All eyes will focus on The 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT8) at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) in November 2015 – when it hosts over 80 artists at the world’s largest exhibition featuring art from Australia, Asia and the Pacific.
Unlike many international art events, APT8 is hosted in a single location, held across the two galleries, occupying all of GOMA and key spaces at QAG (including the iconic Watermall), and features 83 artists and artists groups from 32 countries. The APT8 Conference held in conjunction with the opening weekend program will feature leading experts from Australia and abroad to consider some of the key conceptual threads of APT8.
QAGOMA Director Chris Saines CNZM said the selection of artists for APT8 has taken place over the past three years, with the Gallery’s experienced team of curators travelling throughout Asia and the Pacific.
“Our curatorial team has been researching new developments in contemporary art, liaising directly with artists and communities in their home countries to discuss new works and projects specifically for this exhibition,” said Mr Saines. “This process has taken the APT into regions previously unexplored and we are now proud to include artists from Mongolia, Nepal and countries in Central Asia including the Kyrgyz Republic, Iraq and Georgia for the first time.”
APT8 visitors can expect to see captivating new large-scale sculptures, immersive installations, interactive performances and kinetic artwork, supported by an extensive schedule of thought-provoking public programs, including the most significant Australian involvement to date – 17 artists including seven Indigenous artists. They will form a large component of the dynamic APT8 Live performance program throughout the exhibition.
Other highlights include: a multi-media installation of performance and dance from across Melanesia – Yumi Danis (We Dance). Commencing with a creative exchange in Ambrym, Vanuatu in November 2014, the project is animated by performances from dancers and musicians from six different island nations.
Vibrant new works by an exciting group of Indian Indigenous artists examine the changes of pictorial styles and forms of storytelling in uniquely contemporary interpretations. Works by artists from countries not previously included in APT that are rarely, if ever, seen in Australia, include a major group of paintings by four Mongolian artists that showcases the richness of the Mongol zurag painting movement.
“Over the 22 years since launching, the Gallery’s flagship exhibition has attracted over 2.4 million visitors who have embraced its innovative and engaging approach to presenting contemporary art,” said Mr Saines. “Underpinning the longevity of APT is the Gallery’s network of relationships with artists and communities in the region.”
The 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Cultural Precinct, South Bank (Brisbane)
Exhibition: 21 November 2015 – 10 April 2016
Free entry
For more information, visit: www.qagoma.qld.gov.au for details.
Image: Anida Yoeu Ali, Cambodia/USA b.1974 The Buddhist Bug, Into the Night (production still) 2015. 2-channel HD video projection, 7:00 minutes (looped), colour, sound, ed. of 5. A project of Studio Revolt. Concept and performance: Anida Yoeu Ali; Video: Masahiro Sugano. Commissioned for APT8. The Kenneth and Yasuko Myer Collection of Contemporary Asian Art. Purchased 2015 with funds from Michael Sidney Myer through the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation. Collection: Queensland Art Gallery