If you’re a local or visiting Brisbane, whether you have a spare 30 minutes to drop in for a dose of art at either of our neighbouring buildings — the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art — or a leisurely 3 hours to wander both sites, here are some suggestions to make the most of your visit. Pick and choose your preferences from the range of contemporary and historical Australian, Asian, Pacific and international art on display.There’s something for everyone, whether you’re aged 3 or 103. Queensland Art Gallery The Queensland Art Gallery building opened in 1982 as part of the first stage of the Queensland Cultural Centre at South Bank; until then, the Gallery never had a purpose-built permanent home. Designed around the Brisbane River, the spectacular Watermall’s cavernous interior runs parallel to the waterway threading its way through the ‘River City’. Collection highlight: Australian art The work of Australian artists have been collected by the Queensland Art Gallery since its foundation in 1895, however few works in our Collection have enjoyed as much popularity as Under the jacaranda 1903 by R Godfrey Rivers (illustrated). Considered a quintessential image of Brisbane, the clouds of purple blooms capture the attention of Gallery visitors and has ensured the painting’s enduring appeal. Hanging alongside is Monday morning 1912 by Vida Lahey (illustrated), another of the Gallery’s most loved works. The painting of two young women doing the family wash, once a common sight in Australian households, now a recording of a by-gone era. Interesting facts: Under the jacaranda depicts the first jacaranda tree grown in Australia, planted in Brisbane’s Botanic Gardens in 1864; while the laundry room depicted in Monday morning was located in the artist’s home, at the time piped water and built-in concrete troughs were considered modern conveniences! Location: Australian Art Collection, Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Galleries (10-13) R Godfrey Rivers Under the jacaranda 1903 Vida Lahey Monday morning 1912 Collection highlight: Contemporary Australian art The jewellery-like intimacy of Fiona Hall’s Australian set (from ‘Paradisus Terrestris Entitled’ series) 1998–99 (illustrated) is a juxtaposition between culture and nature; human body parts combine with native botanical species. Interesting fact: The artist has transformed humble disposal sardine-tins by engraving, chasing and burnishing in the tradition of the colonial silversmith. Location: Australian Art Collection, Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Galleries (10-13) Fiona Hall Australian set 1998–99 Collection highlight: Indigenous Australian art Artistic expressions from the world's oldest continuing culture are drawn from all regions of the country in the Gallery's holdings of Indigenous Australian artworks. Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa was a well-known artist and respected Elder of Anmatyerre/Arrernte heritage. Goanna Story c.1973-74 is from one of the traditional dreaming stories, and this work shows four of the reptiles moving towards a waterhole. Interesting fact: The artwork has a strong sense of symmetry; one half is a mirror image of the other. Location: Australian Art Collection, Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Galleries (10-13) Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa Goanna Story c.1973–74 Collection highlight: International art Surrounded by works from Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (illustrated) and Edgar Degas (illustrated), La Belle Hollandaise (The beautiful Dutch girl) 1905 (illustrated) is a key painting that marks a transition from the subdued hues and emaciated figures of Pablo Picasso’s ‘blue period’ to the serenity and warmth of the ‘rose period’. Picasso must have been pleased with the result — he inscribed the work at the top left as a gift to Paco Durio, his dear friend and neighbour in the Parisian suburb of Montmartre. Interesting fact: Pablo Picasso's La belle Hollandaise was donated to the Gallery in 1959; at the time this major work by one of the greatest living twentieth century masters; set a world record price at £55,000. Location: International Art Collection, Philip Bacon Galleries (7-9) Pablo Picasso La Belle Hollandaise 1905 Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Tete de fille (Head of a girl) 1892 Edgar Degas Three dancers at a dance class c.1888-90 Exhibition highlight: The Asia Pacific Triennial For more than three decades, the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art has showcased an evolving mix of the most exciting and important developments in contemporary art from across Australia, Asia and the Pacific. During the 11th chapter, wander through Thai artist Mit Jai Inn’s suspended canvas tunnel in the Watermall (illustrated), its immense hanging ribbon panels inhabit a space between ground and ceiling; then onto Papua New Guinea’s display by collective Haus Yuriyal (illustrated). Interesting fact: The inaugural Asia Pacific Triennial in 1993 was the first project of its kind in the world to focus on the contemporary art of Asia and the Pacific. ‘The 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ which features the work of 70 artists, collectives and projects from 30 countries is at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art until 27 April 2025. Location: Queensland Art Gallery Mit Jai Inn Tunnel #APT 2024 Haus Yuriyal 2024 Roy and Matilda For those visiting with children of all ages, drop by the home of Roy and Matilda, two mice who one day decided to visit the Queensland Art Gallery, loved it so much, they decided to say. Just look for the letters 'R' and 'M' carved into their beautiful wooden front door. Interesting fact: One day, a man who worked in the Galley’s workshop restoring and carving frames found they were living here and decided to make them a special little front door. Location: Australian Art Collection, Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Galleries (10-13) Watermall & Sculpture Courtyard The Queensland Art Gallery’s grand Watermall — a visitor favourite for both regular art lovers and tourists — extends far beyond the Gallery’s interior; past the Dandelion fountains (illustrated) through to the reflection pond and Sculpture Courtyard. Why not relax and enjoy a quiet moment of contemplation at the adjoining QAG Cafe. Interesting facts:...

For more than three decades, the much-anticipated, home-grown exhibition — The Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art — has showcased an evolving mix of the most exciting and important developments in contemporary art from across Australia, Asia and the Pacific. It’s been instrumental to shaping the Gallery and Brisbane’s identity and global prominence. As our team prepare for the 11th chapter of QAGOMA’s flagship exhibition series opening Saturday 30 November 2024 across the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, we share 11 Triennial highlights. #1 The inaugural Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art in 1993 was the first project of its kind in the world to focus on the contemporary art of Asia and the Pacific. In undertaking the Triennial, the Gallery recognised the need for an ongoing series of exhibitions and forums which initiated dialogue on the art of this important geo-political region. Among the most memorable contributions to the first Triennial, Japanese artist Shigeo Toya’s Woods III (illustrated) became one of the first large-scale installations to enter the Gallery’s Collection. Whether you’re reconnecting with the work or it’s going to be your first time, experience walking among the 30 elaborately carved tree trunks at the Queensland Art Gallery until 27 January 2024. #2 The number of artists and collectives involved since the first Triennial is now over 840, including 70 joining us for the 11th Triennial with the latest Queensland Art Gallery Watermall installation by Thai artist Mit Jai Inn (illustrated). #3 The number of artworks shown since the first Triennial stretches to more than 3000. In the third Triennial, then emerging Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang returned with his narrow bamboo suspension bridge, after also being included in the second chapter. Bridge Crossing (illustrated) spanned the Queensland Art Gallery’s Watermall, enchanting visitors with a spritz of fine mist when they successfully made it past the central point. Cai, now famous for his large-scale installations, gunpowder drawings and explosion events, went on to produce the fireworks for the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, before returning to QAGOMA in 2013 with his spectacular installations inspired by the Queensland landscape for the exhibition ‘Falling Back to Earth’. #4 The Asia Pacific Triennial is built on extensive research and travel by QAGOMA curators, with the process beginning on the next Triennial before the previous one ends. We look at what’s happening across the region, what we want to learn more about, combined with conversations with artists in studios, homes and eateries, locally, in global Asian cities and distant Pacific island archipelagos. The Triennial’s vibrant character is kept current by a remarkable network of personal and professional connections between past and present artists, curators, writers. #5 Every Triennial has featured artists from contemporary art communities that have not previously been represented in Australia, including from Bangladesh, Iran, Mongolia, Cambodia, Myanmar, North Korea (DPRK), Tibet and Turkey. These are places many of us never get to visit in our lifetime. Continuing the tradition, works by artists from Uzbekistan, Saudia Arabia and Timor-Leste are included for the first time in the 11th Triennial. The Mansudae Art Studio, an official artist studio in Pyongyang, North Korea (DPRK), which employs artists across the disciplines of painting, drawing, embroidery and mosaics, created work specifically for the sixth Triennial in 2009 (illustrated). #6 Construction of the new Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) began in 2004 and was completed in 2006 for the launch of the ‘The 5th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ when Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho’s enormous mural It’s all about the Destiny! Isn’t it? (illustrated) greeted the visitor as they entered GOMA for the first time. Displayed across both Gallery sites, the exhibition was instantly twice the size of its previous incarnations. We were the first Australian state gallery with a second building devoted to contemporary art and GOMA is often cited as a catalyst for a cultural shift in Brisbane and Queensland. The reputation of the Triennial, already successful, was boosted and its attendance shot into the hundreds of thousands. #7 An overwhelming response to the introduction of Children’s Art Centre programming in 1998 encouraged the Gallery to focus on delivering innovative programs for our youngest visitors. Launched in 1999, the Kids’ Triennial has become a much-anticipated component, since presenting over 80 projects in collaboration with more than 90 artists, including seven for the upcoming 11th chapter. The installation of renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s The obliteration room (illustrated), the popular children’s project commissioned for the fourth Triennial in 2002, took interactive artwork to a new scale. The gallery space was transformed into a series of domestic-style rooms painted entirely white that were ‘obliterated’ through the application of brightly coloured dot stickers. The installation has had many incarnations since. #8 Cinema programs exploring the region have made the Triennial a dynamic cross media exhibition. Opening in December 2006 for the fifth Triennial, the Gallery’s Australian Cinémathèque at GOMA has presented over 25 curated programs featuring 1280 feature films, shorts and video artworks during the past six Triennials, with another six curated programs featuring some 100 screenings scheduled for the 11th chapter. #9 Since 2007, regional Queensland has had a taste of the Triennial too. The Kids on Tour series takes artist-designed activities to young audiences throughout the state, and travelling exhibitions have brought Triennial highlights from the Gallery’s Collection to venues across Queensland. Altogether, 80 000 people have now experienced the Triennial through touring exhibitions and programs. #10 Contemporary live music has electrified the Asia Pacific Triennial over the years, with performances from musicians as border-defying and genre-bending as the visual artists whose work is on display. From British-Indian producer and tabla player Talvin Singh’s official artist inclusion in 2006 to Syrian electro-folk sensation Omar Souleyman’s raucous Watermall performance in 2012 (illustrated) to Indigenous Australian rapper BARKAA captivating a crowd in 2021, performers from around the...