Intrigue abounds in fantastical snow globes

Walter Martin, United States b.1953; Paloma Muñoz, Spain b.1965 / Traveler 311 2016 / Snow globe / 19 x 15.2 x 15.2cm / Purchased 2023 with funds from Tim Fairfax AC through the QAGOMA Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Walter Martin and Paloma Muñoz / View full image

Wed 30 Jul 2025

For their ‘Traveler’ series, artists Walter Martin and Paloma Muñoz have used snow globes to transport you into miniature worlds of fantastical snowscapes, where the boundaries between reality and imagination blur.

In Traveler 225, the contrast between the elegantly attired woman and the wintery setting implies a staged scene, but what could the group be doing? Traveler 311 presents another mystery: Are the figures wearing costumes, or are they horse-human hybrids? Two people dressed in polar bear and deer costumes are found in Traveler 335, inviting you to consider the characters’ dynamic.

Intrigue abounds in these works in minute detail. Each contains a unique tale devised by the artists, set against a wintery wonderland, however, unlike a traditional snow globe, these figures invite us to take a closer look and interact with the scene, allowing us to step into imagined worlds. Travellers they may be, but we have to ask ourselves, where is their final destination as these characters are sealed within their own little worlds? Adding to the fantasy, the convex nature of the glass surrounding the scenes creates unpredictable distortions enhancing the diorama.

View Walter Martin and Paloma Muñoz's snow globes 2007 in 'Wonderstruck' at the Gallery of Modern Art until 6 October 2025 or delve into the captivating works on display with our weekly highlights.

Traveler 225 2007

Traveler 311 2016

Traveler 335 2018

Wonderstruck
28 June – 6 October 2025
Gallery of Modern Art
Gallery 1.1 (The Fairfax Gallery), Gallery 1.2 & Gallery 1.3 (Eric and Marion Taylor Gallery)
Brisbane, Australia
Free entry