Australasian Art & Culture
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Australasian Art & Culture
ISSU E 33 · F EBU R A RY to A PR IL 2021
AUS $19.95 NZ $25.00
Martin Basher, Hannah Brontë, Patrick Clair, Chantal Fraser,
Kirsten Coelho, Amos Gebhardt, Roni Horn, Susan King, Jeff Koons,
Alicja Kwade, Sancintya Mohini Simpson, Michael Parekōwhai,
Georgia Spain, William Yang, Judy Watson, Judith Wright & more
Bundanon, Shoalhaven
Construction December 2020
Photo: ADCO
“You need that scale to convey its world-
class nature,” said National Gallery
of Victoria (NGV ) director Tony
Ellwood, when the plans for the new
30,000-square-metre NGV Contemporary
were announced late last year. Ellwood’s
comments echoed Michael Brand in the
early days of the Art Gallery of New South
Wales’ (AGNSW) Sydney Modern project,
when he said: “Sydney is a global city and
we have to behave like a global institution.”
The $344 million Sydney Modern
project is now a quarter of the way there,
and is expected to open in 2022. It has domestic arts tourists stayed longer and
BUILD IT AND
been a massive public-private partnership, spent more than other tourists, averaging
with AGNSW raising over $100 million. $1068 a trip, compared to $685 respectively.
In Melbourne, the funding for the first In Victoria, the finishing touches are
stage of NGV Contemporary is coming being put on the new Shepparton Art
out of the Victorian Government’s $1.46 Museum (SAM), which is being touted as
billion redevelopment of the Southbank arts a tourism and economic driver in a region
precinct, but now the NGV must embark Modern, Boola Bardip and the 2012 known for agriculture and manufacturing.
THEY WILL COME
on a major philanthropy campaign, too. renovation of Sydney’s Museum of The five-storey gallery has cost over $50
These projects are among the largest in Contemporary Art (MCA). million, with around half of that coming
a raft of arts building projects across This ongoing building activity is not from federal and state government funding
the country – from the relocation of without risk. Ellis, in the latest Deloitte initiatives for growing regional economies.
Sydney’s Museum of Applied Arts and Art & Finance report, describes these The new gallery has space for SAM’s
Sciences (MAAS) and Perth’s recent $400 building projects as cost centres that create extensive ceramics collection, as well as
million Museum Boola Bardip, to the fixed assets so specialised there is no real education facilities, a bar, a for-hire events
construction of new regional galleries and secondary market for them. space and the town’s visitor centre.
But will they? VAULT looks at the extraordinary amount of investment in bricks and mortar for the arts. smaller refurbishments. The fear is that mismanaged builds For this regional museum, doing nothing
ES S AY b y J A N E O ’ S U L L I VA N Not all of these projects share Ellwood’s can result in financially-burdened, under- was seen as the most expensive course of
and Brand’s world-class ambitions, but resourced organisations and dull, risk- action. They predicted declining visitor
they have a common, codified language. averse programming. And yet, cultural numbers, missed opportunities and the loss
‘Iconic’ and ‘beacon’ turn up in almost building projects are overwhelmingly seen of major gifts like the $2 million Gantner
every strategic plan. After a while, it can as policy tools – as levers in urban renewal Aboriginal art collection and the $1.5
sound like every kid in the class is gifted projects that will create jobs, activate million Copulos Family pledge, which
and talented, but it’s not about hubris. neighbourhoods and attract commercial were tied to the build. The museum’s
Instead, this language has more to do investment. The new NGV Contemporary, message was clear: if the opportunity wasn’t
with how much is at stake. for example, is expected to pull in an taken up, the money would go elsewhere.
In 2018, the consulting firm AEA extra three million visitors a year, with In Queensland, HOTA (pronounced
recorded the completion of 148 arts construction creating 5000 jobs and 200 ‘hotter’ and short for Home of the Arts)
building projects worldwide worth some ongoing staff positions. Comparisons have is due to open in April 2021. Like SAM,
US$8 billion, and the announcement of a already been made to New York’s Highline. it’s also council run, and it’s hoped that
further 122 projects worth another US$8.7 These kinds of narratives have emerged the $60.5 million new gallery will attract
billion. The median size of completed in response to globalisation – a city with “visitors who are looking for something
projects was 6252 square metres. AEA a unique and well-expressed cultural more than what the Gold Coast is generally
only started tracking this data recently, identity is more attractive to tourists. known for,” as director Tracy Cooper-
but the activity is not new. In his book The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, which Lavery told the The Australian in July last
The Architecture of Art Museums: A Decade opened in 1997, is the classic example of year. “Not everyone wants theme parks and
of Design 2000-2010 (Routledge, 2014), this kind of ‘build it and they will come’ shopping outlets.”
Ronnie Self notes a dip in enthusiasm for thinking, but closer to home we have The ‘long boom’ is not just about tourism.
these projects after the 2008 global financial Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art Internationally, the rise of an urban creative
crisis, but fundamentally we are in what (MONA) and, before that, the Sydney class has been documented by writers like
AEA’s founder, Adrian Ellis, has called Opera House. Oli Mould, who has also noted the way
a “long boom in arts building.” MONA’s tourism impact is well these affluent, knowledge-based workers
Self ’s book observes a preference for documented. In 2018, interstate and have been targeted by policy makers and
international star architects and bravura international visitors to the museum urban developers. (Mould calls the cynical
designs – but not so wild that they brought $861 million into Tasmania mobilisation of artists’ labour in urban
overpower the experience of the art inside. through accommodation, transport and developments ‘artwashing’.) This is also
(No more Frank Lloyd Wright spirals, other purchases. The Australia Council for happening outside of the cities. Local
then.) More recently, the adaptive reuse the Arts has also found that arts tourists demographic research shows several
of existing buildings and sites has also are big spenders. In one study from before creative employment ‘hot spots’ across
become popular, such as with Sydney the COVID-19 pandemic, it found that regional Australia.
118 119
“complementary,” but insists that Adelaide’s
will be bigger. The AACC will also house
the South Australian Museum’s collection The cumulative scale of this
of 30,000 First Nations objects from investment in infrastructure,
around Australia.
Other building projects include
coming at a time when there
the recent $40 million redevelopment is intense competition among
of Melbourne’s Australian Centre for artists and small-to-medium
the Moving Image (ACMI) and the
construction of a permanent home for the arts organisations for grants and
University of Melbourne’s Science Gallery. funding, raises questions around
In Sydney, philanthropist Judith Neilson is
beginning to open up her new performance
priorities and policy goals. Are
venue and art gallery, Phoenix Central we, as a nation, choosing to
Park, to the public after a soft launch last work on the hive because we
year. Artspace has secured funding for a
$5 million refurbishment, and a new council assume there will always be
gallery is opening in Woollahra. In regional 01 more worker bees?
NSW, Grafton is at work on a $7 million
update, including a national-standard
exhibition space, and there are early plans
The Honourable Daniel Andrews Premier of Victoria,
Minister of Creative Industries Danny Pearson MP and to expand Newcastle Art Gallery. 01 HOTA
Field Drawing #1,
02 C
hau Chak Wing Museum,
The University of Sydney
03 S
ydney Modern Project
Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA
NGV Director Tony Ellwood AM announcing funding for
the Melbourne Arts Precinct and NGV Contemporary
In the Shoalhaven region of NSW, Kerrie Poliness Opened 2020 Artwork: Taloi Havini, Habitat, 2017
© Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2018
inside NGV Triennial Dhambit Mununggurr’s installation. Bundanon is also building a new fireproof,
Photo: Eugene Hyland
semi-underground gallery and collection
storage area. Bundanon holds nearly
4000 works by Arthur Boyd and his the money for the current crop of builds is
contemporaries but located in the bush, coming from so many different buckets,
it can’t exactly rely on passing foot including regional recovery and economic
traffic. The $33 million project is about stimulus.
strengthening its profile as a cultural The talk about world-class institutions is also
destination. Opening in the second half a reminder of the wider landscape that museums
of 2021, it will also include education and and galleries occupy. The new HOTA building
accommodation facilities, which will be has 1000 square metres of international-
used to expand programming and build standard exhibition space. Rockhampton
Inside museums and galleries, however, Some of these builds have been a long revenue from things like conferences, Museum of Art and Ngununggula have also
these building projects often form part time coming. In the Southern Highlands concerts and events. been designed with loan capacity and touring
of a wider reassessment of community, of New South Wales (NSW), the campaign Bundanon is not alone in thinking exhibitions in mind. At AGNSW, Brand has
accessibility and purpose. Michael Brand, for a local gallery has been going since the about financial sustainability. The new compared Sydney Modern’s seven-metre-high
for example, has spoken about how Sydney mid 1990s. The community demand is NGV Contemporary will have an expansive oil tank gallery to the Tate Modern’s Turbine
Modern’s architectural and landscape now being met with Ngununggula (a name design store. Sydney Modern includes Hall, which is famous for hosting large-scale
experience will attract a broader audience, that means ‘belonging’ in the language of event facilities. HOTA has a rooftop bar. international works like Olafur Eliasson’s
which the gallery can then turn into “long- the Gundungurra), which is set to open In Adelaide, Premier Steven Marshall The Weather Project (2003).
term art lovers.” Both SAM and HOTA in August 2021. The turning point in the has already begun talking about ensuring Loans play many roles beyond getting visitors
include a dedicated children’s gallery. campaign came when philanthropist James that “the commerciality of this new through the door. They also place institutions
The six-storey HOTA building also has Fairfax bequeathed the old dairy and vet centre [AACC] is optimised.” The need into collegiate networks, foster scholarship and
a 900-square-metre space for temporary buildings at Retford Park to the state. to diversify income streams is hardly new, the recontextualising of collections, and allow
exhibitions and to showcase the Gold Coast Vocal champions like Ben Quilty also made but it is another reason why infrastructure the exchange of best practice ideas. Further
City art collection. It’s a valuable collection, a difference, drawing attention to the 42 projects are seen as capacity-building benefits can be seen in the MCA’s five-year
worth $32 million including a major schools in the area and arguing that school mechanisms for the arts industry. co-acquisition partnership with the Tate, which
William Robinson, but until now public kids should not have to travel to Canberra The ongoing work of measuring and has seen Australian artists exhibited in London
access has been constrained by lack of space. or Sydney for any kind of art experience. communicating the success of these projects alongside their international peers. In the
It’s a similar story in Rockhampton, In Adelaide, the proposed $200 million will be critical in the years to come. Jackie 02
reporting around COVID-19, one voice stood
where the local gallery is moving from its Aboriginal Art and Cultures Centre Bailey is the founder of BYP Group, a out. Wim Pijbes oversaw the modernisation
current 600-square-metre premises to a (AACC) at Lot Fourteen is still in the consultancy firm that helps Australian arts of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in the lean
new 4700-square-metre home in the CBD. early stages of development, but is hoped organisations with evaluation research. She years after 2008. “The museums that will be
The $31.5 million project is backed by a to open in 2025. Heavily supported by the points to questions of community, place- hit hard are the ones with no or few friends,”
mix of federal, state and local government South Australian Government, the Lot making and existence value. “I’d be really he told reporter Javier Pes. “You have to make
funding, and there has been the usual talk Fourteen development is being promoted looking at the public engagement,” she friends before you need them.” Perhaps it’s
about the mixed “community and economic as a cultural and tourism destination, but says. “In my mind, that’s the whole point. no wonder that so many of these projects are
benefits” by Queensland Premier Anastasia its success is likely to rest closer to home, If you’re going to derive any value from the described by their backers as beacons – lights,
Palaszczuk. Ultimately, the additional room in the involvement of First Nations construction money that government is shining in multiple directions.
ngv.vic.gov.au
will allow the new Rockhampton Museum communities and expertise. spending, it should be for the public.” artgallery.nsw.gov.au
of Art to share its strong collection of Plans for the centre include performance This massive infrastructure investment, maas.museum
Australian modernists. The museum will facilities and the technology for interactive coming at a time when there is intense visit.museum.wa.gov.au/boolabardip
mca.com.au
be ready for the public in late 2021. storytelling. Notably, the AACC has also competition for artist grants and mona.net.au
The $66 million new Chau Chak Wing been named a centre, rather than a gallery organisational funding, raises questions sydneyoperahouse.com
sheppartonartmuseum.com.au
Museum opened at The University of or museum. Early on, the AACC also around priorities and policy goals. Are we, hota.com.au
Sydney at the end of last year, bringing dropped the ‘national’ from its name, to as a nation, choosing to work on the hive rockhamptonartgallery.com.au
sydney.edu.au/museum
together a diverse collection of objects and avoid competition with the stalled plans because we assume there will always be ngununggula.com
art that had been spread across the campus. for a National Aboriginal Art Gallery in more worker bees? It’s difficult to make a artsceduna.com.au
Around 70% had not been seen publicly Alice Springs. South Australian Premier clean comparison here, particularly when acmi.net.au
melbourne.sciencegallery.com
for over 20 years. Steven Marshall says the galleries will be judithneilsonprojects.com.au
03 graftongallery.nsw.gov.au
nag.org.au
120 bundanon.com.au 1 21
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