Artists have been invited to delve into real and imagined archives from Asia, the Pacific and Australia as a special project for ‘The 7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ (APT7), opening at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) on December 8, 2012.
QAGOMA Acting Director Suhanya Raffel said The 20-Year Archive would ask artists to interpret the contents of the Gallery’s APT archives, and other archives from throughout the region, as a way of reflecting on the two decades of art, society, politics and culture since APT was first held in 1993.
‘The results will be profiled in the exhibition, online, and in accompanying publications and public programs,’ Ms Raffel said.
The 20-Year Archive will encompass a sound installation by Singaporean artist Heman Chong, drawing on the APT archive from QAGOMA’s Australian Centre of Asia Pacific Art; the multimedia project ‘{disarmed}: imagining a Pacific archive’ project by Torika Bolatagici (Australia/Fiji), Teresia Teaiwa (USA/Kiribati/New Zealand) and Mat Hunkin (New Zealand/Samoa); and displays by MAP Office (Hong Kong) and Raqs Media Collective (India) which respectively draw upon the Asia Art Archive in Hong Kong and the archives of the Sarai research centre in New Delhi.
An archive of the Gallery’s Children's Art Centre drawing projects developed by the Gallery in collaboration with APT artists would also be presented as part of the 20-Year Archive and Kids‘ APT.
Featuring a range of drawings by children from across the region, including Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, North Korea (DPRK), Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and Australia, this archive will reflect the diverse yet shared experiences of children, and trace a history of the Kids‘ APT.
Ms Raffel said enduring relationships with artists and audiences, acclaimed children‘s programming and an unparalleled Collection of contemporary art from Asia, the Pacific and Australia were among the outcomes of the six APT exhibitions which had been seen by over 1.8 million visitors since 1993.
‘The APT has resulted in lasting relationships with artists from across the region that remain great ambassadors for our Gallery and continue to support our Collection development and exhibition programs,’ she said.
‘Collection exhibitions including ‘The China Project’ (2009) and ‘Unnerved: The New Zealand Project’ (2010) and solo exhibitions such as ‘Yayoi Kusama: Look Now See Forever’ (2011–12) have resulted directly from these relationships, as have programming innovations such as the direction of the Gallery’s Children’s Art Centre.’
‘Kids’ APT, first staged with APT3 in 1999, invites leading international artists to work with the Gallery to develop artworks and activities for children. This collaboration continues to result in genuinely meaningful ways for audiences to engage with and enhance their understanding of contemporary art.’
Ms Raffel said the Gallery was delighted to be working with Events Queensland on an APT for the first time ever to bring the exhibition to an even wider audience.
‘As a Principal Partner of the exhibition, Events Queensland is supporting the Gallery to enhance awareness of APT7 interstate and internationally,’ she said.
The partnership is expected to boost the already substantial number of interstate and international visitors that experience APT.
‘The 7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ (APT7) is at the Gallery of Modern Art and Queensland Art Gallery from December 8, 2012 to April 14, 2013.
APT7 is made possible by founding sponsor the Queensland Government, presenting sponsor Santos, and principal partners Events Queensland, the Australia Council for the Arts and the Australian Government’s Visual Arts and Crafts Strategy. The PNG component is sponsored by Kramer Ausenco, and a range of cultural organisations have made invaluable contributions.
For more information on the exhibition and artists visit www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/apt7
The 20-Year Archive
Heman CHONG (Singapore)
MAP OFFICE (Hong Kong, China)
{disarmed}: imagining a Pacific archive:
- Torika BOLATAGICI (Australia/Fiji)
- Mat HUNKIN (New Zealand/Samoa)
- Teresia TEAIWA (USA/Kiribati/New Zealand)
RAQS MEDIA COLLECTIVE (India)
KID’S APT DRAWING ARCHIVE |
