Leading international art world opinion-makers and influencers will visit Australia this month for the Seventh Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT7). The group of twenty museum directors, art writers and curators are travelling to Brisbane under a new program which encourages respected art world figures to champion Australian artists internationally.

As the Queensland Art GalleryGallery of Modern Art celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Asia Pacific Triennial series with APT7, the Australia Council for the Arts is pleased to host a delegation of international visual arts leaders at the first APT International Visitors Program.

Working in partnership with Queensland Art Gallery and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the initiative builds on the flagship recurrent exhibition’s high profile in the international art world.

Visiting Brisbane from 6 to 10 December 2012, the delegation will take part in an intensive program of events, including APT opening weekend public programs. They will also visit local galleries, private collections, and meet with arts figures and artists from across Australia.

The program is designed to promote lasting relationships between local artists and international colleagues. It is an unprecedented opportunity for sharing knowledge and connecting with international peers during APT.

By bringing key visual arts leaders from around the world to APT7, we recognize the powerful role that these figures can play in championing Australian artists. Following on from the success of similar programs, we hope the delegates will become enduring ambassadors for Australian art in cities across Asia and around the world,’ says Kathy Keele, Chief Executive Officer, of the Australia Council for the Arts.

The International Visitors Program also helps to consolidate the Triennial’s reputation as a ground-breaking cultural initiative focused on our region. Investment in the Triennial is an important part of the Australia Council’s ongoing engagement with Asia.’

The group includes leading figures from museums, galleries and universities across America, Europe, and Asia. Key participants include Claire Bishop, Associate Professor, History of Art Department, CUNY Graduate Center, USA; Hou Hanru Chair of the Exhibitions program, San Francisco Art Institute, USA; Suman Gopinath Founder/Director of Colab Art & Architecture, Banaglore, India; Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi Founder and President, Sharjah Art Foundation, United Arab Emirates; Cosmin Costinas Executive Director/Curator, Para/Site, Hong Kong; Philip Tinari Director, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, China and Sunjung Kim Independent Curator and Professor at the Korea National University of Arts, Seoul.

Under the program, APT7 Keynote Speaker Prof. Claire Bishop will also make a whistle-stop visit to Sydney. The author of Artificial Hells: Participatory Art and the Politics of Spectatorship (2012) examines notions around participatory art as a political art form. Prof. Bishop will discuss her work in-conversation with Ross Gibson, Professor of Contemporary Arts at the University of Sydney. It is the first time the noted author has addressed audiences in Sydney or Brisbane.

The Australian Council is proud to provide ongoing support to the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art under the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy.