Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 10 : Record of press coverage, March 1982 - May 1984

,. ,r . r1·he Courier-Mail [oEs PAWTRIDGE I QuEENSLAND'S magnif– icent still-new S28 million South Bank Art Gallery is about to play host to the most exciting exhibition of its short history. Art lreasures 1ha1 were created more lhnn 2000 years ago will go on display al 1he gallery (celebrattng m ,irst bir1hday in June), from ncxl Wednesday week for a month. The gallery is 10 be invaded by an army - 1he Entombed Warriors of Xian, considered one of the greatest archae\ogical discoveries of 1he cen· tury. The exhibition, managed by the International Cultural Corporation of Australia Limited and sponsored by Mobil Oil Australia Ltd., has cost S~ million 10 bring to Australia, and comprises nine figures in~ured for 525 million. The life-size terracotta warriors arc the guardians from the tomb of the first emperor of China, Qin Shihuang. Treasures of the tomb The exhibition, to mark the 10th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and Australia, has been tour– ing southern capitals since last De– cember. It is now Brisbane's turn, with guest curators from China arriviog to supervise the unpacking of the fig– ures in lhe Queensland Arl Gallery !his Thursday when media previews of the exhibition will be held. The exhibition design, by Bris– bane-based Mike Bridges Design in collaboration with the Queensland Arl Gallery, will be the most elabo– rate yel seen in the new gallery. Visitors will enler the exhibition through a lunnel which leads 10 a simulaled tomb with dramatic light• ing to highlight lhe warriors, horses and weaponry on display. An introductory documentary made by Film Australia in 1hc Chi• ncsc city of Xian where the buried army was discovered in 1974 will screen continuously 10 give gallery visitors a preview of lhe exhibition 1,1onders. The ligures selected for the nine– monlh Auslralian lour include chari– ot and cavalry horses and seven sepa– rate lypcs of human figures; an in– fa nlryman, a kneeling bowman, commander, cavalryman, kneeling archer, armored soldier, and an unarmed soldier. Uronzc and ceramic vessels from the same silc, and examples of the real armor such as spears, swords and cross-bows buried wilh the lerra• colla ligures arc also part of the dis– play. The relics from this ancicnl dynas• I THE warrior ..• part or the Chinese collection. ty arc a pointer to the massive ego and yen for immortality that con• sumed China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang (221-206 BC). When he died, some 7500 life-size pollery figures of soldiers and horses wilh atlendanl chariots and weapons were buried with him. Exhibilion hours will be 9 am to 5 pm Monday 10 Sa1urday, unlil 9 pm on Fridays, and 10 am 10 5 pm on Sundays. - ' ' r , . \ . •·