MCA Annual Report 2013 Download
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1 The MCA is Australia’s Museum of Contemporary Art, dedicated to exhibiting, collecting and interpreting the work of today’s artists. Located on one of the world’s most spectacular sites on the edge of Sydney Harbour, opposite the Sydney Opera House, the Museum presents vibrant and popular exhibition and learning programs that continually inspireMuseum people. With an of entire Contemporary floor dedicated to the MCA Art Australia Collection and two floors featuring changing exhibitions showcasing Australian and international artists, the Museum offers a major national resource for educationPerformance and interpretative programs. and Financial Year Report The National Centre for Creative Learning including a library, digital and multimedia studios, a seminar room and lecture theatre, provides physical and virtual spaces for people of all ages across Australia to create and connect with art and artists. Site-specific commissions take art outside the galleries, and the MCA continues to engage with audiences beyond its harbourside home through a program of touring exhibitions and C3West, a collaboration with galleries and non-arts partners in Western Sydney. 2 CONTENTS 4 Chairman and Director’s Messages 5 2013 Highlights 6 Curatorial and Digital 7 Exhibitions and Touring 15 Building Commissions 16 C3West 17 MCA Publications 18 Digital Interpretation 19 Gifts and Purchases 21 Audiences and Creative Learning 22 Public Engagement 24 Student and Teacher Engagement 25 Visitor Experience 26 Communications 27 Development & Enterprises 30 Financial Report Image Credits Front Cover Guests arriving for ARTBAR – Curated by Keg de Souza, 31 May 2013, Featured Foyer Wall: Guan Wei, The Journey to Australia, 2013, synthetic polymer paint on wall, commissioned by the MCA, 2013, supported by Veolia Environmental Services. Featured: Brook Andrew, Warrang, 2012, animated LED arrow, Australian hardwood with shou-sugi-ban finish, sand-blasted concrete, epoxy resin, Commissioned by the MCA, 2012,, image courtesy and © the artists, photograph: Michael Wholley Inside Front Cover Façade of the Mordant Wing, MCA, 2013, photograph: Pieter Naessens 3 CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE 2013 has seen the MCA consolidate the success of the 2013 has been a year of great challenges and great remarkable re-opening year of 2012. During 2013 the triumphs including presenting the first major MCA continued to grow audiences and audience survey in Australia of legendary artist, musician and engagement in Sydney, regionally, nationally and activist Yoko Ono, installing the incredible new online. Visitor numbers once again exceeded all foyer commission by Guan Wei, working with Craig expectations and by the end of 2013 over 1.7 million Walsh on his challenging and at times controversial people had visited the MCA since the re-opening just project Embedded, and regularly turning the 21 months ago. Museum over to artists, teenagers and families as the spectacular madness and mayhem of ARTBAR, Continuing to operate efficiently and creatively – the genext and Sunday Family Fun Days continued. team, led by the board and Elizabeth Ann Macgregor, have returned the organisation to an operating Artists, creativity and learning are at the heart of surplus following the major expenses of the re- everything we do at the MCA and in 2013 more opening year and partial closures of the preceding people than ever before experienced an MCA two years and in 2013 generated nearly 80% of exhibition or program or engaged with us online, income through non-government sources. This discovering living artists and their work, seeing the success has facilitated another year of outstanding impact they have on the community and shaping Australian and international exhibitions and creative our world. Thank you to our loyal supporters for programs and cemented the MCA’s position as helping us to continue realising our vision. Australia’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Simon Mordant AM Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE Photograph: Tristan Deratz Photograph: Brendan Read 4 — 894,8761 visitors came through the doors of the MCA in 2013 – and we welcomed our 1,000,000th visitor less than 12 months since reopening — More than 220 artists were represented in the exhibition and touring programs — 256 works added to a Collection of over 4,000 — Over 71,000 creative learning program participants – including 12,128 participants to our Kids & Families programs and 1,584 students with special needs and their carers attending one of our Bella programs. — Nearly 8,000 people were guided through the MCA by 34 dedicated voluntary guides — 681 students from 37 schools ‘came’ to the MCA via a digital excursion — 65,447 people visited an MCA touring exhibition across the country — An average of over 50,000 unique website users each month — Facebook fans increased by 65% in 2013 — Over 40% more Twitter followers — 36% more eNews subscribers — Nearly 80% of total income earned from MCA’s own sources — Membership numbers rose by nearly 400% 1 The MCA uses a digital traffic management system, Traffic Pro, to obtain attendance figures. Sensors that monitor traffic are placed throughout the Museum. This information is then transmitted to the MCA’s servers for analysis. The system utilises formulas to calibrate figures to reflect real visitor movement. The system and recording equipment are monitored and regularly audited. Gallery traffic is also manually recorded by floor staff at the principal entrance to the galleries. 5 CURATORIAL AND DIGITAL In 2013, the MCA presented — 2 continuing exhibitions (commenced in late 2012) — 8 new exhibitions — changing displays of the MCA Collection and new acquisitions — a new regional touring exhibition, domestic and international tours of 3 popular 2012 and 2013 MCA exhibitions — 3 new C3West projects — 2 new artist commissions — a performance season — 8 new print publications and 2 e-publications. Juz Kitson, Changing Skin, 2013, Southern Ice porcelain, Jingdezhen porcelain (pig fat porcelain), terracotta clay, paraffin wax, horse, fox, goat and human hair, alpaca and sheep wool, deer and cow hide, flocking, resin, natural found material, silk thread, tulle, polyurethane, oxidized, PVD fired (physical vapour deposition), lustre and raku fired, installation view Primavera 2013, MCA, 2013, image courtesy and © the artist, photograph: Alex Davies 6 MCA Annual Review 2013 Curatorial and Digital EXHIBITIONS AND TOURING ANISH KAPOOR 20 December 2012 – 1 April 2013, ticketed entry Curator Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE Continuing in 2013, the first major solo exhibition in Australia by internationally renowned artist Anish Kapoor, presented as part of Destination NSW’s International Art Series introduced Sydney audiences to key bodies of work from the artist’s career since the early 1980s to the present. Venue Dates Duration (Days) Total Visits MCA 20 December 2012 – 1 April 2013 102 92,438 TABOO 19 December 2012 – 24 February 2013, free entry Guest Curator Brook Andrew Also continuing in 2013, TABOO brought together Australian and international artists who respond to ideas around race, ethnicity, politics, sex and nudity, death and religion. The exhibition set out to represent fragments of history, narrative and memory through art works and contextual materials that, when juxtaposed, create a powerful and emotional effect. Venue Dates Duration (Days) Total Visits MCA 20 December 2012 – 24 February 2013 67 130,389 Anish Kapoor, Memory, 2008, installation view, Anish Kapoor, MCA, Jompet, War of Java: Do You Remember #3, 2009, installation view 2012, Cor-Ten steel, Deutsche Bank and Solomon R. Guggenheim TABOO, MCA, 2012, mixed media installation including video, collection Foundation, image courtesy and © the artist, photograph: Alex Davies of Mainland Art Fund, Melbourne, image courtesy and © the artist, photograph: Alex Davies 7 MCA Annual Review 2013 Curatorial and Digital SOUTH OF NO NORTH: LAURENCE ABERHART, WILLIAM EGGLESTON AND NOEL MCKENNA 8 March – 5 May 2013, free entry Curator Glenn Barkley This exhibition presented paintings and photography from three artists whose works are connected by an interest in the vernacular, a regional sense of place and a similar visual sensibility. It is part of an ongoing series at the MCA placing the work of an Australian artist alongside that of their international peers. Venue Dates Duration (Days) Total Visits MCA 8 March – 5 May 2013 59 87,922 Artspace Mackay 5 July – 25 August 2013 52 3,127 City Gallery, Wellington 14 December 2013 – 9 March 2014 85 36,023 JEFF WALL PHOTOGRAPHS 1 May – 28 July 2013, free entry Curator Gary Dufour (Art Gallery of Western Australia) Canadian Jeff Wall is recognised as one of the most intriguing and influential artists working today. This overview covered three decades of his artistic and photographic innovation and included his large-scale works – epic and luminous large colour photographs presented as transparencies in light boxes; black and white prints; more recent colour prints; and intimate small-scale photographic observations. Jeff Wall Photographs was an exhibition organised by the Art Gallery of Western Australia in association with the MCA. Venue Dates Duration (Days) Total Visits MCA 1 May – 28 July 2013 89 94,583 South of No North: Laurence Aberhart, William Eggleston and Noel Jeff Wall Photographs, installation view, MCA, 2013, image courtesy McKenna, installation view, MCA, 2013, image courtesy and © the and © the artist, photograph: Alex Davies artist, photograph: Alex Davies 8 MCA Annual Review 2013