Thousands are expected to head to Gold Coast's Currumbin Beach next month when SWELL – Queensland’s premier outdoor sculpture exhibition – returns for yet another showing of thought-provoking and sculpturally impressive works from local and international artists.

Now in its 19th year, the annual festival has evolved into one of Australia’s most celebrated cultural events, showcasing Australian and international artists to a large audience in an open air coastal setting.

The free 10-day outdoor exhibition along Currumbin Beach will take place from September 10-19 as the festival presents small, medium and large-scale sculptures, installations, performance and digital works from more than 100 Queensland artists and over 145 Australian and international artists.

This year’s SWELL will once again feature acclaimed Queensland architects, Hooman Jaffar, Taylah Jardine and Owen Thompson who are exhibiting their sculpture, #lifetime, which explores the concept of time.

Responsible for some of the biggest projects in the country including Westfield Shopping Centres across Sydney and chic dining spaces, the architects are entering the outdoor art festival for the third time. The trio had previously exhibited #lifetree and #lifebridge, taking out one of the major prizes.

#lifetime will feature a circle base four metres in diameter, with the timber beams reaching almost 5.5 metres high. The architectural piece is made entirely from timber using a combination of new and recycled timber slacks.

“You’ll feel like you’re in a forest – the sculpture is going to be buried into the ground,” said Jaffar.

“The most joy is watching children interact with the pieces – whether they’ll run through it or use it as a playground.”

The sculpture focuses on light and shadow – the piece will be buried into the sand on the beach, allowing people to view the time of day based on the shadow cast on the sand.

A full-time architect, Jaffar has a passion for creating art without limits.

“We run a number of projects every year and most of them are on childcare centres. With architecture there’s a lot of rules and regulations. That’s why we love creating art for SWELL… there’s no rules, no boundaries and no limits. We’re free and liberated,” he said.

Architecture News & Editorial Desk

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