Beyond the Future: Papers from the Third Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

KEYNOTE ADDRESS Wayne Goss Welcome to the Conference of the Third Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art. Asia is a complex idea. It is a region which has seen tremendous change, growth and conflict over its history. If one looks at the last 1 00 years the change, growth and conflict is as dramatic as anywhere in the world. If one looks at the last 1 00 days j ust to the north of Australia in East Timor it has been no less dramatic. In these circumstances art has a crucial role and the capacity of art to build understanding and relationships cannot be underestimated . This Triennial has helped to create some significant cultural links and relationships between artists, curators , educators and arts organ isations in more than 20 countries . Art has an important role to play, not just in helping us to understand our world , but in helping us to understand each other and also hel ping us to understand ourselves . Hopefully exhibitions and conferences such as this can help art play a role in preserving and building national and local contemporary culture in the Asia Pacific. I would l ike to think that the mere fact of the exhibition is helping to achieve such an outcome, but the Trienn ial is more than an exhibition . The ideas that underpin the Triennial have remained constant since the first one in 1 993 and can be summarised by three principles : the desire to enhance cultural understanding through long term engagement with contemporary art from Asia and the Pacific a commitment to co-curatorship between Australian curators and those from the region working together on the premise of mutual respect, and an emphasis on the importance of the artist and their relationship with the aud ience as central to the entire process . The Trienn ial is now a project involving more than 77 artists from 20 countries, 50 Austral ian and international curators, 200 gallery staff and volunteers as wel l as many supporters, both government and corporate. What is fascinating about the work that is d isplayed in the exhibition is that we see works of varying forms, types and sizes, each with its own story to tell and many of wh ich portray tales of hope, as well as demonstrating the energy and resilience of the human spirit. As far as this Triennial is concerned the Queensland Art Gallery has never attempted to dominate discourse and debate but rather to participate in the debate of the contemporary art of this region . We bel ieve that all of us from the region benefit from the fact that we can come together in an open forum and engage in d ialogue based on general equality and mutual respect. This is certainly very important to us and it has been from the very first. We trust that it is important and valuable to you as wel l . I t is important t o understand that the contributions of the artists are not representative of any government position from any particular country but rather reflect the individual views of the ind ividual artists. This is a principle which has underpinned each and every Triennial so far. Before I conclude my remarks this morning I should thank so many people. There are too many people to name and I am sure I will overlook somebody so please let me say at the outset that I sincerely, on behalf of the Gallery and the people of the Asia-Pacific, thank all of those who have contributed to making this Triennial the success that it undoubtedly will be. I want to thank the artists who have given so much and who have been so enthusiastic in sharing their work with the people of Queensland and the visitors to this Triennial. I also want to thank the various Australian and international curators who have worked so hard with the 23