Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 1996-97

The 996-97 year saw the Gallery present a dynamic and innovative Seoul, Korea on 13 August. They also met with Dr Yang Mo, Director program which resulted in significant local, national and international General of the National Museum of Korea, to continue negotiations for recognition and attendances of almost 423 000. an exhibition to visit Australia of work from the Chosun dynasty. The Gallery completed its organisational realignment during the first half The Gallery continued to provide the people of Queensland with access of the year to ensure the successful implementation of the Corporate to the Collection through its travelling exhibition program and support Plan. While the same number of program areas is maintained, a Marketing services. The Gallery toured three exhibitions from the Collection during & Business Development Program was established to further enhance the year, covering a total of 5 000 kilometres. Exhibitions included the commercial and sponsorship opportunities. continuing tour of 'The Spiritual and the Social: Nine Artists from Thailand, Indonesia and The Philippines'; the launch of a six-venue tour for 'The O f the exhibitions presented during the year, eleven were Gallery-initiated, Urban Edge: Historical and Contemporary Works from the Collection of with nine of these focusing on the Collection and three travelling to regional the Queensland Art Gallery'; and 'Silver and Gold from the Collection of Queensland. International exhibitions included 'The Second Asia-Pacific the Queensland Art Gallery 1735-1988', a special exhibition to celebrate Triennial of Contemporary Art' and 'Paris: In the Late 19th Century'. The the opening of the Hervey Bay Regional Gallery and Library. Gallery became the first Australian gallery to present an exhibition at the recently opened Shanghai Museum. The Queensland Art Gallery Foundation continued to play an important role in shaping the Collection and in attracting new corporate sponsors, The second Asia-Pacific Triennial built on the popular and critical success private donors and gifts to support major projects. Sixty-nine works were of the first Triennial. The exhibition focused international attention on the acquired through the Foundation, of which eighteen were acquired with Gallery, and was widely recognised as a project of profound importance corporate or private funding, fifteen were gifted by individuals, and the to the Asia-Pacific region. An audience of 120 000 visited the exhibition, remainder were acquired with individuals' funds received through the almost doubling attendances at the first Triennial. The second Triennial Foundation. involved more than 100 artists, forty-two Australian and international curators, 600 conference delegates, and seventy-seven catalogue writers. The Australian art collection was enhanced by the addition of Girolamo The associated conference, Present Encounters, has been described by Nerli's The sitting 1889, a major acquisition, which significantly advanced one delegate as the largest and most significant visual arts conference ever the Gallery's representation of the Heidelberg School. Louis Vuitton held in Australia, sponsored a dinner through the Foundation to raise funds for the purchase of this work, and was successful in raising almost $50 000. Additional The Gallery was one of only two venues for 'Paris: In the Late 19th donations to the purchase were made by Mr James Fairfax, AO, Mr Philip Century', a major exhibition organised by the National Gallery of Australia Bacon and Mr Wayne Kratzmann. Significant progress was made towards and the Museé d'Orsay, Paris. It attracted more than 103 000 visitors, and publication of the book on the Gallery's Australian art collection. was enhanced by the 'Paris' shop and cafe, developed specially for the exhibition. In the collection area of decorative arts, the major acquisition was a group of contemporary metalwork and jewellery items, which formed the focus The 1997 Moët & Chandon Touring Exhibition was launched nationally of 'Contemporary Vessels and Jewels: Australian Fine Metalwork'. in Brisbane. The Gallery received the Moët & Chandon gift of $50 000, with which it enhanced its collection of contemporary Australian art, The Indigenous Australian art collection was enlarged with the acquisition purchasing works by seven artists. During the exhibition the Gallery also of forty new works, including a commission of eighteen panels by Emily featured a complementary display to honour the tenth anniversary of the Kame Kngwarreye. establishment of the award. The Gallery's holdings of contemporary Asian art were significantly The Gallery's exhibition 'Contemporary Vessels and Jewels: Australian Fine developed with the addition of twenty-three new works from the second Metalwork' was the first Australian exhibition to be displayed at the Triennial. The Gallery can now boast one of the world's finest public Shanghai Museum. This exhibition was one of a series of exchange collections of contemporary Asian art. exhibitions emerging from the Sister State Agreement between Queensland and Shanghai, and will be followed by a return exhibition from the Shanghai The prints, drawings and photographs collection was augmented through Museum's significant collection. the acquisition of Australian contemporary works on paper, as well as international works from the second Triennial and the Dennis Oppenheim A major exhibition 'Systems End: Contemporary Art in Australia', organised Foundation in New York. by Sherman Galleries, Sydney in association with the Queensland Art Gallery, travelled to four venues in three Asian countries. The Chairman Several key staff appointments were made during the year. Dr Michael and the Director attended the official opening at the Dong Ah Gallery in Brand was appointed as Assistant Director (Curatorial & Collection