Third Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, 1999 : Beyond the future : Report.

. . . The offerings inside were more than enough to sate the senses . . . . The blockbuster exhibition had someth ing for everyone. Raymond Gill, Like a bamboo bridge over troubled waters, The Age, September 1 3, 1 999. If you want to see some of the newest and most experimental art from around Australia, the Pacific and Asia, visit the Queensland Art gallery any time over the next fou r months. Artists from 20 countries and regions in our part of the world have pooled their creative talents to produce the mind-expanding Asia-pacific Trienn ial of Contemporary Art. . . . There are 1 44 artworks and instal lations wh ich have turned the gallery into a wonderland of visual experiences and th inking. Cindy Lord , Cu ltural cornucopia, The Courier Mail, September 1 4, p.3. The Asia Pacific Triennial at Queensland Art Gallery is Austral ia's flagsh i p i n attempts to identify culturally with the region . , The APT will continue to play a crucial role in Austral ia's efforts to define itself with in the Asia Pacific region , clearly the most significant cu ltural development in this cou ntry in the past 20 years . Benjami n Genocchio, F lawed Asia-Pacific Triennial requires a rethi nk , The Australian, September 1 7, 1 999, p.1 1 . Queensland Art Gallery's Asia Pacific Trienn ial is now in its third incarnation and is bigger and more wide-ranging than its predecessors . This is an exh ibition for the m illenn ial changeover. It blurs the boundaries between d ifferent media and between artists . It brings together curators from across the region in an extraordi nary col laboration . It celebrates experimentation and the use of new technologies, yet doesn 't turn its back on traditions and innovations with in trad itions. It is a visual , intellectual and emotional rol lercoaster. Universal experiences are offered up for contemplation , but not in a trite way. . . . We see reinvention of traditions, meaningful d ialogues about pol itics or the personal, l ife and death issues, and interaction with commun ities . Contemporary art is rarely this engaging. I n n ine years the triennial has created a dynamic interchange of ideas , experimentation and momentum . . . . There is little doubt that this is Australia's best contemporary exhibition . Louise Martin-Chew, L i nked by an ideal thread, The Australian, September 1 8, 1 999, p.23. Parent's seeking to engage their children in creative and intellectual ly stimulating school hol iday activities need look no further than [Kids' APT] at the Queensland Art Gallery. Amanda Weaver, Bless their arts, The Courier Mail, September 22, 1 999, p.1 8. Here is a great agglomeration of art, which breathes h umour, compassion , outrage and calm in equal measure. I could spend days wandering happily among its umpteen exh ibits. I thought fo r a moment I was dreaming. Gi les Auty, A lesson for the West, The Australian, September 25, 1 999, p.23. For the next 5 months, no trip to the state's capital of Brisbane will be complete without a pilgrimage to the Queensland Art Gallery for the biggest cultural event on the Queensland Event' Corporation's cultural calendar. Only once every three years the Asia Pacific Trienn ial of Contemporary Art dominates the Gal lery, but in its short h istory it has come to define the . Gallery's focus worldwide as a showcase to emphasise the qual ity and d iversity of artists from Asia and the Pacific. Previews, Arts Nexus, September - October, 1 999, p.8. From relatively humble origins in 1 993, the Asia Pacific triennial of Contemporary Art has g rown into the most interesting "art event" on the Austral ian art calender. Sasha Grishi n , Exploring humanity, unity and l ife forces, Canberra Times, October 2, 1 999, p.1 3. 1 55