ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES ANNUAL REPORT 2012 – 13 1 CONTENTS 4 Vision and strategic direction 2010 – 15 5 President’s foreword 9 Director’s statement 13 At a glance 15 Access 15 Exhibitions and audience programs 19 Future exhibitions 21 Publishing 23 Engaging 23 Digital engagement 23 Community 30 Education 35 Outreach Regional NSW 40 Stewarding 40 Building and environmental management 42 Corporate Governance 58 Collecting 58 Major collection acquisitions 67 Other collection activity 70 Appendices 123 General Access Information 131 Financial statements 2 ART GALLERY OF NSW ANNUAL REPORT 12-13 The Hon George Souris MP Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Hospitality and Racing, and Minister for the Arts Parliament House Macquarie Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 Dear Minister It is our pleasure to forward to you for presentation to the NSW Parliament the annual report for the Art Gallery of NSW for the year ended 30 June 2013. This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Annual Report (Statutory Bodies) Act 1984 and the Annual Reports (Statutory Bodies) Regulations 2010. Yours sincerely Steven Lowy Michael Brand President Director Art Gallery of NSW Trust 21 October 2013 3 VISION AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2010 – 2015 Vision The Gallery is dedicated to serving the widest possible audience, both nationally and internationally, as a centre of excellence for the collection, preservation, documentation, . interpretation and display of Australian and international art. The Gallery is also dedicated to providing a forum for scholarship, art education and the exchange of ideas. Strategic Directions Access To continue to improve access to our collection, resources and expertise through exhibitions, publishing, programs, new technologies and partnerships. Engaging To continue to find new and innovative ways of engaging audiences with the visual arts. Stewarding To nurture and develop the Gallery’s people, resources and assets; to embrace our responsibility to lead and support the creation, enjoyment and understanding of the visual arts across NSW; and to remain tireless advocates for Australian art and artists internationally. Collecting To strengthen and safeguard our collection through targeted acquisitions and best-practice collection management, research and conservation. 4 ART GALLERY OF NSW ANNUAL REPORT 12-13 It is worth noting here that the genesis of Sydney PRESIDENT’S Modern has a long history. FOREWORD Five years ago the Trustees and the Gallery’s Executive team embarked on a searching It is with a great deal of pride that I present my examination of the current state of the Gallery and final President’s report after eight years as a more significantly what would be required to Trustee of the Art Gallery of NSW and seven as ensure the Gallery remained relevant into the President. future. In August I informed the NSW Government and In short, the Masterplan we have developed my fellow Trustees of my decision to retire from involves a proposal for a major expansion and the role of President at the end of the year. I am renewed focus on serving a global audience. delighted that the Government will appoint fellow Trustee, Mr Guido Belgiorno-Nettis AM, to The working title we announced for the project in succeed me. March 2013– Sydney Modern – was chosen because it embodies the ambition of the Trustees The highlights of my term as President are many, and Michael Brand to create a truly forward- but include some of the Gallery’s most successful looking art museum in Sydney which can take its exhibitions, such as The Last Emperor: China’s place in the Asian Century, in an inter-connected entombed warriors and Picasso: masterpieces and digitised world. from the Musée National Picasso, Paris; the transition of directors from Edmund Capon to After considering many options in terms of scale Michael Brand; the creation of a new storage and direction of growth it was agreed that facility which freed up space to create the Kaldor expansion northwards towards the harbour was Family Collection; the acquisition of some superb the best option. This will allow the Gallery to additions to the collection, especially Cezanne’s realise its potential with the least impact on our Bords de la Marne and, of course, the sensitive and unique site through making use of development and launch of our Sydney Modern underutilised land, an existing land bridge and Masterplan. possibly the disused oil storage tanks. Over the past several years I have worked closely Landscape will be an integral component of the with my fellow Trustees, Edmund and Deputy museum design and the Masterplan recognises Director Anne Flanagan, and then Michael, to the significance of our location and respects the develop the Masterplan. In June 2013 I was green space around the Gallery. delighted when the NSW Government The Sydney Modern plan presents an opportunity demonstrated its support for the vision by to create a new, iconic building that can take its providing $10.8 million to take the plans to the place alongside the Sydney Opera House and next stage. Harbour Bridge. This will involve feasibility and engineering studies The final design of Sydney Modern will be leading to a national and international design selected through a national and international competition to select an architect to design the architectural competition and I have no doubt that new building. our vision, combined with our spectacular site, will I will be leaving my role with the Gallery at the end attract the highest calibre of entries from around of what has been a very active year. the world. Our new director Michael Brand now has hit the Sydney Modern will also make a significant ground running. He was appointed to the role in economic contribution to the State. We anticipate 2012 and this year, as part of the Sydney Modern that the new building has the potential to increase announcement, he outlined his vision for Gallery visitation from 1.3 to 2 million per annum with which he describes in greater detail in his flow-on effects benefitting the entire community. Director’s Statement. 5 We are confident we can create a cultural The long-term future of the Brett Whiteley Studio institution of international significance and by in Sydney was secured this year with transfer of doing so enhance the city’s sense of itself. ownership to the Gallery as well as funding to run the studio programs and the Brett Whiteley Major Exhibitions Travelling Art Scholarship in perpetuity. I extend There were many highlights in the past year which my thanks to Wendy Whiteley, Gallery staff and are described in greater detail in the Director’s the NSW Government for their co-operation and Report, among them Francis Bacon: five decades, goodwill in bringing this about. the third in the Sydney International Art Series at the Gallery. The exhibition was opened by I would also like to acknowledge the Art Gallery Minister for the Arts, the Hon George Souris, and Society of New South Wales and its president, Mr marked the last major curatorial project for Tony John Masters, for their contribution to the range Bond who retired in March 2013 after a long and and quality of the collection. In recognition of distinguished career at the Gallery. We thank Michael’s appointment as director, the Society Tony for his enormous contribution to our Gallery acquired Gospel by Ed Ruscha. My fellow and Australian cultural life. Trustees and I congratulate the Society on its 60th anniversary which was celebrated during 2013. Another major international loan exhibition, Eugène Atget: old Paris was curated by Judy Corporate Sponsorship Annear the Gallery’s Senior Curator, Photographs. This year the Gallery was again successful in The exhibition showcased more than 200 attracting sponsorship revenue. I would like to photographs, primarily from the Musée thank our strategic partner, Destination NSW, for Carnavalet, Paris. The Gallery was the only its continued support and acknowledge the Australian venue for this important exhibition Gallery’s principal sponsors ANZ for its fourth year which was jointly organised by Fundación Mapfre, of support for the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Nederlands Fotomuseum, Musée Carnavalet- prize exhibitions; Ernst and Young, Herbert Smith Histoire de Paris, and Paris Musées and the Freehills and Marsh for their ongoing commitment; Gallery. J.P. Morgan for its seventh year as sponsor of the Brett Whiteley Studio; Macquarie Capital for its I would like to thank all local, national and fifth year as sponsor of Art After Hours; Qantas for international lenders for supporting our exhibition its 18th year as official airline and principal program this year. The high standing of lender sponsor of the Yiribana Gallery and from this year individuals and institutions is acknowledgement of as our Australian Art partner; and UBS for the quality of scholarship of the Gallery and our supporting the new contemporary galleries and reputation is strengthened through our association UBS ArtZone. with them. I would also like to thank the Gallery’s many loyal Significant Benefaction and generous supporters including, Avantcard; The NSW community has always generously JCDecaux; Porter’s Original Paint; Sofitel Sydney supported the Gallery and continued to do so in Wentworth; the Australian Financial Review and 2012-13. The support of benefactors is integral to the Sydney Morning Herald. the Gallery’s ability to grow its collection. It has been my pleasure to work closely with the A significant addition was made to the Gallery’s Art Gallery of NSW Foundation. The Foundation European collection during the year thanks to the plays a vital role in maintaining and improving our generosity of Kenneth Reed, a great patron of the collection and I would like to especially arts. In October 2012 Ken announced his acknowledge the contribution of the former Chair intention to bequeath his entire private collection of the Foundation, Ms Rowena Danziger AM, over of 200 pieces of rare 18th European porcelain the past 10 years or so and wish her successor valued at $5.4 million to the Gallery.