Thousands converge for the APT8 opening

 
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Queensland Premier and Arts Minister, The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk engages with local school students and APT8 exhibiting artist Choi Jeong Hwa in The Mandala of Flowers 2015 at ‘The 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ Media Preview, Friday 20 November, Queensland Art Gallery

The 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art‘ (APT8), internationally renowned as the world’s only major recurring exhibition of art from Australia, Asia and the Pacific, opened on the weekend in Brisbane with 32 000 people through the doors in the exhibition’s first three days, with the door count for the opening night events for APT8 almost 14 000. The opening night saw the largest attendance for an APT since the inception of the triennial 22 years ago, reflecting the growth of this important cultural event in the calendars of local, interstate and international visitors.

The opening weekend of APT8 featured our most ambitious program of events, artist talks, tours and special performances to date. Over 5 500 visitors attended the first events of APT8 Live, the ongoing program of artist performances and projects that will animate QAG and GOMA monthly throughout the exhibition. APT8 Live will continue on 13 December 2015; 31 January; 21 February; 20 March; and the APT8 closing weekend, 9 and 10 April 2016.

A highlight of the weekend was Indonesian artist Melati Suryodarmo’s endurance performance I’m a Ghost in My Own House 2012 in which the artist crushed and ground charcoal briquettes for 12 hours. The performance was recorded and will be replayed on screens in the gallery space, surrounded by hundreds of kilograms of charcoal, which are the remnants of the performance.

APT8 Kids welcomed more than 2 400 children to participate in hands-on, interactive and multimedia activities developed by exhibiting artists.

children’s book with activities to complete at home or in the classroom accompanies the APT8 Kids onsite offering and a touring program will see a selection of the exhibition activities presented to children and families in regional and remote Queensland.

The APT8 publication features a suite of richly illustrated essays by the exhibition’s curators providing insights into artists’ practices and drawing connections between works from across the region. These are contextualised with a discussion by a group of leading artists and specialists on key issues behind recent tendencies in contemporary art in the Asia Pacific. The publication also includes details of the Kids APT and cinema programs, and a comprehensive exhibition checklist.

APT8 highlights works by over 80 artists from more than 30 countries and runs until 10 April 2016. Entry to the exhibition and cinema programs is free.

The Queensland Government is the Founding Supporter of the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art series. APT8 is made possible with the support of Principal Sponsor Audi Australia, and Principal Partners Tourism and Events Queensland as part of a dynamic calendar of events throughout the State, and the Australia Council for the Arts.

APT8 Live is supported by the Commonwealth through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

APT8 Kids is supported by Principal Benefactor the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation and major sponsor Santos GLNG.

The Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT)
is the Gallery’s flagship exhibition focused on the work of Asia, the Pacific and Australia.
21 November 2015 – 10 April 2016

Exhibition Founding Sponsor: Queensland Government
Exhibition Principal Sponsor: Audi Australia

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