Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report

18 QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY ANNUAL REPORT 05/06 / collection contemporary interpretations of the traditional Melanesian arts of wood and shell carving. Baidam 2006 is a large-scale linocut based on traditional stories and teachings about the reading of constellations. ASIAN AND PACIFIC ART Significant Collection acquisitions continued in the areas of Asian and Pacific art in 2005–06. A number of works were commissioned or acquired for APT5. Ai Weiwei is an influential figure in contemporary Chinese art through his multiple roles as artist, architect, curator, editor and publisher. His iconoclastic works fuse a conceptual art practice with traditional artefacts to challenge the authority of cultural value, meaning and authenticity. Six major works by Ai Weiwei were acquired during the year, ranging from photography, Dada-esque sculptures created from Qing dynasty (1644–1911) tables, to shards of Northern Wei dynasty (386–535) sculpture. The contemporary exploration of miniature painting is a particular strength of the Gallery’s contemporary Asian collection. Pakistani artist Saira Wasim’s delicately crafted paintings interrogate contemporary political issues, religious prejudice and social injustice. During the year, the Gallery acquired five works by this important young artist: Holy matrix , Lamentation of innocence (Genocide) , Drawing ‘Mission accomplished?’ , Where we went wrong and Untitled , all 2005. Video and photography have been significant areas of artistic development in China over the last two decades, and Yang Zhenzhong is a leading exponent. In the photographic series Light and easy 2002, the city of Shanghai forms the backdrop for the artist to engage with ideas of contemporary Chinese urbanisation, and the clash between traditional and new ways of life. The acquisition of nine photographs by Japanese artist Tsuyoshi Ozawa from his ‘Vegetable weapon’ series was a major highlight for the Gallery during the year. Ozawa is one of Japan’s most important conceptual artists of his generation. His ‘Vegetable weapon’ series suggests the power of communication, as well as the need to be sensitive to differing cultural beliefs and values. During the year, the Gallery received a significant donation of contemporary Thai art from the collection of the late Peera Ditbunjong and his wife Annabel Anderson. The donation includes important early works by seminal artists Montien Boonma and Vasan Sitthiket, amongst others. This generous gift positions the Gallery as the pre-eminent public collector of contemporary Thai art in Australia. The acquisition of 12 works by Niuean/New Zealand artist John Pule continued the Gallery’s policy of collecting substantial bodies of work by key Pacific artists. Pule generously gifted two early canvases and eight prints to the Gallery, while the triptych Tukulagi tukumuitea (Forever and ever) 2005 and a suite of drawings entitled Lagaki (To lift) 2000–05 were also purchased. Pule’s work addresses themes of migration, mythology and place. As one of the most pervasive and innovative art forms in the Pacific, weaving is identified as a major collecting focus for the Gallery. The I yara yara (Baby mat) by Finau Mara is an example of the vibrant weaving traditions of the South Pacific. In addition, the Gallery acquired 15 noken (string bags) by seven artists from West Papua. Both the noken and I yara yara represent the innovative practices of contemporary Pacific artists, who continue to use traditional techniques as well as incorporate new materials and motifs. INTERNATIONAL ART Several key acquisitions expanded the Gallery’s holdings of international art. The cubic structural evolution project 2004, by the internationally renowned artist Olafur Eliasson, is an exceptional recent Gallery acquisition, and has already been a highlight of two of the Gallery’s Children’s Art Centre exhibitions — ‘The Nature Machine’ (2004–05) and ‘Made for this World’ (2005–06). With Lego blocks as the building material, visitors actively participate in the construction of an environment in a continual state of flux. The acquisition of Aernout Mik’s Pulverous 2003 during the year demonstrated the Gallery’s commitment to collecting important moving-image works. Mik has emerged as a pioneering figure in international video installation, and Pulverous merges projected image, architecture and performance to produce a compelling work. Another key acquisition for international art during the year, Thomas Ruff’s Substrat 19 1 2003 represents a strong addition to the Gallery’s collection of international photography. Ruff’s ‘Substrat’ series emerges from the artist’s exploration of the digital realm of the internet. The works derive from manipulated Japanese manga and anime images which have been reprocessed so only the intensity of colour is maintained, and any representational code is overlaid to the point of incoherence. Two significant recent acquisitions demonstrate the strengths of the Gallery’s growing contemporary international sculpture collection. Tobias Putrih’s Macula A/-5 2005 — made of corrugated cardboard and standing at 2.4 metres Vasan Sitthiket Thailand b.1957 Sinners are gunmen who serve the mafia and tyranny, oppressing peaceful men to be afraid, doing unlawful business, making trouble everywhere. They will be surrounded by flocks of hungry dogs and crows gathering to eat them, they will die and be reborn again and again for five hundred kalpas (from ‘Inferno’ series) 1991 Synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 210 x 210cm Sinners are weapon merchants; who profit from suffering and devastation. Their heads will be hanged down in cave of conflagration; hitting each other to death (from ‘Inferno’ series) 1991 Synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 210 x 210cm Gift of Peera Ditbunjong through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation 2005