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

COMMENTS : WRITERS AND CRITICS The First Triennial was favourably viewed in the region because it redressed the lack of knowledge in the West of the contemporary art emerging in the Asia-Pacific region ... The Queensland Art Gallery's pledge to three Triennials . . . shows its long-term commitment to understanding the cultures of the region and the financial support received from the Federal and State Governments confirms the administration's concerns about improving awareness of Australia's neighbours. (Jonathan Bogais, The Art Newspaper, London, no 62 September 1 996) The overriding opinion of the over eighty artists who exhibited their work and who came from about seventeen countries (and regions) .... , as well as of those who came to view the show, including many fastidious participating artists, was that the Gallery did an outstanding job in carrying out the complex work of organising the exhibition. This cultural event has been dubbed the 'Asia-Pacific Art Oscar' by participating artists... (Wang Youshen, The Art Gallery, China, Vol 58-59, No 5-6, 1 996 - translated from Mandarin) .. . it is apparent that the exhibition has been aimed at reassessing the long-dominant values of Western Modernism and at seeking the possibility of a multicultural world by shedding light equally on diverse cultures in the Asia-Pacific region. (Satoru Nagoya, The Japan Times, 1 9 September 1 996) The Brisbane Triennial will not only promote cultural exchange within the Asia-Pacific region but also draw the world's eyes to the cultural diversity of this region. In contrast, global attention in recent years has tended to focus on some of the rapidly growing Asian economies found in the region. (Satoru Nagoya, The Japan Times, 1 9 September 1 996) Brisbane is to reinforce its emerging image as an innovative cultural capital with the greatest extravaganza of contemporaryvisual arts of the Asia-Pacific region yet seen . (Susan McCulloch, The Australian, 20 September 1 996) It took Brisbane to combine curatorial and entrepreneurial sophistication with sub-tropical insouciance. (Alison Broinowski, The Canberra Times, 21 September 1 996) Most importantly, the Triennial provides a meeting place for the art of Asia and the Pacific, a context in which we can get to see the great variety of work being produced in the region. (Peter Anderson, Brisbane News, 25 September 1 996) The Queensland Art Gallery's Asia-Pacific Triennial is recognised internationally as a leading event in the exhibition and forum of contemporary art in this diverse and dynamic region. Through the Triennial, Australia has been warmly regarded as a prominent and sensitive participant in the artistic development of the region. (Mr Kwok Kian Chow, Director of the Singapore Art Museum, speaking at the official opening 26 September 1 996) The first Triennial helped shake these perceptions - and the second . . . . aims to go even further. (Rebecca Lancashire, The Age, 26 September 1 996) 25