World Expo '88
30th Anniversary
This year is the 30th anniversary of World Expo ’88, the event that changed Brisbane forever and those who were there will never forget.
Over the six months World Expo ‘88 was held, Brisbane was visited more than 15 million times, raising its global profile and setting it on the path from ‘big country town’ to become the vibrant cosmopolitan city it is today.
To celebrate the anniversary, Brisbane City Council has extended the self-guided World Expo ‘88 Public Art Trail to include additional Expo associated artworks and artefacts, giving residents and visitors better access to this fantastic cultural resource. The World Expo ‘88 Public Art Trail was developed by Council in 2013 to celebrate the exhibition’s 25th anniversary.
Council has also undertaken a number of restorations and relocations of some of the artworks, giving residents and visitors better access to this fantastic cultural resource.
Several World Expo ‘88 artworks have been restored, including the Man and Matter series along the Brisbane River’s edge from South Bank to the base of the Kangaroo Point Cliffs.
Artworks from the ‘Human Factor’ series are also being recast and brought back to the city, while the artwork ‘Showdown’ is being restored and relocated from Boondall to Gregory Terrace to enable more residents to enjoy and experience the full breadth of the Expo ‘88 artworks.
Many sites are located within walking distance of Brisbane’s Central Business District and two artworks are located at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha.
All of these artworks and landmarks give residents and visitors a sense of the celebration that World Expo ‘88 was and the legacy of this city-shaping event
Nice to know - Public art contributes to Brisbane’s reputation as a New World City and the revival of the ‘Human Factor’ series, coupled with the restoration of all these iconic artworks will be a reminder of how much Brisbane has grown as a cultural and creative hub since 1988.
Need to know - A list of all of the World Expo ‘88 artwork sites can be found on Council’s website, along with descriptions, a map and images of each piece.
Brisbane City Council is a valued partner of Must Do Brisbane.com
