APT7 Exhibition Report

Russell Storer, Curatorial Manager, Asian and Pacific Art, talks with a Channel Ten journalist during the making of the APT7 documentary Art Without Borders , GOMA, December 2012 ‘One of the strengths that has distinguished APT from the many other younger art biennales that have proliferated throughout the region is an ability to constantly reinvent itself while staying true to its core vision of concentrating on Australasian art.’ miCHaeL youNg , THE ASIAN ART NEWSPAPER, DECEMBER 2012 Media The APT7 media campaign resulted in an unprecedented volume of coverage across national and international outlets, including print, broadcast and online media. Media coverage of APT7 comprised over 580 media items with a dollar value of over $10 million. Tourism and Events Queensland provided the Gallery with funding to significantly enhance the Gallery’s strategic international and national media and PR activities. The funds directly supported engagement of New York‑based PR agency Blue Medium. With this support, APT7 achieved an exceptional level of international coverage within key tourism and arts markets, receiving critical reviews in international magazines, newspapers and art journals, as well as significant profiles on international blogs and websites. Tourism and Events Queensland’s funding also enabled the Gallery to bring a range of leading international and national journalists to Brisbane for the exhibition’s opening programs and throughout the duration of the exhibition. International representatives included: Anna Somers Cocks, The Art Newspaper ; Nicholas Forrest, artinfo.com ; Lucy Rees, contributor to Flash Art and Flash Art Italia ; Mohammed Helmi bin Yusof, The Business Times Singapore ; Ni Luh Sekar Herdayani, Indonesian women’s magazines Femina and Dewi; and Fitria Sofyani, Marie Claire Magazine (Indonesia). iNterNatioNaL Coverage International coverage significantly contributed to the exhibition’s media profile, highlighting the growing significance of the APT7 series globally. In total, 16 international publications featured coverage of APT7. These comprised specialist art publications, especially those focused on art in the Asia Pacific region, such as Art Asia Pacific , Asian Art News , Art News New Zealand, along with The Art Newspaper and Stella Magazine . The majority of international coverage came from publications based in Hong Kong (10 stories) and the United Kingdom (7 stories). Other international coverage came from New Zealand and Papua New Guinea (3 stories each); Turkey, Denmark, the United States (2 stories each); and France, Germany and Singapore (1 story each). Noteworthy international publications included Art Asia Pacific and Asian Art News . The March/April edition of Asian Art News ran a seven‑page article which described the exhibition as being ‘a barometer to a region’s shifting and maturing contemporary art scene’. 69 media