Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 2006-07

acting director’s overview / QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY ANNUAL REPORT 06–07 11 Acting Director's Overview The Gallery engaged record audiences with the presentation of over 300 art works by 37 individual artists, filmmakers and performers, and two multi-artist projects in the most ambitious Triennial in the series to date. The presence of many of the exhibiting artists and filmmakers at the opening of APT5 enriched the experiences of both artists and visitors in a comprehensive public program of talks, lectures, symposia, tours and special educational programs for teachers and students. In addition, the Kids' APT Summer Spectacular festival (presented by the Children's Art Centre), the APT5 cinema program (presented by the Australian Cinémathèque) and the curated performance program for the opening weekend were highly acclaimed by audiences and critics. The collecting focus distinguishes the Triennial from other recurring international arts events, and the collecting opportunities afforded by APT5 were many throughout the year. One of several significant commissions for APT5 was the site-specific installation for the Gallery's Watermall — Ai Weiwei's Boomerang 2006, a seven-tiered chandelier made from 270 000 glass lustres. Other acquisitions of note included Bharti Kher's elephant sculpture The skin speaks a language not its own 2006, a series of irreverent embroidered images by Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho, a collection of playful drawings by Malaysian artist Paiman, some 15 mats and quilts by artists from the Pacific Textiles Project, and significant works by senior Arnhem Land artist Djambawa Marawili and Torres Strait artist Dennis Nona. Several moving-image works were also acquired, including the multi-screen The farmers and the helicopters 2006 by Vietnamese artist Dinh Q Lê and The miniature long march sites 1–23 2002–05 by the Chinese performance artist Qin Ga. Although a focus of the last 12 months has been planning for the opening of GoMA and APT5, the reinterpretation of QAG's Collection displays also assumed a high priority during the year. The Gallery is distinguished for its growing collections of contemporary Australian, Indigenous Australian, Asian, Pacific and international art, now showcased in the magnificent gallery spaces of GoMA, but equally important are the Gallery's pre-1970 collections. The reconfigured gallery spaces at QAG allowed visitors to encounter much-loved pre-1970 Collection works and recent acquisitions in a new light. Through the work of the Foundation, the Gallery received a generous gift from the Foster's Group Ltd of (Indigenous gathering, Far North Queensland) 1892, which represents a significant addition to the Gallery's holdings of work by the important Australian artist Tom Roberts. Following APT5, several exhibition projects were pre- sented for the enjoyment of audiences, both in Brisbane and regional Queensland. For the first time in 2007, GoMA hosted the 'Queensland Design Awards' and the 'Education Minister's Awards for Excellence in Art'. Presentations of the National Gallery of Victoria's touring exhibition 'Howard Arkley'; 'Katharina Grosse: Picture Park', the first international solo exhibition project for GoMA; the second annual instalment of the Xstrata Coal Emerging Indigenous Art Award; and the major exhibition for summer, 'Andy Warhol', were all in the planning stages during the year. Increasing access to the art collection for all Queenslanders is a longstanding commitment for the Gallery and, to this end, 'Queensland Live: Contemporary Art on Tour' continued its tour of regional Queensland, while the 13-venue tour of 'Myth to Modern: Bronzes from the Queensland Art Gallery Collection' was launched at Hervey Bay Regional Gallery. Preparations were also underway for regional Queensland tours of 'Olafur Eliasson's The cubic structural evolution project ' and an exhibition showcasing works from the Gallery's five APTs (1993–2006), which will tour from July next year. The Gallery's achievements in 2006–07 would not have been possible without the support of Arts Queensland and the Department of Public Works, and my thanks goes to the Honourable Peter Beattie, MP , Premier of Queensland; the Honourable Rod Welford, MP , Minister for Education and Training and Minister for the Arts; the Honourable Robert Schwarten, MP , Minister for Public Works and Housing and Information and Communication Technology for their support. This past year was all the more rewarding due to the level of involvement by loyal audiences, corporate and media sponsors, and individual donors. My sincere thanks is extended to all who assisted us to realise the major accomplishments of the past year, as well as to Wayne Goss, Chair of the Board of Trustees; Board members; and the Foundation Council for their vital contributions. Our expanding audiences are well served by the Gallery's committed and enthusiastic staff, and I thank them all on behalf of the Gallery's management and Trustees for their hard work and dedication in the period both leading up to and following the opening of GoMA and APT5. The future holds significant promise for our two-site institution, and I trust the Gallery's supporters and expanding audiences continue their integral involvement in the life of Queensland's state gallery. Andrew Clark, Acting Director With the spotlight on the December 2006 opening of the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) and 'The 5th Asia–Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art' (APT5), the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) strengthened its position as a leader in the presentation of the contemporary art of the region. Tsuyoshi Ozawa's Everyone likes someone as you like someone activity for Kids' APT. Photograph: Alan Jensen