From dugonging (1847–1969) to mineral mining (1949–2019), industry has had disastrous cultural and environmental ramifications on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). In The tide waits for no one 2020–21 (illustrated), Megan Cope addresses these complex social histories, examining their impacts on the land and on generations of its Traditional Owners, the Quandamooka people. At the turn…
Always aspiring to greener galleries, QAGOMA’s sustainability innovations are a priority across the organisation through waste and energy reduction targets. With a goal of carbon-neutral readiness, the Gallery’s environmental sustainability policy means your enjoyment of our Collection needn’t cost the earth. Recycling During National Recycling Week (held every year during the second week of November),…
Over her long career, Kimiyo Mishima has become one of Japan’s most widely exhibited female ceramic artists, noted for her wry humour and material sophistication. Her background, however, lies not in Japan’s justly honoured disciplines of craft and design but in the avant-garde, accompanied by a persistent fear of being buried in the ever-accumulating castoffs…
Continue reading » “A sense of absurdism: Breakable throwaway objects”
Beninese artist Romuald Hazoumè’s masks are humorous, playful and political — constructed from recycled waste — he began making the mask series in Benin in the mid 1980s. Hazoumè’s ‘recycling’ refers to the inequitable history of exchange between Africa and Europe. Cultural artefacts such as masks were taken during the 20th-century artistic avant-gardes’ obsession with…
Continue reading » “Contemporary African masks create a subversive loop”
The cultural heritage sector recognises the need to demonstrate a commitment to social, environmental and economic sustainability. Traditionally museums and galleries have been significant consumers of energy and resources — for controlled lighting and air conditioning — but a transformation in our approach to managing the collection environment is underway. The landmark publication The Museum…
Continue reading » “Climate for galleries: An evolution in thinking”
Before colonisation, the coastal shellfish reefs in Brisbane’s Moreton Bay — fostered using aquaculture techniques — were a major source of food for Aboriginal people of the region. Over centuries of feasting, towering middens created from discarded shells and bones were impressive sights on the local islands and beaches of the mainland. Megan Cope’s RE…
Continue reading » “Installation takes the oyster shell as its subject”
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art stands and recognise the creative contribution First Australians make to the art and culture of this country.