This exhibition is past. On a recent Saturday morning, I bundled the kids in the car and took them into the city for a day of exploring; from the City Botanic Gardens to the iconic Clock Tower Tour at City Hall, and to show them the APT9 Kids Outdoor Gallery artworks throughout the city.
All of my kids have an intense interest in art; a love that I foster through trying to attend anything and everything art-related that comes to the city. It is interesting to use experiences like APT9 Kids to stretch their idea of what art is and, in turn, impact their own artistic expression.
(Feature Artwork: Sadik Kwaish Alfraji’s A Boat to Carry your Dreams 2018)
What is APT9 Kids?
- As part of the 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT9), the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art has collaborated with Brisbane City Councilโs Outdoor Gallery to display artwork relating to APT9 Kids. APT9 Kids provides children and families with meaningful insights into the contemporary art of Australia, Asia and the Pacific.
- From my kidsโ perspective, APT9 Kids was more like a giant treasure hunt to locate the artworks based on a basic map we prepared at home. Councilโs Outdoor Gallery website also has an interactive Google map, but I was looking to build some basic map reading skills too.
What is the purpose of APT9 Kids Outdoor Gallery exhibition?
Councilโs Outdoor Gallery is all about transforming Brisbane’s laneways and city streets into imaginative, curious and engaging spaces. As part of APT9 Kids, the gallery encourages cultural awareness and growth in Brisbane by creating more to see and do, more to ponder and more to discuss.
The Outdoor Gallery
There are a number of locations across Brisbane City and South Bank that feature artwork specifically related to APT9 Kids. You can see a few of our favourites below, but here is a link to the full list of locations. In addition, there are some hands-on activities at the Gallery of Modern Art that can be a nice way to finish up the experience.
Irish Lane – Jakkai Siributr’s animation stills for The Legend of the Rainbow Stag 2018. On display from November 2018 to April 2019. This artwork is part of APT9 Kids.
Image: Giffin Lane – banner – Gary Carsley’s wallpaper design for Purple Reign 2018. On display from November 2018 to April 2019.
Image: Fish Lane – light boxes – Children’s artworks from a workshop for Nona Garcia’s Illuminate 2018. On display from November 2018 to January 2019.
Image: Eagle Lane – light boxes – Joyce Ho’s photography for UN-Covered Library 2018. On display from November 2018 to January 2019.
Image: Hutton Lane – light boxes – Vincent Namatjira artwork for Power Portraits 2018. On display from November 2018 to January 2019.
Art discussion with kids
Paul Coelho says, โCulture makes people understand each other better. And if they understand each other better in their soul, it is easier to overcome the economic and political barriers. But first, they have to understand that their neighbour is, in the end, just like them, with the same problems, the same questions.โ
Discussion of art and the ability to see it as more than just its materials or its location is a creative skill that will benefit children throughout their lives. Itโs the foundation of critical thinking and is a form of problem-solving, which are all skills the world will be demanding of them.
More importantly though, by viewing art with your children, they will learn that there are many perspectives that come from seemingly the same view. Then, by discussing these different viewpoints, they learn perspectives that hadnโt even occurred to them. It is as much about stretching their thoughts and validating their ideas as it is providing opposition to their initial ideas to show there are other ways, not necessarily better or worse, but different to their own, and that is ok.
Where to find the Outdoor Gallery
Running through to 27 January 2019, the following laneways are part of Councilโs APT9 Kids Outdoor Gallery installation:
- Hutton Lane – lightboxes
- Eagle Lane – lightboxes
- Fish Lane – lightboxes
- King George Square – lightboxes
- Giffin Lane – banner
- Edison Lane – banner
- Cordelia Street – banner
- Irish Lane – banners
- Edward Street – vitrine one
- Edward Street – vitrine two
- Edward Street – projector
The Outdoor Galleries map can be found here and is the perfect tool to help plan your APT9 Kids adventure these summer holidays.
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