Set to a soundtrack of moody electronica, the installation looks like a white volcano constructed from hundreds of metres of tulle, erupting with clouds of vapour-filled bubbles.

The ground of Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens appears to steam with popping bubbles, as they each hit the ground and release a tiny puff of smoke.

“The wind blows this way or that way, and the smoke bubbles map what’s going on in the air – it’s a very enchanting thing for us,” co-creator Luke Jaaniste said.

The work by Brisbane sonic-performance-installation ensemble Theatre of Thunder will also feature two live performances, one on Friday, and one on the final night of the exhibition.

It’s one of 10 installations in Botanica 2023, and fingers crossed the crowds will return this year after nine days of rain during last year’s event.

“What we’re hoping for is to see people coming out again, with their families and friends … really it’s about creative discovery in what is a beautiful space in our city,” curator Lucy Quinn told AAP.

This year’s event includes international artists for the first time, with Light Lilies by Noa Haim and Adriaan de Man from The Netherlands.

People are encouraged to pull apart and rebuild its geometric structures, so the form of the artwork is constantly changing.

The theme for 2023 is “tread softly”, with several artworks such as the Slow Botanica Pavilion from Melbourne’s Slow Art Collective using repurposed materials.

Not only that, the actual artwork is repurposed too: a version of the woven textile construction was recently on show at the Museum of Brisbane, but it’s been redesigned for the outdoors and to be enjoyed at night.

Other works such as Foundation by Brisbane’s Phoebe Paradise are a commentary on our changing environment and climate.

It’s a collection of tiny Queenslanders on outsized stilts installed on a lagoon – the houses are above the waterline, and their lights are on.

Botanica is on at Brisbane’s City Botanic Gardens from Friday to May 21.