Artsummit success
The 5th World Summit on Arts and Culture wrapped up in Melbourne in early October, with credit to all concerned it seems. The Summit, themed Creative Intersections, attracted 501 delegates from 72 countries, exploring intersections between the arts and other sectors across health, education, environment, business, international aid, social inclusion and digital technologies. A summary of case studies and papers will be released early in 2012, and the 6th Summit will take place in Chile in January 2014.
www.artsummit.org
Returning antiquities
The Australian government is quietly doing the right thing, with recent returns of precious cultural antiquities to Egypt, Peru and Jordan under the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986. In September, 122 Egyptian artefacts including figurines and miniature amulets, some dating from the fourth millennium BC, were officially returned to Egypt. Nine artefacts, including fragile textile remnants, woven and pottery dolls and gold foil artefacts, were formally handed back to Peru, and two miniature pots have been returned to Jordan. The Federal Office for the Arts said “the Australian Government is committed to the protection of moveable cultural heritage – both our own and that of other nations. Anyone seeking to purchase cultural heritage objects must ensure that they are accompanied by the proper documents such as export permits”.
www.arts.gov.au
National Indigenous centre back on the radar
After a quiescent period, talk of an Indigenous cultural centre in Sydney’s contentious Barangaroo precinct has again been in the news, partly arising from the sudden resignation of Hetti Perkins as head of Indigenous art at AGNSW. Perkins has called for the establishment of a national institution that reflects the range and depth of contemporary Indigenous culture. Arts Minister Simon Crean encouraged her to make a submission to the NCP (see below). A national Indigenous knowledge centre was canvassed at the 2020 summit in 2008, and Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin says a feasibility study commissioned last year is still being considered. Powerhouse Museum director Dawn Casey supports a new national institution but says it should avoid ethnographic material and social history, and “be more about where we are today”. Sydney's deputy Lord Mayor, Marcelle Hoff, said Barangaroo would be a suitable site for an Indigenous centre, although not underground, arguing that the symbolism of an Indigenous centre buried below ground would be unacceptable.
Bunker busters
Simultaneously, the Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA) has initiated tendering for a 100,000-cubic metre underground ‘cultural space’, situated within a natural-looking headland designed by the US landscape architect Peter Walker, and ferociously championed by Paul Keating, at an overall estimated cost exceeding $90 million. Quickly dubbed ‘the bunker’ by the media, planning documents say usage will be determined in the future ''depending on what Sydney needs''. Sydney University’s Professor Peter Webber says ''No architect in their right mind could design a space like that without knowing what you could put in it”. In a last-ditch attempt to stop the plan, Webber has written to the NSW Premier, backed by more than 60 planning and architectural luminaries, including Richard Leplastrier, Peter Stutchbury, Philip Cox, Penelope Seidler and David Chesterman. The letter suggests the northern point, earmarked for the headland, is an ideal location for a new theatre, which should be built above ground.
BDA says the raw underground space will add just $8 million to the cost of restoring the headland and it cites other successful underground facilities including Hobart’s MONA, Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music and Renzo Piano’s California Academy Of Sciences. According to BDA documents, visitors will experience “a dramatic entry that leads into a large space with natural light reflecting off the warm sandstone wall from numerous skylights above”. It adds that the cultural facility will provide “a diversity of spaces to suit a wide range of exhibition and performance, allowing multiple configurations, heights and views, there are few limitations on how these spaces could be used”.
www.barangaroo.com
New MCA reveals 2012 program
Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) today announced a reopening date of
31 March 2012, following its $53 million redevelopment. The 2012 exhibition program was also announced, commencing with Marking Time (31 March until 3 June 2012) curated by Rachel Kent, featuring artists from Europe, the USA, Brazil, Japan and Australia, and Volume One: MCA Collection, curated by Glenn Barkley. Next up will be the18th Biennale of Sydney: all our relations (27 June– 16 September) across two levels. Spring shows include Primavera (5 October – 2 December), Ken Whisson - As If (1 October – 28 November) and Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro (4 October – 28 November). Next summer, artist Brook Andrew will curate TABOO - The Silent Identity (19 December– 24 February 2013) presenting recent work by Indigenous artists from Australia and around the world. Also announced is a series of permanent site-specific works by Australian artists including Brook Andrew, Hany Armanious, Emily Floyd, Grant Stevens and Helen Eager.
Review of the reviews
Comments on the Federal Government’s National Cultural Policy (NCP) discussion paper closed on 21 October, with over 900 submissions received as AMA went to press. Arising from perceived public interest, news media have demonstrated a higher level of attention than is usual for arts policy issues, with News Ltd, Fairfax and Crikey all presenting thoughtful pieces in the run-up to the comment deadline. Some have been critical of the ‘glacial’ pace of a process initiated by (then) Arts Minister Peter Garrett in 2006, with the final policy due in 2012. The review is just one of an acronym-strewn range of arts, culture and media reviews intended to inform a coherent ‘whole-of-government’ policy. National Artnotes has reported on many of these over the last year or so:
The Strategic Digital Industry Plan (SDIP), a.k.a Creative Industries, a Strategy for 21st Century Australia: was released in August, and responses to the discussion paper for Harold Mitchell’s Review of Private Sector Support for the Arts (RPSSA) closed in July, with the final report expected early next year. Also mentioned in the NCP paper is a 2010 election commitment to look at the possibility of a National Design Policy, with proposed draft scope of reference and timeframe expected soon.
www.arts.gov.au
The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA)’s revised Shape of the Australian Curriculum: The Arts was published in August, with further content, consultation and revision planned throughout 2012 and final publication TBC.
www.acara.edu.au
Then there’s The Convergence Review, being conducted under the auspices of the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE), examining policy and regulatory frameworks for a “converged media and communications landscape in Australia”. A discussion paper was released in September with submissions closing 28 October and final report due March 2012.
www.dbcde.gov.au
Finally, the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) has released a discussion paper on its Review of the National Classification Scheme, with submissions closing 18 November and final report due January 2012.
www.alrc.gov.au
Venice Pavillion update
Expressions of interest for the design of a new Venice Pavillion have now closed. The pavillion, managed by the Australia Council, is due to be completed for the opening of the 56th International Art Exhibition in June 2015, with appointment date for the chosen architect(s) to be announced. The selection panel comprises Luca Belgiorno-Nettis (Chair, Biennale of Sydney), Doug Hall (Biennale 2011 Commissioner), Kathy Keele (Ozco CEO), Simon Mordant (Biennale 2013 Commissioner) and Brian Zulaikha (President, Australian Institute of Architects).
www.australiacouncil.gov.au/venicepavillion
NPG Movember
The National Portrait Gallery has announced the collection based show Jo's mo show (with beards)
(28 October - 1 April) illustrating changes in beards, moustaches and sideburns from the 1780s to the 1980s. The NPG throws open its doors between 5pm - 9pm on the last Friday of every month for exhibition viewings, entertainment and drinks to kick-start the weekend. And a reminder that entries to the $25k 2012 National Photographic Portrait Prize close on 31st October.
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