ART, LIGHT AND SPECTACLE – WONDER RETURNS WITH BOLD ARTWORK SUSPENDED HIGH ABOVE HOTA

WORDS: Danielle Ford PHOTOGRAPHY Supplied

The Gold Coast’s much loved outdoor art experience is back! WONDER returns to HOTA, Home of the Arts for a winter spectacle set to transform the precinct into a shimmering playground of light, art, and imagination.

The skies above HOTA will come alive with the biggest and boldest artwork ever seen at the precinct, with a uniquely commissioned Skynet by artist Patrick Shearn from Poetic Kinetic.

Titled CLOUD PLAY, the breathtaking artwork is a 530sqm kinetic sculpture that will soar in the sky above HOTA.

Complementing the sculptural majesty of CLOUD PLAY will be an ethereal soundscape that blends ancient indigenous knowledge with an original score and natural sound recordings by Saltwater man Lann Levinge, Jose Carbo and didgeridoo virtuoso, William Barton.

By night, experience CLOUD PLAY in a different light as the team at IKONIX illuminate the work and site with a stunning display of light that responds to wind data and changes as the sculpture moves and dances across the sky in a symphony of colour.

“We’re thrilled to bring WONDER back for another year. It’s a celebration of creativity that invites everyone to reconnect with art and nature through the lens of a major annual outdoor installation, this time an Australian exclusive. WONDER is about discovery, surprise, and community – and we can’t wait to share it again with the city,” said Yarmila Alfonzetti, Heads of Arts and Culture, Experience Gold Coast.

Poetic Kinetics have installed inspiring Skynets all over the world from Los Angeles, Germany, Korea, Hong Kong, and now exclusively on the Gold Coast.

The incredible artistry and engineering behind the kinetic flowing artwork will be filled with tens of thousands of messages of gratitude from Gold Coasters, collected during the Sky Ribbons campaign in March.

The final artwork will carry the living narrative and beating heart of the Gold Coast community spirit while creating a mesmerising canopy that invites the community to look up, pause, and discover the moving art.

“With Cloud Play, I am revealing natural wind patterns unique to that specific location. It is here, amidst the Gold Coast’s fusion of land and sea that this piece finds its rhythm, visualising the dance of nature’s unseen breath,”  said Patrick Shearn, Creative Director, Poetic Kinetics

Visitors to the precinct will be invited to explore the outdoor space underneath the canopy of Cloud Play, with a suite of programs and events, both free and ticketed across the opening 3 weeks. These performances by leading local and international artists will ensure there is something for everyone with performances, family-friendly activities, and food pop-ups.

The 2025 program will welcome a stellar line-up of free music events for visitors to experience, showcasing local talents including The Good Band and Sounds Like Gold Coast by Gold Coast Music Network.

Through cultural storytelling, an audio experience like no other will run over four evenings and tell First Nations stories with Lann Levinge- Gawrehma Jungan:The Story of Clouds.

Through this work, listeners will be guided on a sensory journey that explores how clouds and weather patterns play a vital role in First Nations cultures, symbolising change, renewal, and spiritual connection to the land.

For one night only Wunderbar by Goldys will feature the ultimate after dark celebration. Headlined by Natalie Bassingthwaighte and The Huxleys will take to the stage to celebrate all things queer and fabulous for a night of dance, drag, performance art and DJs.

Also featured in the program will be touring concert experience Strictly Baz Luhrmann: The Concert. The live orchestral performance will celebrate the iconic music from Baz Luhrmann’s films, in the outdoors. Concertgoers can expect a powerful blend of cinematic scores and popular songs reimagined for orchestra, paired with moments of theatrical flair that reflect Luhrmann’s signature larger-than-life style.

The final night of the programming line-up will see the international high profile Brazilian act Baiana System, complete with a line-up of local Brazilian bands in the festival presentation of Solstice Brazil by Fibra Entertainment taking to the Outdoor Stage for an evening under the stars celebrating the beats and soul of Brazil. 

Wonder promises to be a must-see attraction for locals and visitors, and it can be experienced at HOTA’s Outdoor Stage from 31 May – 13 July 2025.

For more information including exhibition closure dates please visit https://hota.com.au/whats-on/live/festivals-and-series/wonder-cloud-play 

‘Cloud Play’ by Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics, Presented by HOTA Home of the Arts 

WONDER: CLOUD PLAY 

By Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics

HOTA Outdoor Stage

Sat 31 May – Sun 13 July

Exhibiting Free 9am-9pm Daily*

*Exhibition may be closed to the public for the setup and presentation of ticketed events.