Returning for its 14th year, SWELL Sculpture Festival will be taking over Currumbin Beach, turning it into an art wonderland.
It has been a long journey for Tash Edwards, director of the festival. Having first launched it in 2002, Tash’s inspiration for beginning the festival struck at a much earlier age.
“I stood on Currumbin Beach when I was 14 and thought to myself, ‘I am going to do something here’. I thought if I was a sculptor I would want the best gallery in the world to showcase my work, and I would want everyone to enjoy it for free.”
Erebus by John Star - Image © Kit WiseSWELL Sculpture Festival has become Queensland’s largest outdoor art exhibition, attracting 50 Australian and international artists, and over 250,000 visiting arts lovers. What makes this ten-day event so unique is its location on Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast, where a kilometre stretch will be converted into a vibrant outdoor gallery, showcasing interactive, engaging, and incredibly thought provoking sculptures.
“Currumbin showed itself off,” Tash says. “Where the creek and ocean meet, connecting the alley to the valley is breathtaking. The two rocks [Elephant Rock and Currumbin Rock] act like bookends. Together with an incredibly supportive community, I knew this was the perfect location for artists to showcase their sculpture.”
Figures In The Landscape by Glen Manning and Kathy Daly - Image © Pawel PapisAlongside the gorgeous location, the sculptures which will also attract keen visitors. This year’s selection of outstanding artworks include a ten metre wide inflatable turtle, an oversized Scrabble game, and a colony of 100 two metre high ants. The outdoor setting will not only allow for sculptures too large for art galleries to displayed, but also turn the location into a dream-world. On what makes sculptures appeal to her, Tash replies, “Sculptors are the great masters, they take everyday objects and tell a thousand stories. Highly skilled and an eye that sees and speaks many languages, hands that can bend steel into the curve of woman’s back. If Michelangelo can see and carve angels out of stone, he is not alone.”
For this year’s festival, SWELL has adopted a motto which best encapsulates what the festival is all about: 'People, Art, Place'. Alongside the art and place, people will be able to enjoy a whole range of activities, including free live entertainment, workshops, kids activities, performance art, night lighting, artist talks, fire shows, and more.
The Race by John Cox - Image © Terence Kearns“'People, Art, Place' represents a natural and welcoming place where people and art come together – which is a true representation of SWELL. SWELL is the epitome of 'People, Art, Place'. It inspires, amuses, uplifts and captures the hearts and minds of all who visit – for free! For me it's all about how people, art and place come together as one – people talking about and interpreting the artworks whilst in one of the most beautiful places in the world.”
