Bangkok Post : 18 years showcasing Asian and Pacific Art

The Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT), showing in Brisbane, Australia, is one of the most significant events on the region's art calendar. The sixth exhibition showcasing the talents of artists from countries ranging from the Pacific area through Southeast Asia to the Middle East, occupies the entire Gallery of Modern Art, as well as key spaces within the adjoining Queensland Art Gallery. In physical scale and geographic scope, it is the most ambitious APT to date.

‘The Mekong’, an ambitious venture from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma.

Since the first Triennial in 1993, more than 1.3 million people have visited the exhibitions. Queensland Art Gallery Director Tony Ellwood said this year's APT was the most ambitious Triennial exhibition yet. It includes cinema programmes and a large section devoted to children.

APT6 features contemporary art from communities that have not been seen in the Triennial before, including works by artists from Tibet, North Korea, Turkey and Iran. The exhibition presents 313 artworks by more than 160 artists from over 25 countries, while the APT6 cinema programme presents 260 feature and short films by more than 120 film-makers. The works reflect a number of thematic links, among them collaboration, the influence of architecture, pop culture and the impact of modernity and urbanisation.

Three major multi-artist projects, developed in collaboration with co-curators working in the field, examine some of these themes. The Mekong, co-curated with Rich Streitmatter-Tran, is an ambitious venture from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Burma. It fills a large space with paintings, ceramics and everyday objects from the region and presents a vivid, multi-layered view of a complex and rapidly transforming region. It is a co-production by seven artists including Thailand's Manit Sriwanichpoom, who lives and works in Bangkok as an artist and photographer.

Manit's photographs are renowned for their witty and provocative commentary on Thai life and culture. Waiting for the King 2006 is a photographic collage taken in Bangkok during celebrations marking 60 years of HM the King's accession to the throne. Waiting for the King is an example of Manit's approach to portraiture, and a powerful allegory for Thailand's contemporary political condition.

Wit Pimkanchanapong also lives and works in Bangkok. Trained in architecture, Wit applies his interest in space and design in the form of video, installation, commercial graphics and display pieces. His works often take the form of spatial objects or landscapes. He also fosters many collaborations including the Soi Project, an ongoing laboratory bringing together artists and practitioners from a range of disciplines. His installation Cloud was initially conceived to transform a rock concert venue in Thailand.

On a lighter note, Wit's Fruits transformed the space outside the front entrance of the gallery into a lively fruit market displaying an array of paper fruits including oranges, apples, starfruits and mangosteens. Wit invited visitors to choose a template and construct a piece of fruit out of paper in exchange

for a monetary donation based on the market value of the fruit. All money raised was used to help bring Australia's critically endangered hairy nosed wombat back from the brink of extinction.

Works by Wit Pimkanchanapong (clockwise from left: ‘I, You, We’, ‘Fruits’, depicting a lively fruit market and an installation work ‘Cloud’)

Found only in very small numbers in Queensland's Epping Forest National Park, their numbers are slowly increasing thanks in part to initiatives such as Wit's fruit stall, which raised public awareness of the animals' plight. In fact, Yami the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat became the Kids APT mascot, venturing out of his burrow to guide children through this year's Kids APT. Exhibiting Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara designed the mascot because he has a soft spot for wombats.

Wit made another crowd pleasing contribution to Kids APT with his "I, you, we" photo booths. Visitors are invited to step inside a booth in pairs and create a new portrait of themselves. Six-year-old Penni Jeeramantiph and her father photographed each other individually. The photos were then electronically combined as a jumbled up mosaic and emailed to their family and friends. The photos are intended to illustrate Wit's ideas of who we are and how we relate to different people.

The Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art is a viewing must if you're heading Down Under this month. However, if you can't make it in person, the comprehensive online education resources, which are designed for in-gallery and classroom investigation, are now available on the gallery's website (http://www.qag.qld.gov.au/apt6) until the show draws to an end on April 5. These include:

A virtual tour that allows you to navigate through the APT6 spaces to see exhibition highlights. Perfect for pre-visit preparations.

An interactive blog for secondary students to discuss artists and artworks featured in APT6.

A student-oriented online component of the education resources developed by secondary school students, which include video interviews with artists, curators and gallery exhibition staff.

A PowerPoint presentation featuring images and video interviews of artists involved in Kids APT.

Teachers notes: A PDF summary of the major themes to assist teachers to self-guide their students through the exhibition. It includes curriculum information and before-viewing and after-viewing classroom activities.

Visit-http://www.qag.qld.gov.au/apt6 for programmes and resources, workshops and information sessions. To receive updates on education programmes and resources, send your name, school, address, phone number and teaching level to edmail@qag.qld.gov.au. And to find out more about the hairy nosed wombat, visit http://www.derm.qld.gov.au (search for wombat).