BRISBANE. The Queensland Art Gallery announced ‘The 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ (APT6), which will include for the first time contemporary artists from North Korea, Iran, Turkey, Tibet, Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma).

Queensland Art Gallery Director Tony Ellwood today said that APT6 would be held at the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) and Queensland Art Gallery from December 5, 2009 until April 5, 2010 and would profile new commissions and recent work by more than 100 artists and filmmakers from over 25 countries across the region.

‘The APT is the most extensive event on the international calendar for contemporary art in Asia, Australia and the Pacific, and remains the flagship exhibition for the Queensland Art Gallery. In APT6, we are thrilled to present work from countries that have never before been represented in the Triennial. In particular, the exhibition will focus on the importance of collaboration in art, with contributions from several important collectives operating in the region.’ Mr Ellwood said.

APT6 will include three groundbreaking presentations: The Mansudae Art Studio project, co-curated with filmmaker Nicholas Bonner (UK/China), the first presentation in Australia of contemporary art from North Korea; Pacific Reggae, co-curated with broadcaster Brent Clough (NZ/Australia), showcasing for the first time music and music video by reggae artists from Hawai’i, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia; and The Mekong, co-curated with artist Rich Streitmatter-Tran (Vietnam), featuring painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography and video from Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar (Burma).

Australian artists presented in APT6 are the Philippines-born, Brisbane-based husband and wife team Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan; the Melbourne collective DAMP; Raafat Ishak (Melbourne); and Tracey Moffatt, who lives and works in New York and the Sunshine Coast.

Internationally acclaimed directors Ang Lee (Taiwan/USA), Rithy Panh (Cambodia/France) and Takeshi Kitano (Japan) are the artist-filmmakers, to be featured in the Australian Cinémathèque at the Gallery of Modern Art.

Mr Ellwood said the APT project remained unprecedented for Australian galleries in terms of its focus and scale.

‘APT6 will occupy the entire Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) building and key spaces in the Queensland Art Gallery, including the iconic Watermall.

‘As with previous Triennials, APT6 will be accompanied by a major publication; a public opening program of events including performances, artist talks, lectures and a symposium; the Kids’ APT program of interactive artworks and activities; and the Summer Spectacular Festival, which will include a regional component’, Mr Ellwood said.

‘A major thematic cinema program will be held in the Australian Cinémathèque. The program will explore the rich cinematic heritages across the Indian subcontinent (including Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Kashmir, Pakistan) to West Asia and the Middle East (including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine).

‘The selection of artists for APT6 is according to their significant and unique engagement with the Asia Pacific region.

’APT6 will consider a number of thematic links, including the dynamism of collaboration, the power of popular culture to articulate perspectives on contemporary life, the impact of rapid social change on local communities and cultures, and the practice of drawing’.