The 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT10) Catalogue

Cinema The 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art 180 Production still from Lost and Found 2018 / Directors: Andrew Goldsmith, Bradley Slabe / Digital, stop motion animation, colour, 5.1 stereo sound, 8 minutes, Australia, No Dialogue / Image courtesy: Wabi Sabi Studios Production still from [Censored] 2018 / Director: Sari Braithwaite / Digital, colour and black and white, stereo, 63 minutes, Australia, English / Image courtesy: Arenamedia Production still from Under the Cover of Cloud 2018 / Digital, colour, stereo, 88 minutes, Australia, English / Director: Ted Wilson / Image courtesy: Bonsai Films The program also showcases a collection of experimental short films and video artworks created for Prototype, a digital initiative established by film curator and scholar Lauren Carroll Harris in 2019. Prototype has been an innovating force since its inception, directly commissioning works from artists and filmmakers then sharing them with subscribers through a seasonal email newsletter. It is a singular digital enterprise that bypasses old models of funding and exhibition, generating space for new voices in the Australian screen landscape. In some ways, it is illustrative of a gradual — though not yet equitable — shift towards more diverse representation behind the camera throughout the industry, with greater representation of Indigenous and gender- diverse voices. This can also be seen in feature films such as the Indigenous horror anthology Dark Place 2019, which approaches Australia’s past and present from perspectives that have traditionally been excluded from institutional support. Many of the films in the program explore the experiences of communities whose stories have not often been told in Australian cinema, including queer romances, refugee journeys, and accounts from the growing Asia-Pacific diaspora. ‘Australian Next Wave’ presents a complex and sometimes contradictory national cinematic portrait, constructed through a selection of works by risk-taking filmmakers at the forefront of local storytelling on screen. Robert Hughes The Magic Arts: Australian Animation from the 1970s to Now Vibrant with originality, ingenuity and insight, Australian animation has produced an exciting and expansive number of filmic contributions since its inception more than 100 years ago. From early animated advertisements through to today’s computer-generated images (CGI), special effects and virtual reality, Australian animators have pushed the boundaries of the medium’s technology and techniques to produce engaging films (both long and short form), television series, advertisements, music videos, multiplatform video games and expanded synthetic environments, such as Second Life . ‘The Magic Arts: Australian Animation from the 1970s to Now’ draws attention to the past 50 years of animation in Australia, showcasing a cross-section of studio and independent productions from the 1970s to today. It acknowledges the 1970s as a pivotal time in Australia for growth in the film industry — both creatively and financially — which laid the groundwork for the rich and diverse works produced today. Taking its name from Magic Arts 1978, a short film by Academy Award–winning Australian animator Bruce Petty, the program’s title not only reflects the magical properties often associated with this medium but also nods to the contributions by artists who, like Petty, look to animation to comment on the world around them. The history of Australian animation is peppered by periods of growth and instability, beginning from the early to mid-1910s when, alongside other countries, creators experimented with translating static drawings into moving image. In Australia, this new medium found its home in animated advertising, which blossomed over the next decade, screening in cinemas alongside newsreels and features. Local production prospered, most notably Cartoon Filmads, established by Harry Julius. A commercial artist, animator and noted newspaper cartoonist, Julius capitalised on the burgeoning market by launching a presence throughout major cities in Australia as well as in several locations in Europe and Asia. 1 While animation continued to prosper internationally, growth in Australia waned in the late 1920s as local studios contended with geographic isolation, a comparatively small domestic market and an increase in live-action advertisements driven by the introduction of sound films. Cartoon Filmads downsized and eventually closed by 1935, leaving smaller studios and freelance animators to continue producing primarily commercial work in the years that followed.