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

QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT In 1 993, the Queensland Art Gallery established the Kenneth and Yasuko Myer Collection of Contemporary Art. This collection includes significant works by key contemporary Asian artists that encompass a range of media. Acquisitions from the First Triennial, purchased under the Kenneth and Yasuko Myer Collection , numbered 1 8. These included such major acqu isitions as the sculpture Woods Ill 1 99 1 -92 by Japanese artist Shigeo Toya and Thai artist Montien Boonma's Lotus Sound 1 992. Extending beyond the Triennial, still under the auspices of the Myer Collection were further purchases that now formed a group of contemporary art works that set the basis for future acquisitions. Works that are characterised by their quality, importance and p lace in the practice of individual artists from Asia. Examples from this g roup are the seminal work by Chinese/US artist Xu Bing A book from the sky 1 987-9 1 , the painting Self portrait in Kusamba Beach 1 983 by the highly respected I ndonesian artist Affandi and most recently from the Second Triennial, In Search of faraway places by Wong Hoy Cheong from Malaysia. The acqu isitions made from the Second Triennial were a group of 26 works. These purchases included works from India, China, Japan , Thailand , Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Korea. The Gallery acquired a third more works for its Contemporary Asian Collection compared with the first Triennial, reflecting a growing confidence and commitment to the weight of this collection. It continues to reinforce the policy direction established in the early 1 990's with a Collection that has al ready achieved national and international acclaim. The energy of recent collecting with the formation of the Kenneth and Yasuko Myer Collection, as well as generous support from the Myer Foundation and Michael Myer and Ann Gamble Myer has meant that the Contemporary Asian Collection is now able to boast of works by eminent artists with international reputations providing a prestig ious foundation upon which the collection grows. I ncluding the work of Chinese Australian artists such as Guan Wei as well as collaborative works by Australian and Asian artists such as George Gittoes with the Filipino artist Nunelcio Alvarado, means that the collection is not only enriched but broadened to reflect the nuance of an Asian Diaspora. The Queensland Art Gallery, with its vision for building a collection of vibrant, new and important art from Asia and the start on planning for the Third Triennial has, over the last decade signalled a serious commitment to this aim. It is a direction that has b rought the Gallery a high profile both nationally and internationally, providing for exciting opportunities for futu re col laboration and exchange with its col leagues in the region . 47