Asian Pacific Life: Through the Lens

Written by Phoebe Cook
Edited by Jasmin Cook

The Asia Pacific region is home to a diversity of cultures and peoples. To explore this variety in one medium, in a small space can be a daunting task. On the 15th of April 2012, up and coming gallery "The Red Gallery" at 87Artzone Cultural Centre for International Arts Practice (CIAP) unveiled its first photographic exhibition as part of Queensland's fourth annual Festival of Photography, on the Gold Coast, Australia. Featuring over forty artists from local and international backgrounds, the photography showcased celebrated the cultural diversity throughout the Asia Pacific region. The gallery covered its walls with over 188 photographs each telling their own secrets and stories of the region around us. The photographs were neither labeled nor grouped according to culture or professional standard. This absence of identity of the photographer and titles allowed the themes of unity and diversity to flourish. The night was opened by Prof. Donal Fitzpatrick, Deputy Director of the Queensland College of Art. His speech provided an entertaining and well-researched overview of the "photographic image in the contemporary world" and the "role of the visual representation of the lived experience of the Asia Pacific region". He accredited the honorable Dr. Xuning Wang, Artistic Director and Administrator on the "marvelous enterprise of 87Artzone". 87Artzone recently became sister gallery to the Queensland College of Art's gallery "The White Box" and both Prof. Donal Fitzpatrick and Dr. Xuning Wang welcome the new partnership, aiming to "bring together the best of challenging and experimental art practice from thought this region of the world". The photographic image's impact is so easily accessible in the modern world and so its importance is easily overlooked. Featured photographer Steve Davis stated how "hard it is to distinguish photographs to show because so many are taken in the process of perfection". One of his photographs shows beautiful underground waterfalls from his childhood which is ever changing due to erosion and will eventually disappear. This easily accessible photography is one of the key points of Fitzpatrick's speech and gave useful insight into the types of photographs that made it into the exhibition, photographs taken via opportunity or circumstance. Fitzpatrick noted this merge, "blurring the roles between the professional and the amateur". While many photographs showcased were created by chance, the photographs taken by professional photographers engaged the audience conceptually....read more » Donal Fitzpatrick - Opening Address for 'Picture This' Donal Fitzpatrick - 国际亚太摄影展开幕辞

Picture This
Cultures Colliding at 87Artzone

Article by Phoebe Cook
Photography by Leman

An international photography exhibition, "Picture This: Asian-Pacific Life" was opened yesterday at the Red gallery at 87ARTZONE. Over two hundreds photographs were selected for this exhibition showcasing over thirty professional and amateur photographers. The photographs were taken in Asian pacific countries like China, Japan, Nepal and Australia. "Picture This" is a part of the Queensland festival of photography. Opening guest speaker Prof. Donal Fitzpatrick provided an extravagantly detailed and entertaining review of photo imaging in modern Asian Pacific Culture and cross cultural theory. He referred to the exhibition as "a fresh engagement with this part of the world" providing the viewer with a contrast of professional photography and the "amateur photographer giving meaning and challenging orthodoxy". The exhibition will be opened from 15th of April until the 6th of May. Opening hours Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 4:30pm Donal Fitzpatrick - Opening Address for 'Picture This' Donal Fitzpatrick - 国际亚太摄影展开幕辞

87艺术区最新展览Local Produce@87ARTZONE

优秀驻地艺术家 - 斯蒂夫 马克斯先生 Artist In Residence - Mr Steven Makse

Between Australia & China: Observations of Realist Painter
Exhibition Opening: 23rd October 2011
The exhibition confronts audiences with a series of dramatic realist paintings, which draw on the artists Chinese and Australian life-world experiences. The featured artworks share observations about our cultural circumstances that are not covered by the media, speaking the truth about the complex world around us

We have been very busy here at 87 ARTZONE, getting our galleries ready for our first exhibition! The Project Space Gallery is our large exhibition space with 7m high ceilings and vast wall space, it covers a floor area of 33 x 12 metres; making it the perfect environment for large-scale works, installations and group shows. The 87 ARTZONE presents local, national and international contemporary art in a series of exhibition programs aimed to encourage dialogue around cultural exchange in the Asia Pacific region. The focus of the 87 ARTZONE is on the visual arts, new media, music, dance and performance along with their contemporary and interdisciplinary forms.