About

‘The Long Story’ brings together works from the Gallery’s Asian and Pacific art collections that explore the ways artists have responded to respective societies and cultures to represent communities and to question different accounts of history.

The exhibition begins with works that depict and call into question how societies function, and the influence of various authorities through interactions with monuments, public space and gatherings.A display of photography from the Asia Pacific region also provides a basis for social commentary. In the hands of artists, such images not only document places and past events, but can also be a tool to investigate their social and political dimensions. By contrast, a striking collection of performance objects from East New Britain, Papua New Guinea, offers a glimpse into how people can represent themselves through art that has been specifically created for enacting and celebrating their cultural beliefs.

‘The Long Story’ explores some of the themes that have shaped the Gallery’s holdings of Asian and Pacific art over the past two decades. The works reveal diverse cultures, experiences and places, and tell complex stories of evolving histories.

The majority of works in this exhibition were acquired during the Gallery’s flagship series, the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT).