a labyrinth of light that almost looks like entering a virtual reality, allowing people to experience the historic Spring Hill Reservoir (which was once the source of Brisbane’s water!) in a futuristic reinterpretation of its original structure.

Nearby at the Queen Street Mall, ‘The Size of Air’ by Kinly Grey brings a slice of sky down to the street. A transparent box filled is filled with projections of bright, blue Brissy sky and waves of fog, creating an intimate, immersive installation that brings a whole new meaning to having your head in the clouds!

Love your work, Brissy!

‘The Weight of Light’ runs Wednesday through Saturday, from September 8th to 23rd, 12pm to 7pm,  at the Spring Hill Reservoir.
‘The Size of Air’ will run Wednesday through Saturday, from October 25th to 27th, 4pm to 8pm, at the Queen Street Mall.