In a first step toward realising Director Chris Saines’ vision of touring exhibitions from the institution’s Collection to national and international venues, the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) today announced that ‘My Country: Contemporary Art from Black Australia’ would be shown in New Zealand in 2014.
Mr Saines said the exhibition, adapted from ‘My Country, I Still Call Australia Home: Contemporary Art from Black Australia’ which was staged at GOMA from June to October last year, would be presented at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki from March 28 to July 20.
‘We want to share the many strengths of our Collection with the rest of the world and I am delighted that our largest exhibition to date of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art is the first touring exhibition to represent this new strategic direction for the Gallery,’ Mr Saines said.
‘Curated by Bruce McLean, QAGOMA’s Curator of Indigenous Australian Art, ‘My Country’ draws on three decades of research and Collection development to highlight the connections Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists have with country as both ‘land’ and ‘nation’, giving voice to investigations of their historical and contemporary political and social landscapes.’
Queensland Arts Minister Ian Walker MP congratulated the Gallery on this first step towards being a creator and exporter of major exhibitions.
‘This is a shining example of Queensland not only sharing the work of many outstanding artists, but exporting its cultural knowledge through the development of this superb exhibition,’ Mr Walker said.
Mr Saines said the tour would feature almost 100 works by 46 artists from across the country, as well as Gordon Hookey’s interactive artist project ‘Kangaroo Crew’ for children and families.
‘Over three thematic sections that explore history, life and country, the exhibition highlights the depth and breadth of the practices of Indigenous Australian artists including Vernon Ah Kee, Doreen Reid Nakamarra, Vincent Serico, Judy Watson, Warwick Thornton, Archie Moore, Mirdidingkingathi Juwarrnda Sally Gabori, Richard Bell, Tony Albert, Dickie Minyintiri, Destiny Deacon, Bindi Cole, Fiona Foley and Christian Thompson.
‘Many of the issues explored by these works are confronting and controversial. An exhibition like this is an important forum for discussion, debate and education, and we are proud that we can now share it with an international audience,’ Mr Saines said.
