Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, 1993 : Exhibition report

The Education program for the Asia-Pacific Triennial was extensive and concentrated on explaining a complex exhibition of unfamiliar material to the general Australian public. The major aspects of the Education program were: Education Kit The Gallery in collaboration with the Department of Education, Queensland, produced a resource kit which was distributed to every school in the State. Additional copies were made available for purchase at the Queensland Art Gallery Shop. Copies were forwarded to diplomatic posts in all countries included in the exhibition. As the Queensland Education syllabus includes teaching the language and culture of Indonesia, Japan and China, these three countries were the focus of the Education Kit. The kit provided a framework of reference for planning of a work program that could incorporate a visit to the exhibition. Teachers made reference to the usefulness of the kit and exhibition in combination, as rich learning opportunities. The artists from Japan, China and Indonesia invited to contribute to the content of the kit were impressed with its concept and presentation. Didactics Didactic material in the exhibition was important in providing background information on the Asia Pacific region. Didactic text panels associated with the respective countries included statistical information related to population, religion, government, and language. The main statements addressed cultural history and contemporary art practice. Each panel was illustrated with a locational map similar to that used in the catalogue. In addition, topical pictorial imagery was incorporated in most examples. Video Documentary The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), in conjunction with the Gallery, undertook to produce a one-hour documentary recording the exhibition for national and international distribution. The documentary was screened on prime time television nationally throughout Australia on 2 December 1993. It has already been screened at art conferences and art colleges in the Philippines and Indonesia, and the ABC will release the program for international viewing and has plans for the documentary to be shown on television in a number of the participating countries. Introductory Video The Gallery and the ABC produced an introductory video to provide the public with background information on the culture and contemporary art of the countries involved in the exhibition. The video presentation, lasting 7 minutes, was screened continuously in the Gallery Lecture Theatre and on a large-screen monitor in Gallery 2. The production communicated the scope of the exhibition both conceptually and contextually. Film Festival A film festival was organised in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Triennial. Films were screened regularly in the Gallery’s lecture theatre. The film program included traditional and contemporary films produced in Asian and Pacific countries. This program was well patronised and gave the viewers an increased insight and understanding of the countries within the Asia Pacific region. EDUCATION