Twenty years after opening on the banks of the Brisbane River, the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) remains one of Australia’s most celebrated cultural destinations.

To mark the milestone, Architectus – the practice behind the gallery’s award-winning design – has partnered with acclaimed visual performance duo The Huxleys and photographer Jo Duck on a vibrant new campaign that reimagines the building through the lens of contemporary art.

The anniversary project captures GOMA not simply as an architectural landmark, but as a living, creative institution that has welcomed generations of visitors over the past two decades.

In a series of striking photographs, The Huxleys appear throughout the Gallery dressed in elaborate Australian fauna-inspired costumes that blend queer spectacle with a celebration of native wildlife. Their playful interventions see them strolling along the riverside boardwalk, occupying Gallery spaces and even taking over the reception desk, creating an engaging dialogue between the building’s refined architectural language and the duo’s theatrical visual identity.

Rather than positioning the architecture as a passive backdrop, the images highlight GOMA’s enduring role as a place of curiosity, creativity and unexpected encounters. Visitors who happened upon the shoot experienced first-hand the sense of play and artistic energy that has defined the institution since its opening in 2006.

“When Architectus and GOMA asked us to help mark 20 years of luminous creativity and culture, we said ‘yes’ before they’d even finished the sentence,” says Will Huxley.

“This building has poured so much art, life and sheer magic into Brisbane and, for two visual artists like us, that’s basically our love language.”

For The Huxleys, the collaboration is also deeply personal. Garrett Huxley studied at the nearby Queensland College of Art and Design, while the pair fondly recall visiting major exhibitions at GOMA and performing at the gallery’s 10th birthday celebration, Sugar Spin.

“Coming back to strut our surreal, Australian fauna-inspired creatures against the chic lines of the building felt like the most fitting kind of homecoming – equal parts reverence and ridiculousness, exactly how we like it. We love GOMA!”

Looking behind the scenes

The celebrations also include a new mini-documentary produced by Architectus, offering audiences a rare behind-the-scenes look at the gallery through the eyes of design manager Michael O’Sullivan.

Exploring the question, What happens in an art gallery when no one is watching?, the film showcases how GOMA functions behind the scenes, how the building has evolved over two decades, and the role it continues to play in Brisbane’s cultural life.

A building that transformed Brisbane

Commissioned by the Queensland Government in 2002 following Architectus’ winning competition entry, GOMA was conceived as a generous public building that would extend the Queensland Art Gallery into a two-site institution while strengthening Brisbane’s relationship with the river and surrounding parklands.

According to Architectus principal Dr Stephen Long, the gallery’s opening represented a defining moment in the city’s cultural evolution.

“GOMA came along at a time when the city was really maturing and seeing itself more confidently on the national and international stage,” he says.

“It put Brisbane on the contemporary arts map. I think the key to the building’s enduring success is that it expresses an openness and a welcome to everybody. Its entrance is generous, natural light is abundant and the river and the city are right there in view.”

The project also marked a significant milestone for Architectus itself. “Winning GOMA led to the foundation of Architectus in Brisbane and of our public architecture portfolio,” says Long.

“From that commission has come a whole lineage of museum, gallery, library and theatre design projects. We still regularly take new team members on a walk through GOMA to experience our design approach up close.”

A place generations return to

Two decades on, GOMA has become woven into the fabric of Brisbane, welcoming repeat visitors whose connections to the building now span generations.

“Friends and families have been stepping into this building for the last 20 years and now their children are going back with their own friends and families,” says Long.

“GOMA is embedded not just in the life of the city but in people’s lives and personal histories.”

Long also credits the Gallery’s longevity to its intelligent subtropical design, which balances environmental responsiveness with practical functionality.

“The wide eaves shade and shelter the building, while carefully designed glazing draws natural light deep into the interior, energising the gallery spaces,” he says.

“GOMA is also very pragmatic and rational in its planning. The staff can change out an exhibition while the public is still moving through the building – that’s thanks to good design.

“At Architectus, we’re incredibly proud of the work the team did 20 years ago,” concludes Long. “We’re looking forward to seeing what the next decades bring for everyone’s favourite Brisbane cultural institution.”

All photography: Jo Duck.

To learn more about GOMA and see what’s on.

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