Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 8 : Pressclippings, 1977-1981

~~NE SCHOOLfRV I ' Gold exhibition draws thousands By lYNDALL CRISP WHEN the Queensland When the ·precious cargo, aid National Gallery closes its to be worth as million, 1a moved doors on the El Dorado lo Sydney next week the orran- 1-. will unpack the cN!el and Colombian Gold Exhibition lay out the apeclally dest1111ed for the last time on Sunday rrce-now floor plan at 'lhe Art It will have set some kind Gallery or NSW ror the 1aa1 of record. lime. Not only Is It the first time Brlibane has seen such a major exhibition but an avel'lll!e or 1600 people a day trooped up five rloors to sa ll•ry their curi– osity about the magnificent col– lection or 238 golcl artefacts, some dating back to 200 AD. The exhibition was conceived In 1975 when John Stringer, represent1111 the Visual Arts Board, •began looking al sultahle exhibitions to brlni: to Australia. It W81 approved by the Aus– tralian Oallery Directors Council anJ desl1111ed and managed by the Australian Art Exhibitions Corporation which sl11ged the Chinese Exhlbtl.lon. A selection or ancient gold ob– jects from the Museo del Oro, Bogota, was J>Ul together and taken to the Adelaide Arts Fes– tival In February where more than 52,000 people saw It. In hindsight, the organl!rers agree, 'thlR might have been a mistake. Experience would seem lo prove lhal exhibitions of this size nnd Import should start In Sydney or Melbourne to capture the most publicity. But still, the numbers nrc Impressive. In Perth, which also hasn't .;ccn anything llko tl berorc, more than 30,000 people turnt-d out. The Na,1.lonnl Onllcry of Vic– toria 1>layl'd 'host to more lluin 92,000 - despite the blustery, winter weather. More than 100,000 people are expected lo file throu1h the ral· lery door between AUiUIJl 21 and October I. The, Art Oallery Society hu commluloned Oull– lermo Keys Arenas to choreo– graph a ballet baaed on the lerends or El Dorado The Golden One, for Ila apeclal gala viewing on tile opening nt1ht. · When II leaves Australia, ttle exhlbllloh will go to London for display In the Royal Academy tor three months. It Is the first time auch an Important exhibition has come to Australia before beglnrAn1 th.e International ctrc;utt, It 11 nlso the lon11est-runnln1 exhi– bition to tour here: 10 months. ·r11e lsxhlblllons corporation which comprises a number or buslncs,, and proresslona1 people who work In an honorary capacity, has already been asked by the Allstrnlla Council lo present two more exhibitions. '11he first, a Russian exhibition or European paintings rrom the Hermitage Museum In Len– ingrad, Is due h~re In October 1979. The second, the Pompell Exhibition, Is acheduled for early 1980. The Au.lrattan's recent report that the Australian Art Ex11l– bltlons Corporation had Ileen wound up was (JUiie. ll.corrcct. A s1>0kesman for the cor1>0rallun said yesterday : "We have no li– quidity J>roblcms whlllr.vcr. our assets nre more than surrictenl Lo cover all present and antlcl- 11atcd debts."