At first, you might recognise a living form. Look again and something mechanical comes into view. Patricia Piccinini’s Salute to the Sun, shown at SWELL in 2026, gave that uncertainty a physical shape: a bronze work drawing together a deer, plants, a human and a motorcycle.
In the artist’s account of the sculpture, the distinction between natural and artificial is something to examine closely. That makes a good invitation to an exhibition. You can notice what the object suggests before reading its description, then return to see what the words have changed.
The Currumbin exhibition of 11–20 September 2026 has finished. Its outdoor works and smaller gallery pieces made a rewarding day for anyone willing to give a few objects more attention. The names, walks and gallery arrangements discussed here belong to that past edition.
Two scales of looking
A sculpture on the foreshore shares its setting with the beach, the sky and the people moving around it. Step closer and the material matters; step away and its outline may take over. There is no need to collect an opinion about every piece. Following the ones that hold your attention can give the day a more personal shape.
In 2026, the Smalls Gallery offered a different experience indoors. It was housed at VIKA, 766 Pacific Parade, where visitors could see original works at close range. Some were available to buy, and the gallery had a People’s Choice Award of its own. The finished gallery programme records that part of the festival.
Moving between those settings gave people something to compare. A work encountered against the coastline could seem different from an object considered inside a room. The change of scale was worth leaving time for, rather than treating the indoor gallery as a quick stop on the way out.
Another way to look was in company. The 2026 guided sculpture walks were led by guest curators, with a printed programme included. Their value lay in having someone point out a connection you might have missed, then leaving you free to agree, question it or go back for another look.
SWELL has announced the next Currumbin dates as 10–19 September 2027. The artists and visitor experiences for that exhibition are still to be released. A curator-led walk or a particular gallery can only become part of the next plan once the new details are available.
Give the art some time afterwards
The conversation about an exhibition often continues after you leave. At Contessa, an apartment’s dining table or balcony gives it somewhere to go: what drew your attention, what you walked past, whether a work changed when you read about it.
Contessa’s gardens and marina give a stay its river setting, with Main Beach across the road. A Currumbin excursion takes you away from those surroundings for the day. Leaving time at either end lets the exhibition sit within a stay that has its own quiet pleasures.
Choose the residence from its individual photographs. Each holiday apartment is presented by number, so you can look at the rooms and outlook you would be returning to. A kitchen and laundry make several nights practical, while Tedder Avenue offers cafés and restaurants within a five-minute walk.
As the 2027 programme develops, consult SWELL’s updated access and travel guidance for the journey south and any timed bookings. Then find an apartment you would enjoy taking your time in. A day spent looking carefully deserves an evening with room to think about it.