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

CONFERENCE : PRESENT ENCOUNTERS The Conference has been described by one delegate as the largest and most significant visual arts Conference ever held in Australia. The Conference Present Encounters was co-organised and funded by the Gallery and the Centre for the Studies of Australia Asia Relations at Griffith University. Conference convenors were Dr Russell Trood , Director, Centre for the Study of Australia Asia Relations, Dr Caroline Turner, Deputy Director and Manager, Exhibitions and Cultural Development, Queensland Art Gallery, and Ms Rhana Devenport, Senior Project Officer, Asia-Pacific Triennial, Queensland Art Gallery. Approximately 600 Australian and international delegates gathered at the Brisbane Convention Centre from 27 to 29 September for the Conference. Among the distinguished international keynote speakers were Mr Hou Hanru and Mr Wang Youshen (China); Mr Jim Supangkat, Ms Dolorosa Sinaga and Mr Enin Supriyanto (Indonesia); Mr Kanaga Sabapathy and Mr Kwok Kian Chow (Singapore) ; Mr Fumio Nanjo, Ms Emiko Namikawa and Mr Masahiro Ushiroshoji (Japan); Mr Deepak Ananth and Ms Kamala Kapoor (India); Professor Somporn Rodboon and Mr Chumpon Apisuk (Thailand); Mr Patrick Flores (The Philippines); Mr Niranjan Rajah (Malaysia); Mr David Elliott (Un ited Kingdom); Dr Jonathan Mane-Wheoki and Mr Jim Vivieaere (Aotearoa/New Zealand); Mr Emmanuel Kasarherou (New Caledonia); Mrs Soyeon Ahn (South Korea); and Mr Oscar Ho Hing Kay (Hong Kong). Local speakers included the Director, Mr Doug Hall; Deputy Director, Dr Caroline Turner; Senior Project Officer, Ms Rhana Devenport; Professor Ian Howard , Queensland College of Art, Griffith University; Professor David Williams, Canberra College of Art, Australian National University; Professor Nicholas Thomas, Australian National University; Associate Professor Pat Hoffie , Queensland College of Art, G riffith University; and newly appointed Gallery staff members Dr Michael Brand and Ms Julie Ewington. The Conference i ncluded themes related to issues of gender (particularly the vexed issues still facing women artists in many countries), spirituality and social concerns, g lobalisation , the role of contemporary artists, history, popular culture and new orientations for the new millennium (see Conference Program). On the final day, an open forum of delegates discussed issues relevant to future Triennials. Speake rs at the Conference called for a new understanding of the historical context of contemporary art, including modernism in Asia, a new language for art criticism i n the reg ion , a reconsideration of Western notions of time, and a consideration of new strategies for deconstruction of Western notions of art. Speakers talked of the possibility of new 'centres' emerging (referring to Brisbane as one of those centres for Asian and Pacific art) . They questioned the perspectives of the Euro-American art world and indicated the need for a more sophisticated understanding of difference and disj unction. The roles of the artist and the institution in contemporary society were scrutin ised, and issues of 'contemporary' and 'traditional' were re­ exami ned by Pacific speakers in particular. The Conference Papers are being published by the Gallery during 1 997 and are edited by the Deputy Director. 45