Present Encounters : Papers from the conference of the Second Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Brisbane, 1996

SESSION 2 : POST OTHERNESS Rhana Devenport Paradise , And Then , And Then , And Then . . . Today the Triennial officially opens, yet at the very moment of tentative completion, the process continues and moves beyond the present. The title of this paper, 'Paradise - And Then , and Then and Then . . .', (borrowed from the titles of two works in the exhibition) focuses on the momentum rather than the completion of this project. In add ressi ng the curatorial process associated with the Triennial, four phases may be identified: consultation, multiple curatorship, artists and cultural zones and shifting d ialogue . The phases of t he Triennial's curatorial process are cyclic and mutable. I will speak here about these phases as the project moves and changes, and discuss what has informed this continu i ng process. The Asia-Pacific Triennial is intent on revealing multiple voices, and provid ing a space for looking and listening. Ong Keng Sen of TheatreWorks in Singapo re succinctly described this approach at the Asia Edge event held in Tokyo earlier this year: As we continue to build art and creativity which knows no boundaries, we need to interact and engage with other peoples and cultu res. But always with passion , empathy and integrity rather than with �eneral isations and with quick categorisatio n , the trademarks o f consumer societies. Consultation The first phase , consultation , began in 1 993, with the insights afforded by the First Asia­ Pacific Triennial - an ambitious and absorbing project that engaged and surprised participants and audiences alike. The power and heart of many works in the exhibition touched many lives. The memory o f Roberto Villanueva's presence i n h i s work, Ego's Grave, and the visual clarity of Dadang Christanto's understated stroll through the not-so­ understated Brisbane Mall are memories not easi ly forgotten . The core consultative body i s the National Advisory Committee, which comprises ten Australian advisers whose combined experiences encompass a breadth and depth of cultural exchange with the region. This Committee greatly assisted the Gallery in the overall plann i ng and direction of the Triennial. Additionally, in 1 995 the Gallery invited more than 1 50 i nternational artists, curators and academics to meet in Brisbane and discuss the Second Triennial. Through two forums, one national and one i nternational, discussions circled around the Triennial's curatorial structure , the question o f themes, and the philosophical direction of the entire project. (The l i nks established by these forums have extended well beyond the Triennial itself: personal connections were made, and a number of international projects ensued .) Through these d iscussions the strength of the Triennial as a site for 'real' dialogue and exchange was reaffi rmed . As an outcome of the forums, it was agreed that the Gallery would not impose a sing l e curatorial theme on t he Second Triennial, but rather would allow thematic groupings t o emerge following t he confi rmation o f participating artists and works. Multiple Curatorship To engage i n d iscussions and forums is a relatively easy task, but to facilitate d ialogue encompassing genuine consultation is quite difficult. Mu ltiple curatorship is a flu id, complex, costly, time-consuming and exceptionally rewardi ng process. It requires an ever-vigilant eye to avoid cultural preconceptions, and an ever-searchi ng ear to locate and listen to what is said. Ideas are offered in many languages and , more importantly, through the complex layeri ng of cultural associations. Translations are, after all, received and reinvented at the 36