Olafur Eliasson brings a rainbow close enough for us to touch
Olafur Eliasson, Denmark b.1967 / Beauty 1993 / Spotlight, water, nozzles, hose, pump / Purchased 2025. The Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Charitable Trust / Collection: The Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Charitable Trust, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © 1993 Olafur Eliasson / Photograph: J Ruckli © QAGOMA / View full image
Don't miss Beauty 1993 which brings a rainbow close enough for us to touch, together with a fine mist falling gently on our skin and the smell of water. Normally distant in the landscape, however during ‘Olafur Eliasson: Presence’ at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) until 12 July 2026, the rainbow is no longer separate from us; here its quiet presence gently unfurls in front of us.
A spectral curtain of colourful light shimmers inside a darkened space, visible from certain perspectives as a rainbow, the light shifts in intensity or disappears as you approach or move away.
Walk towards the light and mist, slowly extending your senses. Feel the water. For each of us the experience will be unique. Why? Our height, the angle of the light and drift of the mist all affect what we see. We will each experience Beauty differently, even when we do so together.
Beauty 1993
Olafur Eliasson, Denmark b.1967 / Beauty 1993 / Spotlight, water, nozzles, hose, pump / Purchased 2025. The Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Charitable Trust / Collection: The Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Charitable Trust, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © 1993 Olafur Eliasson / Photograph: N Umek © QAGOMA / View full image
Olafur Eliasson, Denmark b.1967 / Beauty 1993 / Spotlight, water, nozzles, hose, pump / Purchased 2025. The Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Charitable Trust / Collection: The Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Charitable Trust, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © 1993 Olafur Eliasson / Photograph: C Baxter © QAGOMA / View full image
Delve into the work of Olafur Eliasson — immersive installations that play with light, colour and perception.
‘Presence’ is accompanied by an expansive publication produced in collaboration with Olafur Eliasson and his studio, as well as a range of exhibition merchandise.
The exhibition is complemented by QAGOMA’s interactive mobile companion, which includes an exhibition guide with curatorial insights, images, and behind-the-scenes videos, and a sense trail that invites visitors to experience selected artworks through gentle sensory prompts. When you buy your ticket to 'Presence', you’ll immediately get access to enhance your visit, so bring your headphones.
Olafur Eliasson: Presence
6 December 2025 – 12 July 2026
Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA)
Gallery 1.1 (The Fairfax Gallery), Gallery 1.2 & Gallery 1.3 (Eric and Marion Taylor Gallery)
Brisbane, Australia
Get tickets to 'Olafur Eliasson: Presence’