APT 2002 Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Brisbane, Australia : Report

• Helen Ennis - Lecturer, Art Theory, National Institute of the Arts, Canberra • Francis Maravillas - Post-graduate student, University of Technology, Sydney • Thomas Berghuis - PhD Student, University of Sydney, Sydney Brisbane Participants: • Zane Trow - Artistic Director, Powerhouse Centre for Live Arts, Brisbane • Michael Snelling - Director, Institute Of Modern Art, Brisbane, Chair, New Media Arts Board, Australia Council • Simon Wright - Director, Griffith Artworks, Griffith University, Brisbane • Kim Machan - Director, MAAP (Multi Media Art Asia-Pacific), Brisbane, 2002 MAAP staged in Beijing QUESTIONS DISTRIBUTED TO PARTICIPANTS 1. What are the significant innovations /directions in international recurring exhibitions? A discussion focussing on possibilities for the present and the future with a group of individuals who are currently developing triennials, biennales and recurring major cultural festivals. What are the single most productive innovations you have seen in recent international or national exhibitions? What purposes do large-scale international exhibitions serve? Have there been any noticeable shifts in recent times? How do we negotiate the ‘untranslatable’ in exhibitions that involve diverse cultures? Does a world dialogue in contemporary art exist? Who is speaking? Who is listening? 2. What strategies are driving the communication of contemporary art? And to whom are we communicating? This discussion will address the growing importance of public programs and educational projects in the communication of contemporary art. Those speaking have developed particular programs, some from an institutional base and others at more grass root levels. Is contemporary art ‘too difficult’ for mass audiences? How do we address diverse audiences for contemporary art in our communities / countries? What are some successful strategies for programming multi-faceted projects that cater for the inclusion of specific communities? 3. What are the key issues in the development and presentation of art outside the mainstream? What are some of the most innovative and exciting developments in contemporary art occurring outside the mainstream? Speakers for this session have developed extensive programs with artists: some invite artists to work within museum/gallery contexts, while others develop artist-based projects and workshops. How can one engage with artworks from countries where the cultural infrastructure is very limited? Do large-scale recurring exhibitions create unproductive juxtapositions of artworks? Do these exhibitions support ideas of representativeness that are effectively detrimental to the meanings of the works? Are questions of ‘authenticity’, and who is allowed to ‘speak for’ different cultures, still important issues? Is the idea of authenticity still a necessary part of the conceptual framework for contemporary art? SCHEDULE: Time Activity 9.30 - 9.35 Introduction to the day 9.35 - 10.30 First session: What are the significant innovations /directions in international recurring exhibitions? 10.30 - 11.00 Questions and Discussion time 11.30-12.30 Second session: What strategies are driving the communication of contemporary art? And to whom are we communicating? 12.30 - 1.00 Questions and Discussion time 2.00 - 3.00 Third session: What are the key issues in the development and presentation of art outside the mainstream? 3.00 - 4.00 Questions and Discussion 143