Published Thursday, 28 August, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Minister for Education and Training and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Rod Welford
GoMA to show best of Australian Contemporary Art
Arts Minister Rod Welford today announced a landmark triennial exhibition series featuring Australia’s most important contemporary artists to open at the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) in Brisbane.
Mr Welford said the Contemporary Australia series would be as significant in ambition and scope as the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT) and recent international exhibitions Andy Warhol and Picasso & his collection.
“The APT series and Andy Warhol attracted more than 980,000 visitors to GoMA and the Queensland Art Gallery during the past two summers,” Mr Welford said.
“The Gallery has now created Contemporary Australia, a new triennial series to show at GoMA, alternating with the APT and a major international exhibition.
“Optimism is the first exhibition in the series and will show from 15 November 2008 to 22 February 2009.
“Contemporary Australia, curated by the Gallery’s expert staff, will be the most important exhibition series of contemporary Australia art in the country, revealing the most intriguing, engaging and thought-provoking art being created.”
Mr Welford said Optimism would include painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, installation, video and video installation, cinema, animation, performance, music, literature and comedy by more than 60 emerging, mid-career and senior Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists from every state and territory.
“Senior artists to feature include Queenslander Robert MacPherson, Indigenous painter Sally Gabori and cartoonist Michael Leunig, Victorian Robert Owen, Arnhem Land’s Nawurapu Wunungmurra, as well as mid-career artists Vernon Ah Kee, Patricia Piccinini, Scott Redford and Jan Nelson and emerging artists Tony Albert, Gemma Smith and Victoria Reichelt,” he said.
Queensland Art Gallery Director Tony Ellwood said Optimism would celebrate the ways contemporary artists envisioned the world.
“A number of exhibiting artists will produce interactive art works for the Children’s Art Centre and the weekly Friday night Up Late program will present leading Australian musicians, performers and comedians,” Mr Ellwood said.
“The exhibition will also be accompanied by a broad public program of artist talks, discussion panels and lectures.”
The exhibition will feature works by:
Lisa Adams (QLD), Vernon Ah Kee (QLD), Tony Albert (QLD), Tom Alberts (VIC), Del Kathryn Barton (NSW), Chris Bennie (QLD), Daniel Boyd (NSW), Mathew Bradley (SA), Stephen Bush (VIC), Sean Cordeiro & Claire Healy (NSW/Germany), Aleks Danko (VIC), Rolf de Heer (SA), Christian de Vietri (WA/USA), Gabrielle de Vietri (VIC), James Dodd (SA), Emily Floyd (VIC), Juan Ford (VIC), Julie Fragar (QLD), Dale Frank (NSW), Sally Gabori (QLD), Mark Galea (VIC), Tarryn Gill and Pilar Mata Dupont (WA), Kristin Headlam (VIC), Petrina Hicks (NSW), Timothy Horn (VIC/USA), Jamin (TAS), Natasha Johns-Messenger (VIC/USA), David Jones (VIC), Kayili Artists: Nola Campbell, Pulpurru Davies, Mary Gibson, Jackie Kurltjunyintja Giles, Ngipi Ward (WA), Clara Law (VIC), Sam Leach (VIC), Michael Leunig (VIC), Robert MacPherson (QLD), Tim Maguire (NSW/UK), Michael McWilliams (TAS), Thomas Meadowcroft (QLD/Germany), Tom Moore (SA), Arlo Mountford (VIC), Kate Murphy (NSW), Jan Nelson (VIC), George Nona (QLD), Raquel Ormella (ACT), Robert Owen (VIC), Debra Phillips (NSW), Patricia Piccinini (VIC), Anna Platten (SA), Scott Redford (QLD), Victoria Reichelt (QLD), Tony Schwensen (NSW), Ritchey Sealy (and Scott Redford) (NSW), Gemma Smith (QLD), Ivan Sen (NSW), Darren Sylvester (NSW), Regan Tamanui (VIC), Kathy Temin (VIC), Arlene TextaQueen (VIC), Nawarupu Wunungmurra (NT) and Michael Zavros (QLD).
The Gallery’s Australian Cinémathèque will also present retrospectives of three important and diverse Australian filmmakers: Rolf de Heer, Clara Law and Ivan Sen.
Media contact: Emma Clarey on 3237 1000
Mr Welford said the Contemporary Australia series would be as significant in ambition and scope as the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT) and recent international exhibitions Andy Warhol and Picasso & his collection.
“The APT series and Andy Warhol attracted more than 980,000 visitors to GoMA and the Queensland Art Gallery during the past two summers,” Mr Welford said.
“The Gallery has now created Contemporary Australia, a new triennial series to show at GoMA, alternating with the APT and a major international exhibition.
“Optimism is the first exhibition in the series and will show from 15 November 2008 to 22 February 2009.
“Contemporary Australia, curated by the Gallery’s expert staff, will be the most important exhibition series of contemporary Australia art in the country, revealing the most intriguing, engaging and thought-provoking art being created.”
Mr Welford said Optimism would include painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, installation, video and video installation, cinema, animation, performance, music, literature and comedy by more than 60 emerging, mid-career and senior Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists from every state and territory.
“Senior artists to feature include Queenslander Robert MacPherson, Indigenous painter Sally Gabori and cartoonist Michael Leunig, Victorian Robert Owen, Arnhem Land’s Nawurapu Wunungmurra, as well as mid-career artists Vernon Ah Kee, Patricia Piccinini, Scott Redford and Jan Nelson and emerging artists Tony Albert, Gemma Smith and Victoria Reichelt,” he said.
Queensland Art Gallery Director Tony Ellwood said Optimism would celebrate the ways contemporary artists envisioned the world.
“A number of exhibiting artists will produce interactive art works for the Children’s Art Centre and the weekly Friday night Up Late program will present leading Australian musicians, performers and comedians,” Mr Ellwood said.
“The exhibition will also be accompanied by a broad public program of artist talks, discussion panels and lectures.”
The exhibition will feature works by:
Lisa Adams (QLD), Vernon Ah Kee (QLD), Tony Albert (QLD), Tom Alberts (VIC), Del Kathryn Barton (NSW), Chris Bennie (QLD), Daniel Boyd (NSW), Mathew Bradley (SA), Stephen Bush (VIC), Sean Cordeiro & Claire Healy (NSW/Germany), Aleks Danko (VIC), Rolf de Heer (SA), Christian de Vietri (WA/USA), Gabrielle de Vietri (VIC), James Dodd (SA), Emily Floyd (VIC), Juan Ford (VIC), Julie Fragar (QLD), Dale Frank (NSW), Sally Gabori (QLD), Mark Galea (VIC), Tarryn Gill and Pilar Mata Dupont (WA), Kristin Headlam (VIC), Petrina Hicks (NSW), Timothy Horn (VIC/USA), Jamin (TAS), Natasha Johns-Messenger (VIC/USA), David Jones (VIC), Kayili Artists: Nola Campbell, Pulpurru Davies, Mary Gibson, Jackie Kurltjunyintja Giles, Ngipi Ward (WA), Clara Law (VIC), Sam Leach (VIC), Michael Leunig (VIC), Robert MacPherson (QLD), Tim Maguire (NSW/UK), Michael McWilliams (TAS), Thomas Meadowcroft (QLD/Germany), Tom Moore (SA), Arlo Mountford (VIC), Kate Murphy (NSW), Jan Nelson (VIC), George Nona (QLD), Raquel Ormella (ACT), Robert Owen (VIC), Debra Phillips (NSW), Patricia Piccinini (VIC), Anna Platten (SA), Scott Redford (QLD), Victoria Reichelt (QLD), Tony Schwensen (NSW), Ritchey Sealy (and Scott Redford) (NSW), Gemma Smith (QLD), Ivan Sen (NSW), Darren Sylvester (NSW), Regan Tamanui (VIC), Kathy Temin (VIC), Arlene TextaQueen (VIC), Nawarupu Wunungmurra (NT) and Michael Zavros (QLD).
The Gallery’s Australian Cinémathèque will also present retrospectives of three important and diverse Australian filmmakers: Rolf de Heer, Clara Law and Ivan Sen.
Media contact: Emma Clarey on 3237 1000