Choose one artwork to spend time with before trying to see the rest. That was a useful way into SWELL Sculpture Festival’s 2026 exhibition, which ran at Currumbin from 11 to 20 September. The outdoor sculptures and Smalls Gallery offered two scales: works in the landscape, then smaller pieces to consider indoors. The 2026 edition has finished.
The organiser has announced SWELL’s return to Currumbin Beach from 9 to 19 September 2027. The works and visitor programme below belong to 2026; use them as a record of the past exhibition while the next edition takes shape.
Begin with a question
Invited artist Patricia Piccinini brought Salute to the Sun, a bronze sculpture that combines references to living forms and machinery. In her description of the work, she considers the boundary between the natural and artificial, with a form that draws on a deer, plants, a human and a motorcycle.
Reading the artist’s account before seeing the work, or looking first and reading it afterwards, offered two ways in. Its familiar elements took different amounts of time to resolve, with no need to settle on one interpretation.
That close attention remains a useful approach to a future exhibition. Choose a few works that hold your attention instead of counting how many you have passed. Look at the material, the outline and the space around each one, then compare what drew you to it with the people travelling beside you.
Add a curator’s perspective
In 2026, the official Guided Sculpture Walks were listed daily at 10 am, from VIKA, 766 Pacific Parade, Currumbin. They were booked walks led by guest curators, with a printed programme included. That timetable and booking arrangement should not be carried over to 2027 without a new announcement.
The 2026 access guidance said routes could be adapted to a group and might use the pathway and sand where participants were able. A guided walk offered a shared starting point, particularly when one person followed contemporary art closely and another was approaching it for the first time.
The time afterwards was worth leaving open for another look at a work the guide discussed, or a break before going inside.
Change scale at the Smalls Gallery
The 2026 SWELL Smalls Gallery was also at VIKA, 766 Pacific Parade, with free entry 9 am–5 pm, 11–20 September. Original works were available to buy, and the gallery had its own People’s Choice Award. Visitors could simply look; there was no need to arrive with a purchase in mind.
The gallery gave the day a more contained second part after the outdoor exhibition. Viewing a work at close range felt different from seeing a sculpture against the beach. The lounge looked towards Currumbin Beach, with food and drinks supplied by Kinship Currumbin.
SWELL’s 2026 accessibility information described both lift and stair access to the gallery. Some outdoor beach and rock locations had limited access. Check the guidance afresh when planning a future visit.
Allow for the journey from Main Beach
For 2027, start with the confirmed dates, 9 to 19 September, and return to the organiser’s visitor and transport information when the new programme is published. Plan the complete journey from Main Beach to Currumbin, especially if you book a timed activity. The 2026 walk times and gallery details above are a record of that edition.
Back at Contessa, a full kitchen, dining area and private balcony give you a place to settle after an art day, while Tedder Avenue is five minutes away on foot if you would like to eat out. Explore the apartments and leave room in a 2027 stay for a day spent looking carefully.