A giant golden moth with crooked teeth and peach-coloured fluff is set to become an unlikely Sydney art-world star. Melbourne duo The Huxleys are bringing their sparkle-filled queer art to Sydney Contemporary, where a towering inflatable creature will anchor a performance about difference, love and the power of joy.
A giant Glamour Moth takes centre stage
The Huxleys’ Glamour Moth is gloriously hard to ignore: golden, glittering and crowned with curling horns. At Sydney Contemporary, the invented creature will appear as an inflatable sculpture more than three metres tall, transforming a playful studio creation into a larger-than-life emblem of queer pride. The festival lists the duo’s Radical Joy performance as part of its programme. [4], [5]
For artists Will and Garrett Huxley, the moth represents the pleasure of looking different and feeling beautiful anyway. Their work spans photography, film, sculpture, costume and performance, often blending fantasy with humour and a generous dose of sparkle. On their website, they describe a practice shaped by queer culture, transformation and theatrical spectacle. [2]
From shared inspirations to a creative partnership
The Huxleys met in 2006 and later brought their separate practices together through a mural commission in 2014. Their art has since appeared in exhibitions and collections, including the National Portrait Gallery, where their work is presented as part of the institution’s collection. [2], [3]
Their recognition has also grown through commissions and awards. The Museum of Australian Photography’s 2023 Wai Tang Commissioning Award announcement named The Huxleys among its recipients, marking another milestone for a duo whose imaginative worlds have travelled well beyond the studio. [6]
Why joy can feel like a radical act
The Sydney presentation centres on Radical Joy, a body of work that treats happiness not as a lightweight escape, but as a deliberate response to difficult times. The series includes photographs, light boxes and performance, using colour and play to make room for connection and optimism. [5]
That idea feels especially striking in an art world that can sometimes mistake seriousness for gloom. The Huxleys’ approach suggests that making people laugh or feel uplifted can carry its own force. At Sydney Contemporary, the Glamour Moth’s theatrical presence makes that argument with very little subtlety, and that’s rather the point. [4], [5]
What to expect at Sydney Contemporary
The inflatable moth is set to appear during the festival’s opening Art Night, with the artists performing in costume around their creation. It’s a format that brings the duo’s studio-made fantasy directly into the event, turning an artwork into a shared, live experience. [4]
For visitors planning a trip, it’s worth checking the festival’s event information before setting off, as performance timings and access details can shape the evening. Sydney Contemporary’s listing identifies the work as a performance, while MARS Gallery presents Radical Joy as part of its programme for 2026. [4], [5]
The Huxleys’ work reaches beyond the gallery
The duo’s projects also connect queer art with memory and community. Their ongoing Bloodlines project honours artists who died from HIV-related illness, with photographs and collaborative quilting sessions forming part of its approach. The 2026 Melt Festival programme includes the project among its offerings. [7]
That balance of celebration and remembrance gives their glittering style more depth than first meets the eye. The work invites audiences to enjoy the spectacle, but also to think about the lives, histories and communities that make such acts of visibility matter. [2], [7]
A little sparkle can be more than decoration when it helps people feel seen.
Source Reference Map
Story idea inspired by: [1]
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