MAAP - Multimedia Art Asia Pacific Annual Report 2011 by MAAP - Media Art Asia Pacific

MAAP - Multimedia Art Asia Pacific 2011 Annual Report

MAAP would like to thank all our sponsors for 2011

Light from Light is part of ‘Imagine Australia’ – The Year of Australian Culture in China 2010 – 2011. Light from Light has been supported by: the Queensland Government from art+place Queensland Public Art Fund; the Australia Council for the Arts; the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Australian International Cultural Council and the Australia China Council. MAAP is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Quensland.

CONTENTS Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Foreword ............................................................................................ 3 Background .............................................................................................................. 4 Executive Summary ............................................................................................ 5 2011 Program Overview .................................................................................. 6 1. CORE BUSINESS 7 Administrative Support: exhibition & touring programs ........... 7 Financial and Accounting System .............................................................. 7 MAAP Mentorship and Employment ....................................................... 8 Governance ............................................................................................................... 8 2. MAAP MEDIA BANK 9 Management System Upgrade Project .................................................... 9 Project Outcomes ................................................................................................... 10 Project Performance ............................................................................................ 10 Future Plans .............................................................................................................. 13 3. MAAP CURATORIAL PROGRAMS, EVENTS & PROJECTS 15 3a. Exhibition Project: Light From Light ................................................................ 15 Project Overview .................................................................................................... 15 Light from Light Tour ......................................................................................... 15 State Library of Queensland ........................................................................... 15 Shanghai Library ................................................................................................... 17 National Library of China ................................................................................ 17 National Art Museum of China ..................................................................... 19 Hangzhou Public Library ................................................................................. 19 Future Activities ...................................................................................................... 20 Publication Developments ................................................................................ 21 3b. MAAP Republic: Public Art Programs At South Bank ............................ 21 4. MAAP RESEARCH 22 4a. MAAP Website www.maap.org.au ................................................................................................ 22 www.maap.asia ..................................................................................................... 22 www.lightfromlight.net ..................................................................................... 22 www.maapmediabank.org .............................................................................. 22 4b. Publications ........................................................................................................................ 23 Light from Light Publication ........................................................................... 22 Media Art in Asia Publication ......................................................................... 22 5. YOUTH MENTORSHIP PROGRAM 27 5a. Youth Mentorship ........................................................................................................... 27 5b. Review of Engagement with Young & Emerging Artists & ARIs ..... 29 6. REPORT CONCLUSION

7. FINANCIAL REPORT [document insert]

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Light from Light Janet Burchill & Jennifer McCamley, 2010 Hangzhou Public Library, 14th July - 18th September 2011

Light from Light Janet Burchill & Jennifer McCamley, 2010 National Library of China, 29th April - 30th June 2011

Light from Light Janet Burchill & Jennifer McCamley, 2010 Shanghai Library, 3rd November 2010 - 7th February 2011

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

DIRECTOR’S FOREWORD 2011 was MAAP’s 15th year of operation and will be remembered as an intense year of activity both in Brisbane and abroad. During 2011 MAAP was responsible for exhibitions in Australia and China hosted at five major venues. The ‘Light from Light’ exhibition was installed, extended and activated in the Shanghai Library, the National Library of China, the National Art Museum of China, the Hangzhou Public Library and the State Library of Queensland making it MAAP’s most ambitious touring exhibition to date. It reached an indoor library audience of over 2.3 million people. Visitation to the outdoor artwork Light from Light (the 5m solar geodesic dome) was not included in any statistics. MAAP commenced in 2011 its first year of triennial funding through Arts Queensland’s s2m organizations program. Additional financial stability came later in the year when we were notified that our organisation had qualified for funding through the VACS – Visual Arts and Craft Strategy. This quadrennial program was perfectly timed to oil another transformative moment for our organization – the need to relocate. In late November we were notified that our home base of nearly three years would come to an end on the 30th of December 2011. The excellent partnership with South Bank Corporation that supported our offices and Media Bank space at ‘Collins Place’ changed as control of the site was signed over to a new development. The generous physical space we enjoyed at South Bank enabled the expansion and development of MAAP Media Bank. The Media Bank flourished in size (through donations of equipment) and in quality through a new electronic database, equipment bar-coding and scanning, and online inventory improvements. Operations continued up to late December with the bulk of our office placed into storage as we negotiated a new space. With the new funding and new plans, December saw the commencement of blue-sky thinking and expanded programming for MAAP in 2012. I sincerely thank the work of the MAAP Board for their constructive stewardship of the organization. I thank the many artists that MAAP collaborated with over 2011 and invite you to explore their work within this document and on our website. Special thanks goes to the focused and efficient MAAP staff that were outstanding through this ambitious and energetic year; and to our Brisbane and China volunteers. Finally to our funding bodies, partners, sponsors & supporters both here and in China – thank you for being an important part of our 2011! Sincerely,

Kim Machan

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

BACKGROUND MAAP is a platform for contemporary art development, presentation and critique. Our reputation has been built on a strong portfolio of international multimedia festivals (producing 7 since 1998, in Brisbane, Beijing and Singapore), locating Australian contemporary media arts within a plural international dialogue. MAAP is recognised for critical exhibition and research initiatives based in Australia and throughout the Asia Pacific region. MAAP operates internationally as a team of agents, researchers, artists and curators. In addition, MAAP supports a community of visual artists with Media Bank equipment loans, online resources including artist and curatorial networks. A Brisbane based not-for-profit organisation, MAAP is dedicated to linking practitioners, curators and organisations to resources, opportunities, and international audiences.

MAAP BOARD Zane Trow - Chairperson Angela Reilly - Secretary David Allen – Treasurer Jeffrey Sams – member Paul O’Kane – member Christopher Meakin – member Kim Machan – staff representative, member

MAAP STAFF Kim Machan - Director Madeleine King – Research and Program Development Manager Paul Bai – China Project Manager

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Section 1. CORE BUSINESS outlines MAAP’s administrative support for 2011 exhibition and touring programs, along with MAAP’s financial and accounting system, and mentorship and employment strategies. This section also details the nature and structure of the organisation’s governance. Section 2. MAAP MEDIA BANK reports on activities relating to MAAP’s free-ofcharge equipment lending service for artists. A snapshot of the value of Media Bank loans for 2011 is provided, with further detail to be found in Appendix 1: Media Bank Loans Summary and Value. This section also extensively assesses the outcomes and performance of the Media Bank Management System Upgrade Project (supported by the Brisbane City Council) undertaken in 2011. Section 3. MAAP CURATORIAL PROGRAMS, EVENTS & PROJECTS predominately relates MAAP’s major touring exhibition project Light From Light. Key activities, challenges and successes of the 2011 tour to the State Library of Queensland, Shanghai Library, National Library of China, National Art Museum of China and Hangzhou Public Library are reported on in chronological order. Also discussed is the future tour planned for the James Cook University in Townsville (2013) and developments on the Light from Light publication. MAAP Republic: Public Art Programs At South Bank is introduced in Section 3b, with full details of MAAP Republic activities expanded on in Section 5 (Youth Mentorship). Section 4. MAAP RESEARCH outlines the MAAP Website and Publication activities of 2011. Work undertaken towards the Light from Light and Media Art in Asia Publications (scheduled for 2012) is detailed, along with a full publication overview for each title. Section 5. YOUTH MENTORSHIP PROGRAM reports on outcomes of the 2011 mentorship undertaken with young and emerging artists and curators from Brisbane, Alex Cuffe and Helen Rogers. This is followed by a review of MAAP’s engagement with Brisbane-based young and emerging artists and ARIs, undertaken as a survey with key parties. Some survey excerpts are provided. Section 6. REPORT CONCLUSION summarises the key activities and achievements of MAAP’s 2011.

Section 7. FINANCIAL REPORT is a document insert containing MAAP’s audited financials for the 2011 period.

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

2011 PROGRAM OVERVIEW

NATIONAL

New Primitive

Light from Light State Library of Queensland – Opened 2nd October 2010, and continues until 2012 Light from Light Shanghai Library – Opened 3rd October 2010

INTERNATIONAL

EXHIBITIONS/ CURATORIAL PROJECTS

Public Art Consultation: South Bank Corporation

Light from Light National Library of China + National Art Museum of China, Beijing Light from Light Hangzhou Public Library

RESEARCH

International publication development (Light from Light publication) and distribution of Light from Light print material

Development of Media Art in Asia publication

Development of major thematic exhibition – Korea

SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

Youth mentorship program: Making Made

Artist professional development tour (Light from Light)

MAAP Media Bank

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

1 CORE BUSINESS The delivery of MAAP’s core business is underpinned by administration, financial and accounting systems, governance, mentorship and employment. This section will detail the nature of MAAP’s 2011 operations, including tenancy, administration of exhibition and touring programs, bookkeeping and accounting practices, and the volunteer, mentorship and employment programs engaged to deliver the 2011 program.

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FOR EXHIBITION AND TOURING PROGRAMS This year MAAP’s administrative support was predominately directed towards the tour of the major exhibition Light from Light and its associated public programs (detailed in Section 3, MAAP Curatorial Programs, Events & Projects), and the upgrade and delivery of the MAAP Media Bank service. Over 2011, MAAP operations was based at Collins Place, South Bank where the organization has operated from since 2009. MAAP’s accommodation in South Bank has been made possible through a contra-arrangement with the South Bank Corporation, whereby MAAP has provided arts consultancy services in exchange for its tenancy at Collins Place. The large heritage-building venue has not only served as a favourable home for the organization and the MAAP Media Bank service for close to 3 years – it has also played host to some memorable exhibitions, performances and events. Sadly, at the end of 2011 the Collins Place building was sold as part of a large capital development in adjoining property (thankfully, the heritage building will remain in-tact and in its original character). MAAP moved out of Collins Place shortly before Christmas 2011, and our office facilities and Media Bank have been temporarily placed in storage whilst a new space is finalized in the new year. On a positive note, the move represents an exciting period of growth and change for the organization, with a new premises (secured at the time of writing at 111 Constance St, Fortitude Valley) offering scope for launching a dedicated exhibition space in Brisbane in 2012. MAAP hopes that the productive partnership the organization has enjoyed with the South Bank Corporation over the past three years will endure beyond the fondly remembered ‘Collins Place years’.

FINANCIAL AND ACCOUNTING SYSTEM MAAP’s part-time bookkeeper, Yvonne Rojas from All Figured Out Bookkeeping Ltd has continued to keep the MYOB accounting system up to date. Accounts are managed with Brian Tucker Accounting. Budgets and financial forecasting are overseen and reported to the board by MAAP Director Kim Machan and MAAP treasurer, David Allen. MAAP operates quarterly GST reporting.

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

MAAP MENTORSHIP AND EMPLOYMENT As part of its role as an organization fostering new work and talent in the Asia Pacific region, MAAP has a history of providing mentorship and work opportunities for emerging curators, producers and administrators. MAAP has a positive history as an employer, providing opportunities to staff for skills and knowledge exchange. Director Kim Machan led the MAAP team for her 14th consecutive year since the organisation’s inception. Research and Program Development Manager Madeleine King continued in her same position, as did Paul Bai in his dual role as China Project Manager and MAAP Media Bank officer. As part of the Federal Government’s Bridge Works Training Placement, MAAP was joined by volunteer Nic Brand – a designer and architectural model-builder. Nic assisted with the implementation of new management systems for the MAAP Media Bank service (detailed further in Section 2, MAAP Media Bank). His work on the project contributed to his professional development, particularly in the area of computer literacy. Nic was invaluable to the delivery of the project, due to the labour intensive nature of documenting the available equipment for our online inventory and the complexity and scale of the loans system administration. MAAP was also supported by a team of Chinese volunteers during the Chinese library tour of Light from Light. Art students from the Chinese Academy of Art in Hangzhou got some hands-on experience by helping during the installation and de-installation of works at the Hangzhou Public Library, and Bai Yan Yan supported the team in a mentorship position. MAAP is grateful for the dedicated efforts of its staff and volunteers over 2011.

GOVERNANCE The MAAP Board continue to be a unified, creative, visionary and supportive governance body. MAAP Board members are highly skilled and actively participate in risk management planning for international projects in our region. Over 2011, the board were kept in close contact with programme developments, staffing arrangements, budgets and other pressing issues via regular meetings and email ‘flying minutes’. In 2011 there were 4 meetings that met or exceeded quorum (4 members). Board member Jeff Sams, based in Mackay, has attended each meeting via SKYPE technology. There were 2 ‘Flying Minutes’ seeking the Board’s approval on specific issues. The Board’s ongoing evaluation of MAAP operations through ‘monitor-review-report’ strategy and ‘appreciative inquiry’ applied at Board meetings, ensures improved business operations.

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

2 MAAP MEDIA BANK The MAAP Media Bank offers free loans of audio-visual equipment to local Brisbane artists for exhibitions and project development. The service addresses the considerable and often prohibitive costs associated with the production and exhibition of media art – an area of creative practice that is now mainstream. External donations and proactive collection by MAAP of used and new equipment has developed the service to become a nationally unprecedented project. MAAP Media Bank supports only those projects which demonstrate high artistic merit coupled with genuine financial need (ie. equipment could not have been sourced commercially), to ensure the service does not compete with commercial hire services. Since 2006, the MAAP Media Bank has provided to the Brisbane creative community a wide range of equipment (valued at over $150,000) as well as technical support and guidance. The full details of the MAAP Media Bank’s loans value (2006-2011) can be found in Appendix 1: MAAP Media Bank Loans Summary & Value. In 2011, the MAAP Media Bank supported 39 exhibitions to a commercial hire equivalent value of $243,335. Over the year, MAAP was able to support some regional Queensland exhibitions, including the exhibition ‘Korea Reimagining the City’ at the Gold Coast City Art Gallery and a video installation at Townsville Artist-Run-Initiative Cereal Box. In its fifth year of service, MAAP completed a Brisbane City Council Community Grant-funded project, aimed to increase the availability of MAAP Media Bank equipment, and consequently increase the monetary value of the service to the community. Significant expected increases in equipment volume and demand for loans in 2010-2011 required MAAP to research and develop new management systems to cater to the expanded scale of the service. This section will proceed to detail the outcomes of the management system upgrade project.

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM UPGRADE PROJECT New management systems were developed over the BCC funded period (June 2010 - May 2011) and rolled out in May 2011. The management systems upgrade project addressed service quality, infrastructure and deployment of resources, loans processes, equipment maintenance and publicity/awareness of the MAAP Media Bank. Through the implementation of these new systems, MAAP set out to increase the availability of MAAP Media Bank’s high-demand equipment by 50%. Additionally, new systems were designed to speed up the incorporation of new equipment into the Media Bank, following a major donation of high-demand equipment from Australia Council for the Arts (including data-projectors, computers, flat-screens and DVD players).

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Key activities: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Information & feedback session to evaluate Media Bank service with ARIs and artists. Feedback analysed and used in design of management systems Hiring and training of a part-time Media Bank staff position (one-year contract only). Media Bank officer supported by MAAP Director, staff and volunteer to implement management systems. Audited and processed new & existing equipment. Renewed equipment insurance to include new equipment donated by Australia Council for the Arts Equipment maintenance Developed and distributed new equipment inventory. Full inventory published online Developed pictorial catalogue of equipment. Published with inventory online Developed & published online loans request and loan reports process – streamlining of loans process Developed dedicated Media Bank website. Distributed website membership to artists who have used the Media Bank, for promotion and documentation of supported activities. Reviewed, developed and implemented new computer systems for loans processing. Developed improved equipment computer database Purchased and implemented barcode scanning technology & processes. Consolidated with database systems Project evaluation

PROJECT OUTCOMES The development of management systems enabled the (extant and new) MAAP Media Bank equipment to be properly processed and made available to members of Brisbane’s creative community at no charge. The loans process was made more effective, streamlined and accessible, and subsequently, the community was able to benefit from increased and enhanced access to the service. The project target was to deliver $170,00 in commercial hire value to the Brisbane creative community during the funded period, making a $35,000 increase in loan value from previous year’s figures. Taking into consideration two significant shortfalls in project funding (1. BCC Community Grant Funding was awarded at $20,000, not the $30,021 amount requested; 2. applications to Jupiters Casino / Gambling Community Benefit Funds funding were not successful, and as such our equipment budget was removed from the project) MAAP came impressively close to the project target. Over the BCC funded period (May 2010-June 2011), the MAAP Media Bank delivered $167,115 in commercial hire value to the Brisbane creative community, thus making a $34,109 increase in loan value from the previous year’s figures. Over this period, the project supported 44 exhibitions in the Brisbane community, as well as two international exhibitions that included Brisbane artists. Including these international projects, the MAAP Media Bank supported over 100 artists MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

with equipment to the value of $187,835 in equivalent commercial hire rates. The performance of the project puts us on track to reach our 5-year target of generating a hire value of over $1,000,000. This means that in 5 years the MAAP Media Bank will give back to the Brisbane community around 50 times the monetary contribution of the Brisbane City Council. Evidently, the long-term value and benefit to the community will greatly exceed the project expenditure. Quantitatively, feedback from the community indicates that the project has enabled: - the delivery of community-based creative productions that would not otherwise have been viable; - the creation of new opportunities for innovation and best practice arts in Brisbane’s creative community; - the ability for local arts practitioners to work on a professional scale not previously imagined; - the ability to community audiences to engage with and benefit from the creative works supported by the MAAP Media Bank. Key survey data from artists and organisations addressing borrower satisfaction, actual loan processes and their efficiency are included in Section 5b Review Of Engagement With Young & Emerging Artists & ARIs.

PROJECT PERFORMANCE – REVIEWED AGAINST PROJECT AIMS & MEASURES Original Aim 1: To improve the MAAP Media Bank service, so that more loans can be supported. Evaluate the needs of artists & Artist Run Initiatives to improve the service and loans systems (these groups will be surveyed). Original Measure 1: Artists & Artist Run Initiatives will be surveyed after changes to the service. Borrower satisfaction and loans efficiency will be reviewed. Project performance 1: Improvements, feedback and other suggestions relating to existing and future MAAP Media Bank processes and loan services were solicited through survey-based consultation with artists & Artist Run Initiatives. These surveys undertaken and reviewed through BCC Media Bank funding were highly informative, and proved extremely useful for devising and refining MAAP’s approach to the development of the MAAP Media Bank’s management systems. Key survey data from artists and organisations addressing borrower satisfaction, actual loan processes and their efficiency are included in Appendix 1 – Survey Data. Original Aim 2: To audit and process new high-demand equipment. This includes creating new inventories, tagging & testing, insuring and adding equipment to database and loans systems. Original Measure 2: There will be a 50% increase of high-demand equipment available to artists to borrow free of charge.

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Project performance 2: All MAAP Media Bank equipment was audited, processed and brought into new management systems to actively manage, and actively report on the equipment inventory and its use. The implementation of a computerised database, electronic barcode scanning system and online pictorial inventory greatly enhanced the serviceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to intake new equipment stock, and as such, the full equipment inventory was made available for loan. In 2011, a substantial increase to our equipment inventory was achieved through a large donation of high-demand equipment from the Australia Council. The new management systems meant that we could properly process the high-volume equipment, and make it available to the community within weeks of its arrival. This is a dramatic improvement to the service. An unexpected funding shortfall decreased the potential expansion of the equipment inventory during the project period. Despite resoundingly positive feedback, high levels of competition within the Brisbane metropolitan region meant that MAAP Media Bank was unsuccessful in the 2010-2011 rounds of Jupiters Casino Community Benefit Fund and the Queensland Gambling Benefit Fund. Nonetheless, we have been encouraged to reapply, and plan to increase our inventory of high-demand equipment in order to meet the current demand for the equipment. Original Aim 3: To raise awareness of the MAAP Media Bank in the community. Develop a MAAP Media Bank website to document & promote creative activities generated/supported by the Media Bank. Develop a press campaign to spread awareness of the service. Original Measure 3: MAAP Media Bank website will be live and will archive all supported activities. Articles in local media will be published. 20% increase in community awareness or contact. Project performance 3: A dedicated MAAP Media Bank website was developed and launched to the public in 2010, promoting the MAAP Media Bank, the local Brisbane (and Australian) artists and projects utilizing the equipment, and the cosponsors of projects utilizing MAAP equipment (including predominately, the Brisbane City Council). All past and present supported activities were documented online, and included an overview, artist bio and image gallery. Additionally, the MAAP Media Bank website fully digitizes, consolidates, and improves upon the previous form-based MAAP loans system to the benefit of both MAAP staff and artists and user organisations, saving time, paper, and administrative labour. Following our analysis of google analytics data, MAAP decided to integrate the MAAP Media Bank website into our main domain (www.maap.org.au) in order to better direct our web traffic. We are now able to better promote awareness of the service and its achievements to all visitors to the MAAP homepage. We are now also utilizing social media (primarily Facebook) to promote the service and the artists it supports. Due to the decrease in requested funding amount, MAAP has postponed its scheduled marketing campaign until further funding is available. Nonetheless, MAAP increased awareness of the service through our online initiatives. MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Original Aim 4: Deliver Media Bank equipment loans valued at $170,000, increasing 2009 figures by over $35,000. Original Measure 4: $170,000 of loans value reflected in 2010 performance summary Project performance 4: MAAP Media Bank delivered $167,115 in commercial hire value to the Brisbane creative community, thus making a $34,109 increase in loan value from the previous yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s figures. Over this period, the project supported 44 exhibitions in the Brisbane community, as well as two international exhibitions that included Brisbane artists. Including these international projects, the MAAP Media Bank supported over 100 artists with equipment to the value of $187,835 in equivalent commercial hire rates. The Brisbane-only figure fell just shy of the projected $170,000, however this is an impressive result considering two significant shortfalls in project funding (1. BCC Community Grant Funding was awarded at $20,000, not the $30,021.00 amount requested; 2. applications to Jupiters Casino / Gambling Community Benefit Funds funding were not successful, and as such our equipment budget was removed from the project).

FUTURE PLANS Following on from this project, we are now employing a web developer to further integrate our online resources with our office-based computerised loan systems. This year, we make further applications to the Jupiters Casino and Queensland Community Gambling Benefit Funds so that we can increase the volume of highdemand equipment to meet current demand (as planned in our original application to BCC). Also in 2012, we commence a public fundraising campaign for the service, as well as a marketing campaign to increase awareness amongst the community.

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

MAAP Media Bank Supported Projects 2011 (Top to Bottom, L-R) Wilkins Hill used Media Bank audio-visual equipment for their solo exhibition at Boxcopy; Freddy Komp’s used Media Bank projectors for his installation for

Water Wars; Kel Glaister’s MDR installation at Boxcopy; Sydney group Brown Council used projectors and monitors for their installation at LEVEL ARI, Brisbane; Media Bank supported emerging curator Hillary Perrett to present emerging artist Jessica Keough’s installation Today I... at LEVEL; Erika Scott’s Pulverised Signs installation involved Media Bank monitors at LEVEL; Media Bank supported the IMA to present Tony Oursler’s renowned video projection work; Henry Mill’s sound sculpture was amplified using Media Bank audio equipment.

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

3 MAAP CURATORIAL PROGRAMS, EVENTS & PROJECTS 3a EXHIBITION PROJECT: LIGHT FROM LIGHT PROJECT OVERVIEW Light from Light is an international touring exhibition of contemporary visual art and new media that engages with the idea of light as a physical property and as a metaphor. Since opening in October 2010 the exhibition has been held at the State Library of Queensland, while a duplicate of the exhibition has toured throughout China, visiting the Shanghai Library (3/11/2010—7/2/2011), National Library of China and National Art Museum of China (29/4/2011—30/6/2011), and Hangzhou Public Library (14/7/2011—18/9/2011). This section will proceed to discuss the tour activities in detail. Light from Light artists are: (from Australia) Archie Moore, Eugene Carchesio, Grant Stevens, David Haines, Joyce Hinterding, Janet Burchill, Jennifer McCamley, (from Europe) Josef Strau, (from China) Zhang Peili, Wang Peng, Pak Sheung Chuen, Lin Tianmiao and Wang Gongxin.

LIGHT FROM LIGHT TOUR State Library of Queensland 1st of October 2010 until 2012 The exhibition continued on at the State Library of Queensland throughout 2011, having been launched in 2010. New artworks by newcomers to the project, Grant Stevens and Weng Peng, were added to the Brisbane exhibition to reflect their simultaneous addition to Light from Light at the National Library of China in Beijing. Beijing based artist Wang Peng developed a new single channel video for the project, titled Distance 2011. Brisbane based artist Grant Stevens further developed an existing work to create Turtle Twilight II 2006-2011, a three channel video installation that included an English text piece and a Chinese translation of the same work. In addition to these new works, MAAP produced new collateral material for the State Library of Queensland. New way-finding maps were developed in response to audience requests for more directions to find all works. MAAP deployed dedicated monitors on levels 1, 2 and 3 information desks to screen our electronic didactic presentation. The presentation was updated with the addition of each new tour venue (the Shanghai Library, followed by the National Library of China and the National Art Museum of China, and finally, the Hangzhou Public Library) to explain the dual venue, ‘mirror exhibition’, format. Photo documentation presented side-by-side showed each pair of artworks in situ simultaneously at the State Library of Queensland and at its corresponding site in China. In simulating the ‘mirroring’ of artworks in Australia and China, the presentation gave audiences more information and context about the way the exhibition had evolved. MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Light from Light at the Hangzhou Public Library 2011 (Top to Bottom, L-R) Electronic didactic display with exhibition concept; Eugene Carchesio’s Thief of Light; Zhang Peili’s Standard Translation; Archie Moore’s East/West Bookcases; Janet Burchill & Jennifer McCamley’s Light from Light (daytime view); David Haines & Joyce Hinterding’s Sunvalley Radio; [in centre] Janet Burchill & Jennifer McCamley’s Light from Light (night-time view); Josef Strau’s Theatre of the Lamps Talking in the Light of the Past; Grant Steven’s Turtle Twilight II; Pak Sheung Chuen’s Making Thousands of Suns; Wang Gong Xin’s Book Dream; Lin Tianmiao’s Private Reading Lamp; Wang Peng’s Distance

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

State Library of Queensland maintained works on a daily basis. The Light from Light dome on the whole was a robust piece of public sculpture and continued to self-illuminate on most occasions. It is estimated to have performed at 85% illumination. This was due to the delicate nature of the neon employed in the sculpture and adjustments needed to the electrical system to accommodate the work’s particular electrical needs. The solar powered sculpture faced the challenges of the January Brisbane floods and remained shining throughout the extended CBD and cultural precinct black out. It is recorded that over a million people made contact with the exhibition during 2011 at SLQ and considerably more encountered the solar powered sculpture in front of the State Library situated between the Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art. Shanghai Library 3rd of November 2010 until the 7th of February 2011 Light from Light continued into 2011 at the Shanghai Library after first opening on the 3rd of November 2010. More weather extremes were experienced in Shanghai; this time Burchill & McCamley’s geodesic dome faced flurries of snow. Despite this, the dome had a 100% technical reliance. The lighting design in China used LED and this proved to be more reliable. Considering that the dome powered through the shortest daytime during the winter months, we were very pleased with the outcome. The exhibition was de-installed with MAAP staff supported by the Shanghai Library and Urban Art Projects, who assisted in the dismantling of the dome. The exhibition was then freighted to Beijing where new partner IFAS Integrated Fine Arts Solutions took the artworks into their storage facility in Beijing. Shanghai was very positive about their experience with Light from Light, as was reflected in a feedback letter from program liaison Ms Dennie Lee (outlined originally in MAAP’s 2010 annual report). To summarise, Lee reported that having to take the responsibility of telling other staff about the artworks was a challenge but that she thought it was very helpful for the staff to better understand what these art works were about, and moreover, she found it to be personally rewarding. She also said she enjoyed being part of the artwork Theatre of the Lamps Talking in the Light of the Past by Josef Strau, which involved 5 Shanghai Library staff members to voice his ‘lamp memoirs’. Other comments related to how the normal atmosphere in the library was altered positively by the presence of the ‘strange’ art works. Audience numbers supplied by the Shanghai Library for the 2011 period of 1st January to 7th February were 161,786. National Library of China, Beijing April 29th to June 30th 2011 The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, through the Australian Embassy Beijing, granted additional financial support to realise the touring exhibition at the National Library of China. The Australian Embassy staff enthusiastically assisted with the final negotiations and supported the official opening. Mr Dave Allen, Manager Operations, ICTS, Corporate Services of State Library of Queensland travelled to Beijing to lead the technical installation. He cooperatively worked with the IT staff of the National Library. New works were brought into the MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Light from Light at National Library of China & National Art Museum of China 2011 (Top to Bottom, L-R) Electronic didactic display with exhibition concept; Wang Gong Xin’s Book Dream; David Haines & Joyce Hinterding’s Sunvalley Radio; Archie Moore’s East/West Bookcases; MAAP staff Paul Bai with Chinese artists Zhang Peili, Wang Peng & Wang Gong Xin; Lin Tianmiao’s Private Reading Lamp; [in centre] Janet Burchill & Jennifer McCamley’s Light from Light (night-time view); Pak Sheung Chuen’s Making Thousands of Suns; Zhang Peili addressing his work Standard Translation to audiences at the opening event floortalk; Janet Burchill & Jennifer McCamley’s Light from Light (daytime view); Wang Peng’s Distance; Grant Steven’s Turtle Twilight II; curator Kim Machan addressing Josef Strau’s Theatre of the Lamps Talking in the Light of the Past to audiences at the opening event floortalk;

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

exhibition and Brisbane artist Grant Stevens travelled to Beijing to supervise the installation of his work. Beijing artist Wang Peng attended to install his new work. Also in attendance were Beijing based artists Wang Gongxin and Lin Tianmiao, brisbane artist Archie Moore and Chinese Hangzhou-based artist Zhang Peili. There was a well-attended press opening where a public tour was conducted. As part of the official opening, all artists engaged in a floor talk abouttheir work. New banners, brochures and floor sheets were produced. Audience numbers supplied by the National Library were 201,000. National Art Museum of China, Beijing April 29th to June 30th 2011. A new approach to the exhibition was adopted in Beijing by locating part of the exhibition at the National Art Museum of China. This proved to be a successful partnership that enabled art audiences visiting the National Art Museum of China to observe the Light from Light solar powered dome installed in the most prominent position of the gallery at the main entrance gates. The cross-pollination of audiences between the two high-profile institutions (National Library of China and National Art Museum of China) added a favourable dimension to the exhibition, by allowing us to expand and deepen our Beijing audience base. Audiences visiting the museum could discover more about the exhibition through the bilingual electronic didactic presentation that showed the artworks in situ in Beijing and Brisbane. Newly produced bilingual print brochures further contextualised the evolution of the exhibition in Australia and China. Support staff from the National Art Museum of China assisted the installation and deinstallation and were highly cooperative and professional in their support. While installed in Beijing, the Light from Light dome endured dust storms and gale force winds, and withstood these new environmental challenges. The reported technical success of the dome illumination was 90%. Audience numbers for the outdoor artwork were not recorded at the National Art Museum of China due to its high-traffic location. The Hangzhou Public Library, Hangzhou July 14th to September 18th 2011 After the work was de-installed in Beijing the entire exhibition was immediately freighted to Hangzhou. No additional funding from Australia was received for this part of the tour but, with pledged financial and additional in-kind support from Hangzhou Public Library, it was achievable. This major regional library has a reputation of being both progressive and innovative. The Director and managing staff embraced the exhibition with enthusiasm and a generous spirit. With a tight budget to work with, MAAP was unable to bring new artists into this venue or fly any artists to participate in the installation or public programs. Mr Dave Allen from the State Library of Queensland again led the technical installation and worked cooperatively with IT and other members of staff at the Hangzhou Public Library. Chinese Events Management student Ms Bai Yan Yan participated in a mentorship with MAAP within the library to work alongside MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

MAAP staff. Throughout the installation process she performed a wide range of tasks that were accredited to her university degree requirements. Audience numbers supplied by the Hangzhou Public Library were 808,468. Light from Light post-China After the completion of the exhibition at the Hangzhou Public Library all Chinese arworks were disassembled and returned to the artists in China. Similarly, all Australian artworks were sent back to Brisbane - except for the Light from Light dome, which was placed in sponsored storage with Integrated Fine Arts Solutions in Beijing. This allowed for opportunities to be followed to find a permanent home for the dome. Light from Light was shown in five major venues in 2011 making it MAAP’s most ambitious touring exhibition to date.

FUTURE LIGHT FROM LIGHT ACTIVITIES Light from Light at James Cook University 2012 In March 2011, Kim Machan was invited to deliver a lecture on media art to the students of the School of Creative Arts at the James Cook University in Townsville (JCU). Whilst at the university, Machan used the opportunity to introduce the project to JCU’s School of Creative Arts and Eddie Koiko Mabo Library with the view to future collaboration. Subsequent to MAAP’s successful negotiations with the university to tour Light from Light to the Eddie Koki Mabo Library, JCU applied for Arts Queensland funding in support of the project. Over 2011, MAAP worked closely with Lecturer in Photomedia at the School of Creative Arts, Adam Brown, to develop Light from Light at JCU in collaboration with the university and Townsville-based independent arts and community space, Umbrella Studio. To ensure that Light from Light engages actively and meaningfully in the Townsville context, MAAP, JCU and Umbrella Studio has collaboratively developed as symposia, workshops, and complementary exhibition outcomes around the Light from Light themes of light, solar energy and sustainability. Developments for this program, which is now conceived as the ‘Off the Grid Festival’, will continue in 2012. The tour to Townsville is currently scheduled for early 2013. Townsville was selected as the final touring destination due to its status as the only Queensland Solar City in Australia. In a similar format to the State Library of Queensland, Light from Light artworks will be displayed around the collections spaces, public spaces, public access computers of the Eddie Koiko Mabo Library, JCU. The outdoor public artwork, Light from Light, will be erected in the vicinity of the library, and MAAP aims to develop this site as the permanent location for the artwork. A solar-energy partnership with Ergon Energy was successfully introduced in 2011 in support of programs associated with Light from Light in Townsville and further development of this partnership continues. The Townsville tour is dependent on funding application outcomes from Arts Queensland that were lodged by James Cook University.

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

PUBLICATION DEVELOPMENTS Work commenced in 2011 towards the Light from Light publication. This project is detailed further in Section 4. MAAP Research.

3b MAAP REPUBLIC: PUBLIC ART PROGRAMS AT SOUTH BANK MAAP Republic is a temporary exhibition series developed for empty shop-front space at South Bank. Commencing in 2009, MAAP opened the program with a purpose-built 9m x 1.5m projection space on the front window of a shop in the ABI Group Building South Bank, which played host to a significant work by media artist Paul Brown. Two MAAP Republic programs, New Primitive and Making Made, were developed for the South Bank precinct as part of MAAP’s Youth Mentorship program. These projects are detailed in Section 5a Youth Mentorship. MAAP had planned to produce four MAAP Republic exhibitions yearly, however in actuality, four MAAP Republic programs - New Primitive, Making Made, Light from Light public artwork, and Outdoor Projections - were proposed for the South Bank Corporation (the partnered organization for the MAAP Republic Program), and only one (New Primitive) was staged at South Bank, with Making Made held at other venues. An unexpected change to South Bank Corporation’s programming structure accounts for this program variation. Namely, in 2011, Chetana Andary was appointed to the South Bank Corporation to manage a new public art strategy that oversees the areas that MAAP Republic program was involved with. The new strategy saw fewer opportunities to program temporary exhibitions in South Bank precinct. Instead, MAAP’s resources were re-directed to providing consultation towards the development of the Grey St Public Art strategy. MAAP worked in collaboration with Ms Andary to integrate the activities of the MAAP Republic Program into the new public art strategy. As outcomes of this consultation, MAAP produced two reports: ‘MAAP at South Bank’, and ‘MAAP investigation of cultural ‘popups’ in retail precincts’. 2011 was the final year of the MAAP Republic program. Due to the conclusion of the South Bank contra tenancy arrangement that initiated MAAP Republic activities, MAAP is no longer continuing this program stream in 2012.

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

4 MAAP RESEARCH 4a MAAP WEBSITE www.maap.org.au MAAP’s primary url remains as www.maap.org.au. Over the course of 2011, MAAP made ongoing contributions to the sites’ archive of program history and the listings of curatorial, research and artist networks from around Australia and the Asia Pacific. The MAAP website was maliciously attacked in August 2011, causing a complete database failure. Due to the extent of the hacking, and the server’s failure to provide a recent version of the website, all online content had to be manually reinstated from a much earlier version of the site retrieved from a previous server. This was a significant set-back for the organization, requiring many hours of work to get the basic architecture and fundamental content up online. Major website upgrades are planned for 2012, including new site architecture, redesign of all graphic content and a move to a new server to improve online security. www.maap.asia This project development website was rested in 2011, after its use over 2009-2010 during the development of the Light from Light project. It may be reactivated in the future for similar project development purposes. www.lightfromlight.net This website continues to function as independent url for MAAP’s major touring exhibition Light from Light, and is hosted on the MAAP server. Over 2011, the website was continually updated with touring information and documentation of the project in the Shanghai Library, National Library of China, National Art Museum of China and the Hangzhou Public Library. New pages were created for artists who joined the project in 2011 (Grant Stevens and Wang Peng) including biographical information, didactic statements and photographic documentation of the artworks in all tour venues. www.maapmediabank.org For the first half of 2011, maapmediabank.org served as an additional portal to the MAAP Media Bank online. In addition to linking to the MAAP Media Bank online loans request forms on the www.maap.org.au website, the site functioned to survey artists on their experience of the MAAP Media Bank service, and promote the exhibitions and artworks that the Media Bank supports. In the second half of 2011, this new content was integrated to the main MAAP website, to better streamline and centralize MAAP’s online presence. Online Media Bank loans forms, surveys and project documentation were moved to www.maap.org.au, and integrated with that site’s design.

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

MAAP was on track to meet a targeted 60% of uploaded project documentation and online listings for all new projects supported by the MAAP Media Bank, however sadly, all new MAAP Media Bank content was irretrievable after the www.maap.org.au hacking incident. Online loan request and survey forms, along with a full pictorial equipment catalogue, were immediately rebuilt following the attacks, however project documentation was unable to be prioritized for reinstatement. In 2012, MAAP will retrieve lost project documentation form participating artists so that we can recreate this valuable online feature on the new MAAP website.

4b PUBLICATIONS LIGHT FROM LIGHT PRINT MATERIALS For the 2011 tour of Light from Light to each new Chinese library venue, MAAP produced updated editions of 3-fold exhibition overview brochures, single-leaf artwork synopses and A3 wayfinding maps. All materials were bi-lingual (English-Chinese), and were produced with the translation support of Macquarie University. More details can be found in Section 3a: Exhibition project Light from Light.

LIGHT FROM LIGHT PUBLICATION In 2012 MAAP will produce a substantial publication on the Light from Light exhibition tour. Work was underway over the whole of 2011 to develop content for the publication. MAAP collated new and extant photo-documentation of the exhibition in each venue (State Library of Queensland, Shanghai Library, National Library of China, National Art Museum of China and Hangzhou Public Library), and commissioned critical articles from prominent arts writers based in Australia and China. Additionally, MAAP produced in-house writing on the participating artists and artworks, provided commissioned writers with editorial guidelines and commenced layout design. Overview 100 leaf/ full colour, print-run: 1500-2500 (print in Singapore) Schedule release date: December 2012 (intended to coincide with APT) Distribution: State Library of Queensland. It has been proposed to the IMA to be distributed through their new art publication distribution program in partnership with Artspace Sydney. Online - MAAP website. Key features â&#x20AC;˘

High-quality photo documentation of the exhibition in situ across 6 venues (Shanghai Library, National Library of China, National Art Museum of China, Hangzhou Public Library, State Library of Queensland, Eddie Koiko Mabo MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Library, Townsville • • •

•

Essays by international academics and cultural commentators discussing the exhibition from a variety of critical perspectives, including: -

the geopolitical and cultural context of contemporary Chinese art

art inside and outside the traditional museum (institutional critique)

the nature of cultural exchange between Australia and Asia

the position of art within the 21st century sustainability dialogue

the artists and their work

a positioning statement from the curator’s perspective.

Artists’ biographical information including complete & verified artist CVs

Additional details •

Academic/critical authors include Pauline Yao, Linda Jaivan and a local contributor to be confirmed (each providing approximately 2000 word essays)

•

Curator’s introductory essay (approx 2000 words) will discuss the process of exhibition development, highlighting in particular the artistic residencies of: o

Janet Burchill & Jennifer McCamley: conducting photovoltaic research and developing a large-scale public artwork in Shanghai and Brisbane

Eugene Carchesio: creating four editions of a bound artists’ book at the State Library of Queensland’s conservation department

Joyce Hinterding & David Haines: creating a custom-built solar-wind antenna for the State Library of Queensland’s roof

•

The essay will also discuss the genesis of the ideas and rationale for the exhibition - namely the concepts and metaphors of light in relation to art, contemporary ideas of sustainability, and historical ideas of enlightenment.

•

It will also highlight the resonance of the key bilateral partnerships between major cultural institutions in Australia and China that were initiated or furthered by the project.

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Australian and Chinese venue partners will each provide a one-page perspective on their experiences and reception of the exhibition

•

Publication will be organised by venues

•

MAAP will provide context and commentary on each artwork, and include artist statements where relevant MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

MEDIA ART IN ASIA PUBLICATION 2012 In 2011, work continued on MAAP’s forthcoming publication 15 years of Media Art in Asia: MAAP 1997-2012. The publication is a history of media art in Australia and Asia Pacific through the lens of MAAP’s activities and interactions with artists, curators and cultural networks Overview 150 leaf/ full colour Approx. A4 size Schedule release date: September 2013 Distribution: It has been proposed to the IMA to be distributed through their new art publication distribution program in partnership with Artspace Sydney. Online - MAAP website. Print-run: 2000-3000 Key features •

Anthology of artists involved in MAAP projects since 1998

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High-quality photo documentation of MAAP activities (festivals, exhibitions, conferences)

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Essays by international academics and cultural commentators contextualising the history of the MAAP organisation within the development of media art in Asia, the Pacific and Australia since the mid 1990s

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Timeline of major developments in Australian and Asian media art

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Interviews with artists, academics and other cultural workers operating in Phillipines, Singapore, China, South Korea, Thailand, India, Burma/Myanmar, Vietnam, Taiwan - interviews and vox-pops from close to 30 members of MAAP’s Asia-Pacific network.

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

New Primitive at Collins Place 2011 (Top to Bottom) Crowds gather for performances on the Collins Place balcony; Alrey Batolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hand-made instrument; Katie Martian performs

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

5 YOUTH MENTORSHIP PROGRAM The Youth Mentorship Program umbrellas MAAP’s formal and informal programs of consultation and mentorship provided to artists, curators, arts organisations and artist-run initiatives to support their development of local, national and international projects. In the past, MAAP has provided its specialised expertise to artists interested in working either in the Asia Pacific, or with complex multimedia technologies. Aside from the formal mentoring projects discussed presently in Section 5a, in 2011, MAAP counseled emerging Brisbane producer Travis Dewan on his 2012 residency project with artist-run-initiatives in China. MAAP also assisted the Transmute Collective in their negotiations with the internationally prestigious ZKM Karslruhe (Centre for Art and Media, Karlsruhe) to acquire their new media artwork Intimate Transactions.

5a YOUTH MENTORSHIP – ALEX CUFFE & HELEN ROGERS Between April and August, MAAP supported young and emerging curators/artists Alex Cuffe and Helen Rogers to develop a small media arts festival. The pair had co-founded the artist-run-initiative SPEC, and had worked with MAAP previously to produce ‘Gross Bodies of Light’ (2010) – a group exhibition of light-based art by emerging Brisbane artists held at MAAP’s Collins Place residence. Cuffe and Rogers proposed a micro-festival called Making Made to be held in a temporarily unused space in the Southbank precinct over the month of August 2011. Their project sought to showcase a series of interactive artworks, workshops and intimate performances themed around the concept of hand-made art and music produced by Brisbane’s own creative community. Over five face-to-face meetings, as well as ongoing phone & email-based support, MAAP helped Cuffe & Rogers to develop their festival concept and draft a formal proposal seeking venue support from the South Bank Corporation. Expanding on their project idea for their formal proposal the pair wrote: “Brisbane has a thriving community of inventive and resourceful artists who creatively recycle a variety of unwanted or preloved materials taken from their immediate surroundings to make beautifully crafted instruments, sculptures, paintings, installations, books, films and decorative objects. Driven by an environmental conscientiousness and a desire to transform familiar materials and objects into the spectacular or the profound, the participating artists work in an improvised manner and often on a small scale, producing work in a combination of professional and domestic spaces.

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

New Primitive at Collins Place 2011 Passersby at the South Bank rail station form a crowd to witness Indonesians Wukir Suryadi and Rully Shabara perform with their hand-made instruments

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

The festival champions the idea and sensibility of the hand-made, adding colour and vibrancy to the current dialogue surrounding environmental sustainability, and will encourage audiences to think about how a sense of the magical can be derived from household discarded materials. The word ‘hand-made’ conjures up ideas of lost artisanal practices, improvisation and bricolage, a resourceful do-ityourself mentality, localised production and sustainability. Artists use a combination of traditional and self-devised techniques to reinvigorate age-old practices of creative re-use and recycling”. MAAP put forward the Making Made Festival project proposal to the South Bank Corporation during two meetings in May and April. As additional support for the project, MAAP offered in-kind equipment support through the MAAP Media Bank, liaison between SPEC and the venue partner, and managerial oversight during the install, events and de-install. While the South Bank Corporation was supportive of the project in-principle, they were unable to allocate a suitable venue, and as such SPEC sought alternative accommodation. Festival performances and exhibition events (including an exhibition featuring MAAP Media Bank-supported Brisbane artists Ross Manning and Sarah Byrne) were held predominately at a multi-arts studio in Woolloongabba. One festival event, ‘New Primitive’, was held at MAAP’s Collins Place residence in South Bank. ‘New Primitive’ featured live performances by Brisbane artists Henry Mills, Alrey Batol and Katie Martain, and was headlined by visiting Indonesian artist and instrument-makers, Wukir Suryadi and Rully Shabara. The event was part of the Indonesian artists’ first Australian tour, which was supported by the Melbourne Jazz Festival. The Collins Place event attracted around 100 attendants, and was well received by audiences. Although Cuffe and Rogers were initially disappointed that the work towards finding a suitable venue in South Bank was not realized, they reported that they nonetheless found the process of developing a proposal and pitch for the South Bank Corporation to be a highly valuable learning experience. Having successfully attained suitable alternative venues, including Collins Place, the festivalorganisers were extremely pleased with the results of the festival. They reported great satisfaction the quality of artworks displayed, and with the level of audience engagement and feedback.

5b REVIEW OF ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUNG & EMERGING ARTISTS & ARIS As a condition of their loan, recipients of MAAP Media Bank equipment support are required to fill in an online survey. In addition to online surveys, MAAP conducted some phone-based surveys during the MAAP Media Bank Management Systems Upgrade project (detailed in Section 2: MAAP Media Bank) in order to acquire more detailed data on the quality, efficacy and impact of the MAAP Media Bank service within the Brisbane community.

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

100% of survey respondents stated that the equipment was highly valuable to their projects, and that they could not have developed/presented their work to the same quality without the support of the service. A number of respondents offered that they would have been unable to produce/display the work at all without the equipment support of MAAP Media Bank. Below are some excerpts from MAAP Media Bank surveys, highlighting the value of the service to the Brisbane creative community, and the quality of service provided.

ARTIST-RUN-INITIATIVE - BOXCOPY How valuable was the MAAP Media Bank for your project? Due to the simplicity of the installation of this [Wilkins Hill, 2011] exhibition it was important that the equipment was of a high quality. MAAP Media Bank's ability to supply equipment of such a high standard allowed us to present this project as originally envisioned by the artist and Boxcopy. How could the MAAP Media Bank be improved? MAAP Media Bank's service is already invaluable to artists in Queensland, especially those working in experimental/New Media [formats]. The service deserves, and would benefit from, increased funding to allow them to expand their operations and refresh equipment however the opportunities it currently provides to individual artists and art spaces allows the presentation of projects that would otherwise not be possible.

INDEPENDENT CREATIVE PRODUCER, ARTIST AND FOUNDER OF ‘SPEC’ ARTIST-RUN-INITIATIVE - ALEX CUFFE How did you find out about the Media Bank and what drew you to it? I think it was a recommendation from metro arts or word of mouth through other artists (there’s strong community of visual artists who know about the media bank). Media Bank has always supported me in hosting and curating. It is a very accommodating service due to the no-cost loan – it’s definitely one of those things that’s really handy to be able to put on things and keep your project costs low. I’ve never used the service as an artist, but have used it for putting on events, exhibitions and performances. MAAP have been heavily supportive in providing spaces for my events and assistance in hosting them, as well as support letters for grant applications. MAAP has also been heavily supportive in facilitating discussions with other organisations in Brisbane for other events I’ve organised. What effect did the equipment have on the artwork/exhibition?

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

The realisation of greater projects by being able to access a range of materials you wouldn’t otherwise have access to. It also keeps projects to a low cost making them more feasible and realisable. It’s assisted me to present works generally, but also to wider audiences or different audiences. What were the outcomes of the artwork/exhibition you used the equipment for? It has definitely opened up discussions and relationships with artists involved in my events. It’s helped me to hone and develop my skills as a curator. It has greater promoted my profile as a curator and organiser, which has led to other events and opportunities, such as the annual national festival around experimental music, What is Music?, which I was invited to co-curate with Joel Stern, after he had seen the New Primitive events that were supported by MAAP Media Bank. I think that the relationship with MAAP is one I can develop over the years and is a positive outcome of my engagement with the MAAP Media Bank.

ARTIST & CO-FOUNDER OF ‘NO FRILLS’ ARTIST-RUN-INITIATIVE - KATE WOODCROFT What did you loan & what did you use it for? We have loaned mostly televisions and projection screens. We’ve used televisions in group exhibitions. Just last month we used screens for our exhibition at Boxcopy. We use a projection screen for a work we produced for the back of a moving ute. What effect did the equipment have on the artwork/exhibition? It definitely helped us present our work more professionally. In some cases we couldn’t have presented the work at all without the service. I’m still at uni, but once I finish, without the support it’s [the costs of presenting work] pretty prohibitive. What were the outcomes of the artwork/exhibition you used the equipment for? We hired some equipment back in 2008 for a group show at Metro Arts. Soon after that No Frills was awarded the [Metro Arts, Artist Run Initiative] residency – the presentation of the show was really important in that. The show also crystallised that we were all really interested in humour being prevalent in Brisbane art practice – this is something we could explore with No Frills [Artist Run Initiative].

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

6 REPORT CONCLUSION This report has covered the activities of MAAP’s 2011 program: Core Business (comprised of administrative support for 2011 exhibition and touring programs, MAAP’s financial and accounting system, mentorship, employment and governance); MAAP Media Bank; the Light From Light touring exhibition; MAAP Republic (Public Art Programs at South Bank); MAAP Research (comprised of MAAP Websites and Publications); and finally, the Youth Mentorship Program. The highlights and major successes of this 2011 program are summarized as follows. Light from Light tour The success of MAAP’s major touring exhibition Light from Light (launched in October 2010 at the State Library of Queensland and November 2010 at the Shanghai Library) was strategically extended in 2011. MAAP was invited to present the exhibition at three significant additional venues in China in 2011: the National Library of China, the National Art Museum of China (public artwork ‘Light from Light’ only) and the Hangzhou Public Library. The exhibition also continued at the Shanghai Library until February 2011, and the ‘mirrored’ exhibition in Brisbane remained throughout the year at the State Library of QLD. Aside from extensive press attention in China, and some favourable critical reports, the most resounding success of the project has been creating positive long-term partnerships between MAAP, the State Library of Queensland and important library and cultural institutions in China. In addition to the new Chinese venue partners, the 2011 tour of Light from Light brought on two new artworks, by Grant Stevens (Brisbane) and Wang Peng (China). Flow-on opportunities that have arisen from the national and international success of this project included the extension of the tour to regional Queensland in 2013, through a new partnership with James Cook University, Townsville. Inspired by the innovative ideas and approaches of Light from Light, the university has created ‘Off the Grid’; a festival of workshops, symposia and exhibitions (including Light from Light as its centrepiece) that provides regional, national and international cultural perspectives on light and solar energy. MAAP Republic As mentioned, 2011 marked the second and final year of MAAP’s public exhibitions program stream, MAAP Republic. Although the program was reconfigured to emphasise consultation and proposals for South Bank public art infrastructure over public exhibition outcomes, MAAP was able to undertake a youth mentorship with emerging artists and curators, Alex Cuffe and Helen Rogers, that had two successful MAAP Republic outcomes: the New Primitive performance event and the Making Made Festival. MAAP Research MAAP undertook research and development for two major publications: Light from Light and Media Art in Asia – both of which will go to print in 2012. MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011

MAAP Media Bank MAAP Media Bank equipment-loans program went into its fifth year of service, providing $243,335 value to the community in 2011 (see Appendix 1: MAAP Media Bank Loans Summary and Value). MAAP saw this milestone as an opportunity to evaluate the free audio-visual equipment loans and advisory service offered through the MAAP Media Bank, and perform a major systems upgrade. The resulting evaluation data indicates that the service enables independent artists and artist-run-initiatives to develop or present artworks to a more professional level than could be achieved without the support of the service, and that in some cases artists/artist-run-initiatives could not develop or present their work at all without MAAP Media Bank support. The system upgrade, including a computerised scanning and database system and online pictorial catalogue, has made the service more time-efficient, and has enabled MAAP to make the full volume of equipment available for loan. Implications of 2011 activities for MAAP’s 2012 program MAAP’s first year of s2m triennial funding saw the achievements of our major international program Light from Light, met with achievements in local programming, through youth mentorship, the MAAP Republic Program and the MAAP Media Bank. This is an exciting phase for the organisation, as while our international projects continue to consume a great deal of energy and resources (particularly with their demand for multiple partnerships and income streams), the s2m triennial funding allows us to build our local program confidently. Furthering this development, MAAP was offered unanticipated triennial funding from VACS in the latter half of 2011, enabling the organisation’s local programming to enter its next logical phase with the launch of MAAP’s Brisbane exhibitions space in 2012. In 2011, VACs support enabled MAAP to develop a three-year program of regular exhibitions, talks and events in Brisbane that complement, and at times stem from, our international programs. While the VACs funding is an overwhelmingly positive development for the organisation, it does place added pressure on our reporting processes. As an efficiently lean team we’re uncertain of the auditing ramifications of producing biyearly acquittals and formal reporting on our s2m and VACs programs. This is simply to say that while the support of VACs is very welcome, we’re faced with new administrative challenges. One final unexpected change that occurred in the second half of 2011 was the relocation of the MAAP office from the Collins Place residence that had been supported through a contra-arrangement with the South Bank Corporation for close to three years. Through this highly successful industry partnership with the South Bank Corporation, MAAP has been able to develop a strong local base for our operations and the MAAP Media Bank. The MAAP Republic program, which presented exhibitions and short-term artist residencies in the South Bank precinct, was a direct result of this productive relationship. MAAP expects this partnership will continue in some capacity from 2012 onwards, as we operate new local programming from our new base at Fortitude Valley.

MAAP ANNUAL REPORT 2011