Discover Australia’s best outdoor art displays

23 Mar 2022

Australians love the great outdoors, so is it any wonder some of our most spectacular art is not found in traditional museums and galleries?

From the Museum of Underwater Art in Queensland and the Sculpture by the Sea festival in New South Wales to alloy sculptures spread across Western Australia’s Goldfields and silo art in five different states, unique outdoor art exhibits await travellers across the country. Discover Australia’s best outdoor art displays and start planning your next cultural adventure…

MUSEUM OF UNDERWATER ART – TOWNSVILLE, QLD

Situated within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, the Museum of Underwater Art (MOUA) is Australia’s only underwater museum and truly one of the world’s most intriguing art galleries. MOUA features a series of globally significant installations and sculptures created by renowned underwater sculptor, Jason deCaires Taylor. The museum’s first installation, Ocean Siren, can be viewed in the waters off Townsville. Suitable for casual snorkelers as well as first-time and certified divers, MOUA aims to inspire and educate visitors about reef conservation and efforts to protect this precious ecosystem.

SCULPTURE BY THE SEA – SYDNEY, NSW

From sculptures under the sea to Sculpture by the Sea, this popular annual festival turns Sydney’s famous Bondi to Tamara Beach coastal walk into a veritable art extravaganza. In 2022, Sculpture by the Sea – the world’s largest free to the public sculpture exhibition – will run from 20 October to 6 November and feature 100 sculptures of all different sizes and styles by local and international artists. It’s an easy to moderate walk the whole way, so you will only need to set aside a morning or afternoon to enjoy this iconic destination coming to life in spring.

INSIDE AUSTRALIA – LAKE BALLARD, WA

While the location is remote, the journey to Lake Ballard – a vast salt plain in the WA outback – is more than worthwhile for the chance to see Inside Australia, the largest outdoor gallery anywhere in the land. Created by Turner Prize-winning British artist Antony Gormley, Inside Australia comprises 51 alloy sculptures representing residents of nearby town Menzies, along with a few out-of-town volunteers. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to appreciate the abstract human shapes casting long shadows across the seemingly endless landscape.

SILO ART TRAILS – WA, VIC, SA, NSW & QLD

Did you know grain silos and water towers throughout regional Australia are being transformed into massive, remarkable works by local and international artists? The Australian Silo Art Trail stretches over 8,500 kilometres from Northam, Western Australia – where the whole concept started back in March 2015 – to Three Moon, Queensland. There are already around 50 silo art locations to discover on the ultimate road trip of Australia, with more sites popping up all the time. Beyond the original PUBLIC Silo Trail, which runs for 1,000 kilometres across WA, you can find amazing silo art in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. The unique murals are a sight to behold up close, but for an added bonus your visit also helps invigorate the local towns and communities.