APT6 in Review

28 Viewing art works during the APT6 Media Preview are (left to right): Tony Ellwood, Director, Queensland Art Gallery; Rick Wilkinson, Santos President GlNG and Queensland; Anna Bligh, MP , Premier of Queensland and Minister for the Arts; and Professor John Hay, Ac , chair, Queensland Art Gallery Board of Trustees, December 2009. Photograph: Natasha Harth Opening Events and Programs More than 16 000 guests attended the opening celebrations of APT6, which included a series of special previews and events; a two-day cultural feast of artist talks, discussions and in-conversations; intriguing artist performances; screenings of fascinating Iranian animation; spectacular outdoor installations; and an exhibition symposium. Opening events In recognition of the importance of APT6 to Queensland, the Premier of Queensland and Minister for the Arts, Anna Bligh, MP , attended and spoke at three official opening events. These events were attended by exhibiting artists, the project’s many partners and stakeholders, and members of the local community. In her speeches, the Premier acknowledged Presenting Sponsor Santos, Principal Benefactor the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, and the valuable contribution of all sponsors and supporters. • The Sponsor Preview event, held on Friday 4 December at the Gallery of Modern and the Queensland Art Gallery, was attended by approximately 250 sponsor representatives and their guests. Shinji Ohmaki’s installation Memorial rebirth added to the exciting atmosphere, filling the air with thousands of bubbles. • The Media Preview on Friday 4 December was attended by approximately 180 guests, including local, national and international representatives of the media, exhibiting artists and sponsor representatives. Following the speeches, monks from the Chung Tian Temple worked alongside artist Charwei Tsai in Gallery 1.3, inscribing living mushrooms with the prajnaparamita or Heart Sutra for the installation Mushroom mantra . • For the first time in the history of the Asia Pacific Triennial series, the Official Opening was a public event. Approximately 500 guests attended the opening on Saturday 5 December and, after official proceedings, enjoyed morning tea by the river. • Around 500 representatives of the Australian and international arts sector attended a special Arts Sector Celebration event on Saturday 5 December at GoMA. The Queensland Art Gallery’s Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art has become one of Australia’s most anticipated international cultural events, earning Queensland an enviable position in the contemporary art world. This event brings together two of Queensland’s mainstays — our cultural and tourism industries — and I encourage Queenslanders to experience for themselves this fantastic celebration of contemporary visual art. Anna Bligh, MP , Premier of Queensland and Minister for the Arts