This weekend, the BrizVegas cultural centre precinct welcomed visitors through its doors again for the first time since the floods. On Saturday, the area was so crowded with city folk, that one could be forgiven for mistaking oneself in the TATE Modern or Pompidou Centre, rather than our own usually barren, almost inert riverside ‘arts’ space.

It was as much the playful, whimsical nature of the 21^st Century : Art in the First Decade exhibition, as the gratifyingly air-conditioned spaces which drew visitors in from the sunshine. Free entry probably helped too (and was much appreciated after of some of GoMA’s outrageously expensive admission prices of the past). The pieces in the exhibition were for the most part really accessible, colourful and interactive. Hey, here’s an idea ... why not apply the same principles to building and public infrastructure outside the gallery ?

There’s no denying that Brisbanites flock to big ticket exhibitions like paparazzi to a Hollywood premiere… think Warhol, Picasso, Valentino of recent years. Our cultural constitution is so glutted with sport, alcohol, food and celebrity, we leave almost no room for art appreciation. Never would we seek out the work of unsung artists or patronise an arts event that isn’t publicised to within an inch of its life on every billboard, bus and newspaper for months leading up to it. And anyway, we’re too busy gastro-socialising over brunch in a little New Farm cafe.

It may be that before we commit ourselves to going to the theatre, or visiting an art exhibition, we require confirmation from other parts of the world that it will be worth our while.

We went to see Warhol @ GoMA because everyone knows he’s a genius, right ?

Valentino ? Well, he’s one of Gwyneth Paltrow’s favourite designers.

And Wicked has been a huge hit on Broadway for years, so must be alright.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with taking cultural cues from overseas markets. It puts BrisVegas in the protégé position; being mentored by cities we’d like to be when we grow up. We just have to be careful not to completely eclipse the sunny, subtropical, humbly Christian, trashtastic breeding ground of our own city, from which local and really quite wonderful ideas continue to spawn.

21^st Century : Art in the First Decade @ GoMA till 26 April.

Go see it !