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

ACCESS TO INFORMATION APT 2002 Interpretation Station Students researching, Song Dong’s Stamping the water Audiences to APTs have indicated very strongly their wish to access as much information on individual artists and art works as possible. The concept of the Education Lounge developed for APT3 was expanded for APT 2002 in the form of multiple ‘information stations’ which were scattered throughout the display spaces. Each station focused on an individual artist, and provided a number of learning tools, including printed and audio-visual materials. The stations also addressed the audience request for more seating to be provided in display areas to offer a more relaxing and comfortable viewing experience. MOVING IMAGE DISPLAY APT 2002 Screening Room The comfort of visitors was also considered in the development of the APT 2002 Screening Room, a major new feature of the installation design. We have found that visitors have difficulty moving from well-lit gallery spaces into a pitch black viewing room. Unsure of their footing or what seating, if any, has been provided, or even what else is in the room with them, visitors generally crowd into the space immediately inside the door, causing congestion and a decreased amount of time actually viewing the video footage on display. To address these potential negatives, the Screening Room was designed with numerous points of egress, a number of windows which allowed the interior to be seen from outside the space, and a brightly coloured floor covering which enabled visitors to see where they were treading. The room’s proportions, contours and building materials were carefully selected to ensure excellent acoustics. Further, the technical equipment used was advanced enough that the footage did not require complete darkness to be viewed successfully. Standard sized TV monitors (with headphones) on the walls immediately outside the Screening Room allowed viewers who preferred a more intimate viewing experience to watch individual works from the complete program featured within the Screening Room. 18