The Second Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Brisbane, Australia, 1996 : Report

The Queensland Art Gallery earned a level of international critical acclaim, especially in the region , unprecedented for an Australian cultural institution . The Gallery was clear i n its intentions from the outset. This was to be an artistic and i ntellectual exercise that would explore the dynamism and diversity of the contemporary art and cultures of the region. Conference A major i nternational conference entitled Present Encounters, was co-organised by the Griffith University's Centre for the Study of Australia-Asia Relations and was held at the Brisbane Exhibition and Convention Centre from 27 to 29 September 1 996. The conference attracted approximately 600 i nternational and national delegates from 21 countries and was described as 'the biggest art conference ever held in Australia' . (Dr Nicholas Jose, The Australian's Review of Books supplement, November 1 996.) Audience response Audience response to the Second Triennial has been excellent with a total of nearly 1 20,000 visitors. The project has focused unprecedented international attention on the Gallery with international visitors to the exhibition comprising 1 3%. The public's response has been very enthusiastic and supportive of the project with a highly positive reaction from 91 % of the surveyed audience . Catalogue A 1 52 page, full colour catalogue was produced i n association with the Second Triennial. Seventy-seven international and Australian writers were commissioned by the Gallery to contribute to the catalogue which was edited, designed and produced by the Queensland Art Gallery. 3,400 catalogues have been sold and d istributed nationally and internationally. Sales of the catalogue have been good with 2 ,294 sold to date . 92% of the surveyed public rated the catalogue either 'very good' or 'good'. Documentary film A documentary film entitled Millennium Shift was produced in association with the Second Asia-Pacific Triennial. The film is a research project of the Pacific School of Screen Production , made possible through i nvestments by the Australian Film Commission , Film Queensland, Queensland Art Gallery and Queensland College of Art (Griffith University). Millennium Shift was selected by SBS Television to commence the Masterpiece series for 1 997 and was broadcast on 1 0 March , 8.30pm to an estimated audience of more than 50,000. Education Program The Education Program associated with the Second Triennial was extensive and realised through various avenues. These incl uded Artists' Talks in the Gallery, Artists' Performances, l nfopanels (room brochu res) , film screenings and internet access to the Asia-Pacific Triennials Worldwide Web page. A Second Triennial Resource Centre was established in the Gallery and i ncluded video screenings of Artists' Performances and Talks, as well as video art from the reg ion , and the in­ house Second Triennial intranet site. A Resource Kit was produced by the Gallery 5