The 10-year anniversary has been marked with the unveiling of a new major public artwork by Queensland Aboriginal artist Judy Watson, from Waanyi country in north-west Queensland, to sit pride and place in front of the contemporary art gallery.

The artwork, tow row, is a bronze sculpture that directly reflects the woven fishing nets used by the Ngugi people when they came to the Brisbane river from Minjerribah and Moorgumpin - North Stradbroke and Moreton islands - to fish.

Watson said it was a fragile, ethereal piece that pulled you in emotionally and strengthened public awareness of the Quandamooka culture.

"It is something that you can see and you are pulled into, in a way that is what the net does, it pulls you in emotionally," she said.

"But also it is a questioning, what is it?"

Walk into the gallery and you are instantly bombarded with the multi-coloured synthetic hair cascading down the wall as part of Hrafnhildur Arnadóttir's Nervescape V.

The artwork is one of the five distinctive chapters of GoMA's free Sugar Spin: you, me, art and everything exhibition that has been established as an itinerary to guide you through the exhibition spaces.

Listen to children squeal as they slide down Carsten Höller's Left/Right Slide before walking through the fluoro, hairy archway to rest on the domed cushions of Pinaree Sanpitak's Noon-Nom installation, a celebration of the comfort Buddhism and bosom provide.

Ron Muek's oversized woman In Bed has found a place among the gallery along with the return of Céleste Boursier-Mougenot's musical installation of live finches from here to ear (v.13).

Another highlight of the celebrations is Anthony McCall's Crossing, a major light installation commissioned by GoMA that allows visitors to step into intersecting shafts of solid light to be immersed by the light, haze and sound of breaking waves.

Arguably one of the biggest highlights of the gallery's birthday celebrations this weekend will be Nick Cave's Heard, where 30 colourful, playful horse costumes are brought to life by 60 dancers to a powerful drum beat.

Gallery director Chris Saines was at GoMA when it first opened a decade ago and said it has set an "amazing pace and benchmark" for what contemporary art museums need to be.

"It was a maturity point, I think it is the building that laid the foundations that said to the rest of Australia, let's call them the eastern states," he said.

"This is where culture happens as well and particularly contemporary culture, that is the thing. "I think this building has done so well for this state."

Premier and Arts Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said GoMA had changed Queensland's cultural landscape for the better.

"This is an iconic gallery, we have shown some incredible exhibitions over the years and I urge everyone living in the south-east to come along and celebrate with the gallery for its 10th anniversary," she said.

The gallery will be holding a number of panel discussions, performances, walking tours and workshops over the weekend, head along to the GoMA website for more information.