Gold Coast HOTA art gallery’s most bizarre exhibits revealed

The HOTA Art Gallery has been praised as adding to the Gold Coast’s cultural landscape – but some of the exhibits might leave you mystified.

Since opening last year, the HOTA art gallery has been praised as an important addition to the Gold Coast’s cultural landscape.

The $60.5m institution has been lauded by visitors for its “great exhibitions”, friendly staff and the stunning views from its rooftop bar.

There are hundreds of extraordinary artworks on display at HOTA. Like all art, they elicit a mix of wonder and fascination.

They spark contrasting opinions. And sometimes, there is a little bemusement.

ENTERPRISE

Visitors boldly going to HOTA’s fourth floor will be greeted by the sight of ‘Enterprise 2003’ by Shaun Gladwell.

The piece appears to consist of a model of the Starship Enterprise spaceship from the series Star Trek mounted on a bong.

Is it a meditation on the life on the artist, who readers may be unsurprised to learn is based in Melbourne?

The accompanying description provides no clues, stating merely: “Glass ashtray, glass vessel and pipe, plastic spaceship, mirrored glass-top table”.

The piece was donated to the HOTA collection by the federal government. What’s not made clear is whether the feds paid for his work, or merely had it confiscated.

SECOND BORN EMILE, 7AM

A short distance from the good ship Enterprise visitors will find this piece, by artist Noel McKenna, consisting of a large white canvas which is blank apart from a small drawing of a person relieving themselves.

Another gift from the federal government, art-lovers may be tempted to see this piece as a reflection on Canberra’s approach to spending taxpayer dollars.

This, of course, would be a churlish way to view an artwork that was a finalist in the Moran Arts Foundation’s 2009 National Portrait Prize.

MONUMENT # 13-ZAGARIS

At first glance, viewers could be forgiven for mistaking this piece as a model of the latest tower block planned for Palm Beach.

It certainly appears to share the bafflingly popular “industrial” style.

On closer inspection, its light and airy lower levels and setback from the edge of its table make this unlikely, leaving artist Callum Morton’s true intentions something of a mystery.

LET THERE BE ROBE

Hell’s bells, there’s no mistaking artist Nell’s love of AC/DC in this piece, which consists of a priestly robe crafted from t-shirts honouring the band and dozens of crucifixes made from drumsticks, paintbrushes and other items.

Oddly, the artwork also features used paint brushes with ghost, heart and cannabis leaf emojis stuck to them, which one assumes is some kind of commentary on the rock and roll lifestyle.

Sadly the exhibit does not, like another famous artistic piece celebrating rock and roll music, feature elves dancing around a miniature Stonehenge.

LITERARY PARROT (VERT-VERT)

The Literary Parrot exhibit at the HOTA art gallery. Picture: Keith Woods.

The Gold Coast is blessed with a wide array of bird life. This 1.4 metre tall statue by Emily Floyd may be the most colourful addition yet.

Helpfully, a note with this exhibit, which is based on a poem, tells us that ‘Vert Vert’ “swears like a sailor” and “died from indigestion caused by a chocolate”.

He also offended some nuns.

Philistines.

SPECTRA

Things take an interesting turn in HOTA’s ground level ‘Art Mix Tape’ gallery.

The most interesting turns of all belong to the colourful whirling fans and fluorescent lights of Ross Manning’s exhibit.

It’s called ‘Spectra’, which seems to downplay the whole thing a little. Another good title might be ‘Sparky’s Nightmare’.

Visitors are invited to admire the “entrancing movement” that creates “ever-shifting mixes of colour”. Readers will be relived to know this is achieved without resorting to the use of devices like the Enterprise.

WANT TO SEE FOR YOURSELF? THE HOTA ART GALLERY IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK FROM 10AM-4PM

Follow @keithjwoods