What Becomes of Clouds

Megan Cope's flowing meditation on water, memory, and place

Walk through Heritage Lanes and witness something profound – a river of glass and light that remembers the creek that once flowed through this very ground. Megan Cope's What Becomes of Clouds transforms architectural space into cultural memory, honouring the waterways that shaped this Country long before buildings rose from the earth.

Where Water Remembers

This installation speaks to the eternal relationship between land and water, past and present. Based on an 1863 lithograph mapping Brisbane's original waterways, the artwork traces the creek's path in brass across the marble terrazzo floor. Above, 28 glass panels flow across the ceiling, following water's natural journey from river to reservoir and beyond.

At night, the entrance gate illuminates, bringing the historical waterway back to life. Glass mimics water's essential qualities – carrying light, creating flow, immersing us in the eternal movement that connects all life.

About the Artist

Megan Cope, a Quandamooka woman from North Stradbroke Island, creates work that honours culture, history, and deep relationships to Country. Her practice uses mapping not merely as documentation, but as cultural remembering – preserving bodies of water, Indigenous language, and the stories that bind us to place.

Through her art, Megan ensures that as places transform, the connections that define them are never forgotten.

Connection Flows

Walking beneath What Becomes of Clouds, you follow water's ancient path through Country. The undulating glass ceiling mirrors the flow from river to reservoir, while brass outlines beneath ground you in this place's layered history.

This installation invites pause and reflection – reminding us that every place holds multiple stories, some visible, others waiting to be remembered. As light shifts throughout the day, the artwork creates different moods, from tranquil morning calm to dramatic evening illumination.

Here, water's memory flows through contemporary space, connecting us to the deeper story of Country and our responsibility as custodians of place.

Heritage Lanes celebrates First Nations cultures through our permanent art collection, bush tucker garden, and Storytelling Disks that share the rich history of Meanjin.

Discover our First Nations heritage

Heritage Lanes acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we operate and pays respect to Elders past and present. We honour the rich cultural heritage that continues to thrive and evolve.