Love Is in the Air

Overview

When you're standing in a room filled with butterflies with your special someone — a cavernous white space with its bright walls covered in tiny, intricate, black-hued paper critters swarming all around you — it's a truly wondrous feeling. That's one of the highlights of the Gallery of Modern Art's Air exhibition, alongside volcanic mounds, floating spheres, glowing red lights and smoky darkened spaces. And, it's the perfect place to visit come Valentine's Day.

Taking advantage of the ideal name for a romantic event, GOMA is putting on a one-night-only Love Is in the Air session from 5.30–8.30pm on Tuesday, February 14. Usually, hitting up the South Brisbane gallery's exhibitions after hours is limited to its Up Late parties, and they're coming for this stunning showcase — but you can get swooning with your significant other first.

Attendees will get the run of all things Air, wandering through pipes, seeing plants, marvelling at giant sculptures and staring at hanging pieces — and more — across the three-hour session. You'll also receive a Valentine's Day gift upon arrival: a conversation prompt card printed on plantable seed paper.

Dora Budor / Croatia b.1984 / Origin I (A Stag Drinking) (installation view) 2019 / Custom environmental chamber (reactive electronic system, compressor, valves, 3D-printed elements, aluminium, acrylic, LED light, glass, wood, paint), organic and synthetic pigments, diatomaceous earth, FX dust, felt, ed. 3/3 / Purchased 2021. Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation / Collection: QAGOMA / © Dora Budor / Photograph: Claudia Baxter © QAGOMA.

There'll be workshops and pop-up talks as well, plus immersive art experiences. And would it be a date-night gallery visit without a pop-up bar doing drinks and bites to eat? Of course it wouldn't.

Fancy a memento of the night, other than all the pictures that you and your plus one will take yourselves? The Love Snap photobooth has you covered, with local artist Clo Love coming up with a photoset described as "pop art meets an Italian pizzeria in the sky".

Prefer to head along with one of your mate instead of a date? That's heartily encouraged as well.

Patrick Pound / New Zealand / Australia b.1962 / The air lock 2022 (installation view) / Photographs and objects from the artist's collection and the QAGOMA Collection / Courtesy: The artist, Darren Knight Gallery, Sydney, and STATION, Melbourne / © Patrick Pound / Photograph: Claudia Baxter © QAGOMA.

Top image: Carlos Amorales / Mexico b.1970 / Black Cloud (installation view) 2007/2018 / 30 000 black laser-cut and handfolded paper butterflies (30 different butterfly and moth species in five sizes with a wave wing pattern), ed. 1/3 (+ 1 A.P.) / Purchased 2022 with funds from Tim Fairfax AC through the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation / Collection: QAGOMA / © Carlos Amorales / Photograph: Claudia Baxter © QAGOMA.