APT Bulletin Vol.3 No.2

'I n the decade since this visionary art project was first conceived, a network of relationships has spread from the Queensland Art Gallery across Asia and the Pacific: Nicholas J0se,The8ulleti11,7Sept 1999 Overview The Queensland Art Gallery's Third Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT3) was officially opened on Thursday 9 September 1999 (9/9/99) by the Premier of Queensland, the Hon.Peter Beattie, MLA, with a keynote address given by Attorney– General and Minister for Justice and Minister for the Arts the Hon. Matt Foley, MLA. More than 3,000 guests attended the opening, which featured a diverse range of artists' performances and an Indigenous Australian welcome. More than 70,000 people have visited the exhibition in the seven weeks following the opening. Transforming the Gallery,APT3 presents the wor1< of more than 77 artists from 20 countries and regions in Asia and the Pacific, including for the first time, artists from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Niue and Wallis and Futuna Islands. Using the broad theme 'Beyond the Future', artists worked across a wide range of disciplines including large and small-scale installation, performance, sculpture, photography, painting, textiles, ceramics, film and video, and new media technologies such as the Internet and CD-RDM. More than 55 artists travelled to Brisbane to install their work and participate in opening activities such as artists' talks, performances and the three-day conference 'Beyond the Future', which was held from 10-12 September. Many of the artists were involved in the International Visitor Outreach Program, working with a range of academic, educational and community organisations in both metropolitan and regional Australia. Many wor1<s in APT3 deal with cultural meetings and cultural understanding, and involved artists working with local ethnic communities. In addition, more than 30 students from Brisbane tertiary institutions volunteered to assist artists working with the Gallery's Exhibitions staff. toWt1lcomevisitingartistswashostedby QueenslandArtGalleryTrusteeMsLillaWatson andother lndigenouseldersfmm the local Blisbanecommunity. . 3. Japaneseartist Shlgeakilwai'svideo workDia/ogue1996-99dealswith communicationbetweenpeoplewhohave different cultures and languages. • 4. SriLankanartistJagathweerasinghe workedwith localschoolchildrenwho sculptedclayflowersandparrotswhichlorm partof his work Y.mtra Ga/a' and the round pilgrimage 1999 Photo:BenWickes . 5. TheYogyaKartastudioof BrahmaTirta Sariwor1o:edincollaborationwithlndigenous artists from UtopiaBatik inCentralAustralia tocreatetheworkSekarpiicung .songsof theances!ors.Batikapmer-areny-Batik from the/and 1999 . Photo:BarryM.Alwright • 6. SeniortribalartistSonabai lrom Puhphl.ltara incentrallndiatravelledto Brisbanewithhersonandassistant Daroga Ram,tocompleteherworklorAPT3.Alocal Hindifamilyprovidedirwaluableassistance totheartistsandtheGalleryin tem,sof languageandculwre SonabaiinstallingherworkUntilJed 1999 Photo:BenWick.es • 7. Koreanartist KimSoo-Jainstalling herwork, A laundrywoman 1999 Photo:BenWickes • s. AlfredoAquilizanworkingon Project be-longing#2 1999 Collaborationsbetweenart~tsand local community members from Asiaand the Pacific who arenowlivinginBMsbanecreatedunique dialoguesand involvementat apersonal lewl. AlfledoandlsabelAquillzanfromthe Philippines anda Brisbane-basedFilipino volunteerworkedcloselywith localfamiliesto gather hundredsofhouseholditemstocreate theirworkProject be-/onging#2 Photo:RhanaO-nport