CONTENTS 11 Foreword 13 Introduction 15 Essay: Every 23 days... 17-21 Asialink Visual Arts Touring Exhibitions 1990-2010 23-86 Venue List 89-91 Index 92-93 Acknowledgements 94 FOREWORD 13 Asialink celebrates twenty years as a leader in Australia-Asia engagement through business, government, philanthropic and cultural partnerships. Part of the celebration is the publication of this booklet to commemorate the Touring Visual Arts Exhibitions Program which has been a central focus of Asialink’s work over this whole period. Artistic practice encourages dialogue between different cultures, with visual arts particularly able to transcend language barriers and create immediate and exciting rapport. Asialink has presented some of the best art of our time to large audiences in eighteen countries across Asia through exhibition and special projects, celebrating the strength and creativity on offer in Australia and throughout the region. The Australian Government, through the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is pleased to provide support to Asialink as it continues to present the talents of artists of today to an ever increasing international audience. The Hon Stephen Smith MP Minister for Foreign Affairs INTRODUCTION 15 Every 23 Days: 20 Years Touring Asia documents the journey of nearly 80 Australian-based contemporary exhibitions’ history that have toured primarily through Asia as a part of the Asialink Touring Exhibition Program. This publication provides a chronological and in-depth overview of these exhibitions including special country focused projects and an introductory essay reflecting on the Program’s history. Since its inception in 1990, Asialink has toured contemporary architecture, ceramics, glass, installation, jewellery, painting, photography, textiles, video, works on paper to over 200 venues in Asia. These exhibitions have been prepared in partnership with museums and galleries around Australia and hosted by collegiate institutions and organisations throughout the region. In these, the work of over 600 Australian and Asian artists have been shown to audiences numbering in the hundreds of thousands. To date, Asialink exhibitions have toured to 18 countries in Asia: Bangladesh, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam as well as within Australia. Alison Carroll Director Arts Asialink Sarah Bond Director Visual Arts Asialink EVERY 23 DAYS... 17 When you ask yourself what has artists from regional centres, and artists achieved the largest audiences for working in special media that often Australian visual culture outside its receive less attention. Asialink has shores, you may not believe it but consciously worked with artists from the mantle must be awarded to the around Australia, from Tasmania to the Asialink Visual Arts Touring Exhibition Northern Territory with special focus Program. With nearly 80 exhibitions exhibitions, as well as urban centres. toured internationally in and around 18 Glassmakers, ceramicists, designers, countries over a 20 year period architects, textile artists, photographers the frequent flyer miles for art are and video artists have all earned a astonishing. To date, there have been special focus through the program. 309 openings, that effectively equates to an exhibition of Australian artwork One may ask why do artists want opening every 23 days in the region. to be involved in touring? There are numerous reasons, but key is being Initially developed and financially able to have their work shown in an supported under the Keating international context and see how it government, the Asialink Arts is received, something increasingly Program began as all things do – important to most artists today. Local modest, full of hope and fuelled by and international curators see touring passion and determination. The exhibitions in Asia, getting access main aim of the program was and and knowledge more immediately remains to encourage and facilitate than they often get in any other way exchange of cultural material and and exhibition catalogues remain on information between Australia and international curators’ shelves and Asian countries, with a particular desks long after the opening. Asialink focus on contemporary art and arts frequently hears of follow up invitations people travelling from Australia. Like to artists and curators after an event all Asialink programs, the emphasis is due to positive word of mouth and on partnerships between Australia and these works being placed in an Asian colleagues and extending this international setting. More prosaically, to making opportunities for both these the artists receive copies of the colleagues and artists to reach new publication and media; they present audiences in our own region. it and where it was shown on their biodata information, adding to their Central to the partnership is the profile – an all-important part in the arrangement with the artists whose business life of the artist today. work we tour. Looking at the list of recent and current touring exhibitions One special reward to artists is the reads like a who’s who of the Australian amount of media these exhibitions art world. Artists include Brook Andrew, receive, usually far larger than is normal Gordon Bennett, Robin Best, Shaun for contemporary art in Australia. Gladwell, David Griggs, Destiny Patricia Piccinini’s exhibition We are Deacon, Fiona Hall, Akira Isogawa, family in Tokyo received 112 print Tracey Moffatt, Callum Morton, James media articles, with many articles going Morrison, Patricia Piccinini, Judy to literally millions of readers. Asialink Watson and Philip Wolfhagen. But also includes copies of the print press for included are younger, emerging artists, all partners, including exhibiting artists which shows both the attention their a general understanding that culture Modern Art, Brisbane, the Art Gallery work is receiving internationally, and is a rewarding undertaking. There are of New South Wales, Sydney, the also criticism of the show from a very artists’ talks, forums and seminars Australian Centre for the Moving different cultural point of view – all very around many exhibitions to further the Image, Melbourne and the Museum useful to practitioners. debate and engagement with the local of Contemporary Art, Sydney, and audience. Each exhibition is sent with a regional galleries from smaller cities curator who is expected to give special like Devonport in Tasmania or Cairns, talks either in the exhibition or an as well as contemporary spaces, associated venue. The general public university galleries and with ARIs is also invited, and their feedback often (Artist Run Initiatives). Partner galleries the most revealing and honest of all. enable the development of substantial exhibitions with curatorial and logistical Asialink endeavours to count specific support needed for international tours, audience numbers where it can and in turn, Asialink can provide funds (averaging 9,000 visitors per exhibition), for more substantial catalogues, as though this is a practice not universally well as international opportunities for undertaken in the region. This should engagement of the organisation’s be taken in context of course. In Japan, staff and associates. Our Australian almost all venues charge admission, partners are not paid a fee, rather equivalent to AUD10. For our first Asialink asking that they see some three-year Japan program we were reason for developing a tour with us, able to count figures: nearly 300,000 whether professional development visitors for seven exhibitions. of staff, a broader international experience for their whole program, or The Exhibition Touring Program, in the support for Australian arts’ visibility Australian terms, is enduring, and overseas. Asialink has not produced our modus operandi has remained the program internally, rather believing Patricia Piccinini’s work featured on the front cover of: BT Magazine, vol.56, 2004 constant. Our focus is on being flexible that partnerships bring in different and responsive; as noted before it is views and ideas than Asialink could The build up of knowledge or even on partnerships and also on ‘value- engender, as well as views from around subliminal awareness that Australian art adding’. We endeavour to remain the country, while it also means we exists as part of the world cultural map unbound by (unnecessary) rules. share the use of resources. is important, so continuity of a program Asialink works in a cross-cultural is vital, repeating the message that environment, with people coming A vital part of the program is sending Australia has artists of note and wants an together with very different perspectives curators with their exhibitions to the audience for them. An outcome is that and expectations. The trick is trying to first venue, and then other colleagues gradually Asian-based curators increase see the end point and how to get there to later venues, spreading the their knowledge of what happens in in the best and easiest way possible. opportunity to work internationally. Australia, many travel to inspect further We work with others. It is obvious to us This is key to building lasting and and follow up on contacts to make that if everyone agrees to a project and effective relationships in the region as it new collaborative projects. The energy wants it to happen, the best way is to offers an opportunity for Australians to of engagement