NO MORE CRINGE, WE’RE READY TO SMELL THE ROSES
The cultural revolution has begun on the Gold Coast and before long the rest of the nation will be viewing what we have with envy
TRAVEL? Who needs it.
This week has proven that we have everything we need right here at home.
We’ve always known we have the world’s best beaches, our restaurants are awardwinning and Melbourne only wishes it had our cafes. In fact, the Gold Coast has even been acclaimed among Australia’s most delicious destinations in a new book by Lonely Planet’s Chris Zeiher.
Meanwhile, for pure entertainment we have theme parks, rainforests and a host of homegrown sports teams – even if our residents are still learning to love them.
We have world-class health and education institutions, a growing network of public transportation and infrastructure and burgeoning business and industries.
But our Achilles heel has always been the arts.
According to Sydney et al, we’re all surface glitz and no substance. All beauty and no brains.
The Gold Coast is so accustomed to this southern snobbery that we’ve developed our own self-inflicted cultural cringe.
Ask any local musician, author or artist … one of their greatest challenges is to find a homegrown audience. And then once having answered that quest, they must justify their geographic heritage to incredulous media and fans. The implicit message being that you can either be artistically talented … or from the Gold Coast
It’s neither expected nor
The Gold Coast is so accustomed to this southern snobbery that we’ve developed our own selfinflicted cultural cringe.
accepted that the Coast could create great art.
But the cultural revolution has begun. And in just 48 hours, the city has already won.
First came the announcement on Wednesday morning that the Coast has secured the world premiere of an art exhibition featuring the works of iconic artists Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
In a major coup for the new $60.5 million HOTA gallery, which will open in April, the Contemporary Masters from New York exhibition will bring to Australia for the first time 70 pieces from the collection of Jose Mugrabi, the New York-based Israeli businessman, who is the world’s leading Warhol collector.
Then on Thursday this week, came the announcement that one of the greatest bands of all time will kick off its Australian tour on the Gold Coast, with Guns N’ Roses, featuring founding frontman Axl Rose, original bassist Duff McKagan and lead guitar icon Slash, playing Metricon Stadium on November 6 before hitting capital cities.
Amazingly, the Warhol exhibition opens just one week later. Forget November, this will be a Yes-vember for our entire city.
And while it’s one thing for our city to be the host for fantastic international artists – providing an incredible opportunity for residents and tourists alike – it’s the groundbreaking groundwork that these facilities, acts and attractions are creating that will ensure this revolution lives on.
Indeed, the inaugural exhibition for the HOTA gallery is titled, appropriately, Solid Gold: Artists from Paradise. Running from April until June, it will feature new commissions from both emerging and established Australian artists who have a connection to the region, including Hiromi Tango, Michael Candy, Abbey McCulloch, Samuel LeightonDore and Libby Harward.
HOTA chief executive Criena Gehrke says the locally crafted program reflects the Gold Coast and
“unapologetically” shows our local talent.
Rather than a cultural cringe, it’s a cultural embrace.
And the more we host exhibitions, concerts and events, the more not just Australia but the world sees us as a true home of the arts.
Indeed, TEG DAINTY president and CEO Paul Dainty, promoter of the Guns N’ Roses tour, credited the Gold Coast’s thunderous reception of Queen in February for the latest concert coup.
So as we prepare to close
out this unprecedented year when a pandemic is overturning the global order, Australia has not only cemented its place as the lifestyle superpower of the world, but we are poised to become its cultural capital.
We may not be able to celebrate with an overseas holiday anytime soon, but what does that matter when we have all we could want right here?
It’s just a pity that no one else can come visit to see how much we have to offer. But there’s always next year.