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

RESEARCH LIBRARY + DATABASES Curatorial staff using resources of Queensland Art Gallery Research Library Asia-Pacific Collection OVERVIEW The Queensland Art Gallery Research Library provided information and research services for the APT project team and for other Gallery staff who were engaged in various aspects of the project — ranging from the selection of artists and works, writing and publishing, exhibition design and development, to promotions and programming. The curatorial team were able to draw on the Library’s extensive collection of Asian and Pacific resources which currently has 4,266 catalogued items and a further 1,000 items, arranged by country, to be catalogued. This collection continues to develop through gift, purchase and exchange and the Library acknowledges the generous donation of catalogues by the artists and curators who visited APT 2002. Access to the research collection was provided through a comprehensively indexed database of resources, which includes books, exhibition catalogues and journal articles on artists. In March 2003, the Library’s main database held 7,990 records, including 3,040 journal articles relating to contemporary art of the Asian and Pacific region. Library staff drew on these resources, plus electronic databases and inter-library loans to research and develop information folders on each of the artists for use by curatorial staff and writers for the catalogue, and later for students. These resources were also used to prepare select bibliographies for the APT 2002 publication, education kit and website. In collaboration with the Education section, Library staff identified and acquired printed and audiovisual resources, including material for children, for the resource stations within the exhibition space. The video copies of interviews between the Gallery’s education staff and selected artists shown at the resource stations will become part of the Library’s APT 2002 archive, forming a valuable resource for other researchers and students. APT 2002 publicity and reviews, as well as ephemera and photographs of the artists, art works, performances and events were collected to provide a historical documentation of the Triennial and as a source of future research and publications. A major reorganisation of the Library space, including new signage, was carried out in preparation for visiting scholars and the launch of the Australian Centre of Asia-Pacific Art. All Library staff actively supported children’s programs through their regular participation in the roster to supervise Kids’ APT. The profile of, and access to, the Asia-Pacific archive and research collection will be enhanced by the Library’s relocation to the Gallery’s second site, the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art in late 2005. In conjunction with the Australian Centre of Asia Pacific Art, a range of different facilities will be available for access to the collections by researchers, interns, students and the general public. 83