Galvanised into action: The transformation of the Queensland Art Gallery

When the Queensland Art Gallery opened in a new building at South Brisbane in 1982, the contrast with the first art gallery established in Queensland could not have been more marked. The Queensland National Art Gallery was established in 1895, occupying a room on the first floor in the Brisbane Town Hall.1 It was truly…

The flower becomes me

Ikebana is the art of arranging flowers and other natural materials in accordance with particular aesthetic principles. The art originated in Japan many centuries ago. Early in the twentieth century, Ikebana master Sofu Teshigahara considered that ikebana should be enjoyable and creative, yet maintain its links to the old traditions. So, in 1927, he founded…

How culture binds Australia and Papua New Guinea

Yesterday marked the close of ‘No. 1 Neighbour: Art in Papua New Guinea 1966-2016‘. This was a landmark exhibition, the first in Australia to exclusively explore contemporary Papua New Guinean art. The exhibition showcased Papua New Guinea’s vibrant art world for new audiences in Australia who are not often exposed to the rich artistic traditions…

Photography: A visual reference for curators and researchers

QAGOMA’s Research Library is home to the documentation behind the Asia Pacific Triennial series of exhibitions, which forms the basis of the archives of the Australian Centre of Asia Pacific Art (ACAPA). In preparation for the 2016 exhibition ‘No.1 Neighbour: Art in Papua New Guinea 1966–2016’, curator Ruth McDougall delved into 23 years of archival…