Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 2003-04

17 EXHIBITIONS AND AUDIENCES The Queensland Art Gallery presented a diverse range of exhibitions in 2003–04 — from the sensory experience of music video, to the compelling sculptures of Ah Xian, the avant-garde photography of Man Ray, and the spiritual watercolours of Albert Namatjira. GENERAL EXHIBITIONS Artist William Robinson officially opened the exhibition 'Pierre Bonnard: Observing Nature' on 3 July 2004. Organised by the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, in association with the Queensland Art Gallery, it was the first major exhibition of Bonnard's work seen in Australia for more than 30 years. A range of public programs complemented the exhibition, including tours, lectures and floortalks, and performances of French music. Continuing the Gallery's commitment to making its programs accessible to young people, a special focus day offered free entry to the exhibition for those under 25. Commissioned by the National Gallery of Australia to coincide with the centenary of Albert Namatjira's birth, the exhibition 'Seeing the Centre: The Art of Albert Namatjira 1902–1959' presented over 60 works by the Aboriginal artist. As well as paying tribute to the artist's influence, the exhibition allowed connections to be made between the work of Namatjira and that of the late Joe Rootsey, whose work featured concurrently in the 'Story Place' exhibition. A successful open day was held in conjunction with the Namatjira exhibition, at which more than 80 members of the public brought in art works they knew, or suspected, to be by Namatjira, for appraisal by the Gallery's specialist curatorial and conservation staff. In December 2003 the exhibition 'Ah Xian' featured ten works by this award- winning artist, including five from the Gallery's Collection. The centrepiece of the show was the beautiful life-size cloisonné piece Human human — lotus, cloisonné figure 1 2000–01. Other works featured were busts in traditional lacquer and jade, and porcelain busts from the 'China China' series, previously exhibited in the Gallery's 'Third Asia–Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art' in 1999. A public lecture presented by the artist was well received, with 200 people attending. An accompanying catalogue, featuring full-colour photographs of Ah Xian's sculptures and the process of their creation, was supported by the Australian Centre of Asia–Pacific Art (ACAPA). The iconic images of photographer Man Ray (1890–1976) also proved popular with audiences. Organised by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, 'Man Ray' featured close to 200 works drawn from the Paris collection of the artist's former assistant, Lucien Treillard, and the Centre Georges Pompidou. A selection of the artist's avant-garde films was also exhibited. In conjunction with the exhibition, the Gallery presented floortalks and lectures, a rayographs workshop, and special previews for students, teachers and lecturers. EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN The Gallery's continued focus on children's programming foreshadows the Children's Art Centre, a key initiative of the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. In 2003–04 the Gallery's 'Lost and Found' exhibition encouraged children to explore the found object in contemporary art. Works by Australian artists Fiona Hall, Luke Roberts, Robert Klippel and Lin Onus, and international artists Nam June Paik, Michel Tuffery and Alice Hutchins, featured. The Gallery's curatorial, education and graphic design staff created Arty the gnome — a special character who featured in the associated website and activity book. The exhibition also included Arty's Studio, a hands-on activity area for kids — including a touch-screen interactive game — developed in association with exhibiting artist Madonna Staunton. A week-long holiday program extended the curatorial concepts of 'Lost and Found' into art-making activities, performances and events for kids. Enjoyed by more than 13 600 people, the program involved several 'Lost and Found' artists — Eugene Carchesio, Bruce Reynolds and New Zealand's Lonnie Hutchinson — providing a special opportunity for children to interact with a practising artist as part of their Gallery experience. Five local Brisbane musicians also formed a musical group, the Rubber Band, writing and performing songs for kids as part of the program. Another major initiative during the year was Googi's Place, organised as part of 'Story Place' (please refer to p.20). Ongoing programs such as the free Sunday at the Gallery workshops continued to be popular, as did Toddler Tuesdays — a program providing creative and multi-sensory experiences in the Gallery for very young children. The Gallery also presented workshops for children as part of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre's popular Out of the Box Festival of Early Childhood in June 2004. EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE Youth-focused programming including 'Video Hits: Art & Music Video', Prime 04: art+music+video, and the 'Education Minister's Awards for Excellence in Art' dominated the first quarter of 2004. 'Video Hits: Art & Music Video' brought together works by music video directors and visual artists, several of whom had never before exhibited in Australia. The exhibition explored the interactions between art and music video, featuring over 70 innovative works drawn from the two fields. It was the first exhibition of audiovisual works to be presented in Gallery 4, the Gallery's largest single exhibition space. The initial stage presented large-scale projections of clips by leading international directors Chris Cunningham (United Kingdom), Michel Gondry (France) and Spike Jonze (United States). The second stage presented video works that were made for, or influenced by, music television. Artists included Philip Brophy, Candice Breitz, Liisa Lounila, Pipilotti Rist, and Australian film and video director Russell Mulcahy. A catalogue was published to accompany the exhibition. The exhibition was supported by national newspaper and television coverage, and local youth- orientated media such as independent radio stations and street press. 'Video Hits' received a commendation for set/display design at the Queensland Design Awards in June 2004. Prime 04: art+music+video saw the Gallery's annual National Youth Week event expanding from one day (in 2002 and 2003) to a week-long program in 2004 which attracted over 4000 people. Prime 04 showcased the work of young Queensland artists and, drawing on the themes of 'Video Hits: Art & Music Video', centred on the intersections of art, music and the moving image. A performance event on Sunday 28 March featured live bands, VJs and DJs, as well as two performances by Sydney-based performance artists The Kingpins. The weekday program encompassed daily screenings, artist talks, lectures and discussions. A website was developed for the event which,