Cascading Canopy
30 January - 1 March 2026
Cascading Canopy
Squeak + Bubble
Squeak + Bubble, Cascading Canopy, 2022, Bird-safe netting, survey tape and neon plastic sheeting, 630 x 670 x 300cm (variable upon installation) in situ, 2022 at Festival Gardens, AFCM. Photograph: Alan Marlowe.
Visitors to the Critical Mass: 2026 Umbrella Members’ Exhibition launch were welcomed with a surprise upon entering the gallery space – two vibrant, immersive installations by the artist duo Squeak + Bubble. Their work Cascading Canopy and forms from their Pulse series have been remounted and recontextualised in conversation with the Members’ Exhibition. This is our first remount project celebrating Umbrella’s fortieth anniversary year, and we are excited to continue sharing works throughout 2026 which have contributed to Umbrella’s history. These Squeak + Bubble installations were originally commissioned by Umbrella and partners for PUNQ Festival and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music.
Please note: Cascading Canopy contains changing light. Visitors with light sensitivities are invited to call ahead for alternative access options or to check in with staff upon arrival.
Cascading Canopy was created by Squeak + Bubble and members of the Townsville community as part of Rhythm of Life, a public art installation co-commissioned by Umbrella and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music (AFCM) for their inaugural Festival Gardens, Civic Theatre, Gurambilbarra / Townsville. This project was originally made possible by the Australian Government’s Regional Arts Fund, provided through Regional Arts Australia, administered in Queensland by Flying Arts Alliance. Umbrella and the artists thank Dancenorth Australia for the lighting support for this iteration of the installation.
An earlier iteration of Pulse was commissioned by Umbrella for PUNQ 2024. It was installed emerging from the granite tors (boulders) and dripping down the rock faces on the beach at Nobby Headland, Picnic Bay, Yunbenun / Magnetic Island.
Squeak + Bubble are creative collaborators Kit Holloway and Nora Gigney, who create immersive sculpture and sound installations intended to surprise and delight. Residing on Yunbenun / Magnetic Island, they collect and transform recycled materials into fantastical sculptures that ignite the imagination and disrupt the status quo. Squeak + Bubble’s installations have featured at arts and music festivals and local galleries where they have delighted a diverse and inclusive audience.
Also on display during this period
All Exhibitions30 January -
1 March 2026
Open Hours
Tues - Fri: 9am-5pm
Sat - Sun: 9am-1pm
Gallery closed Mondays, public holidays and during exhibition install weeks.
Follow our social media for updates.
Contact
408 Flinders Street,
Gurambilbarra / Townsville,
Qld, 4810 Australia
PO Box 2394,
Gurambilbarra / Townsville,
Qld, 4810 Australia
Send us a message here
Subscribe to Enews
Acknowledgement of Country
Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts respectfully acknowledges the Wulgurukaba of Gurambilbarra and Yunbenun and the surrounding groups of our region - Bindal, Gugu Badhun, Nywaigi, Warrgamay, Bandjin and Gudjal - as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we gather, share and celebrate local creative practice. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first people of Australia. They have never ceded sovereignty and remain strong in their enduring connection to land and Culture.
Umbrella is a Member & Signatory of the Indigenous Art Code. This means we are committed to fair and ethical trade with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, and transparency in the promotion and sale of artwork. As a Dealer Member and signatory to the Code we must act fairly, honestly, professionally and in good conscience in all direct or indirect dealings with artists.
Help Us Elevate Regional Artists
We champion artists, amplifying their distinctive and authentic voices. We are an inclusive platform for independent, experimental, contemporary arts practice in local, national, and international arts landscapes. We have a 39 year history of connecting artists and audiences and we couldn't do it without your support.
Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts is registered as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) with the Australian Taxation Office. Donations to Umbrella are tax deductible for amounts of $2 or more. Click here to donate.
Acknowledgements
Umbrella is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, part of the Department of Education, and the Visual Art, Craft and Design Framework, an initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments. | Umbrella is supported by the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation and receives funding from Creative Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund. | Townsville City Council is a funding partner of Umbrella's program.
