The Asia-Pacific Triennial

As this issue of the Journal raises the question of globalism's influence on the way art history will be written, we thought it would be timely to address the history of the Asia- Pacific Triennial (APT). Mounted by Brisbane's Queensland Art Gallery (QAG), the APT is the only regular survey show dedicated to the art of this region. It was launched in 1993, and has had four subsequent installments - APT2 (1996), APT3 (1999), APT4 (2003), and APT5 (2006) - with APT6 due to open late 2009. The APT proved prophetic, anticipating, pacing, and co-evolving with the rise of contemporary art in Asia. When it began, it was entering largely uncharted territory, and many of the issues it confronted, in retrospect, proved key to the times. As such, we asked some participants and observers to comment on the evolution of this unique project. While we canvassed many people, not all angles are covered. This remains a partial account.