Situated along the city’s eponymous river, Brisbane’s cultural precinct is a hub for innovation, inspiration and creativity. Home to the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), Queensland Museum and Science Centre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and Queensland Theatre Company, along with the State Library of Queensland, this epicentre attracts some of the world’s most sought-after exhibitions and acts. Plus, with a bevy of bars and restaurants to suit every taste, the precinct is the perfect place to wine, dine and be entertained.
The 2016 cultural calendar is filled with exciting coups for Brisbane. Catch internationally acclaimed exhibitions and artists, a buzzing baroque music festival, exclusive artefacts from the British Museum, and the World Science Festival Brisbane (held for the first time outside of New York City). Here’s a taste of what’s coming up:
21 November 2015 – 10 April 2016
The world’s largest exhibition of new art from Australia, Asia and the Pacific returns for 'The 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art' (APT8) with works by more than 80 artists reflecting the expanding creative diversity of the region.
This year, APT emphasises performance with live action, video, kinetic art, figurative painting and sculpture exploring how the human form can express cultural, social and political ideas.
Major new commissions include a sprawling structural installation of reclaimed timber by India's Asim Waqif, and a mesmerising suspended sculpture by South Korea's Haegue Yang. Experience Kalpa Vriksha: Contemporary Indigenous and Vernacular Art of India, a collaborative piece celebrating India’s diverse cultures and communities, and check out the Melanesian performance project Yumi Danis (We Dance), which emerged from a creative exchange in Vanuatu in 2014.
The exhibition also includes APT8 Kids – 12 interactive works designed for children and families – and APT8 Live, an ongoing program with artist performances, projects, workshops and talks. Don’t forget to visit APT8 Cinema, which features films under the themes of ‘Pop Islam’, ‘Filipino Indie’, along with a series of works by artist-filmmaker Lav Diaz.
11 December 2015 – 10 April 2016
The might of Medieval Europe will storm the walls of Queensland Museum later this year in an exclusive exhibition from the British Museum. In a coup for Brisbane, the Queensland Museum will be the first museum in the world, and the only one in Australia and New Zealand, to host the incredible new exhibition, Medieval Power: Symbols & Splendour. Spanning the period AD 400 to 1500, Medieval Power explores a time when many of the countries and cultures of modern Europe were formed. Be amazed by the precious gold, jewellery, seals, sculptures, stained glass and other symbols of courtly life, alongside tools of war, objects of religious significance and humble items from everyday life dating back to AD 400.
22 – 26 February 2016
The Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM) is the country’s leading, internationally focused industry event for contemporary performing arts. APAM 2016 will showcase 43 Australian and New Zealand performing artists and companies with full performances and pitch sessions held during the five-day festival. The event will welcome over 600 delegates and provide the opportunity to exchange ideas, develop collaborations and network with national and international presenters, agents and influencers.
9 -13 March 2016
In 2016, Brisbane will come alive with the wonder of science during the inaugural World Science Festival Brisbane. In an enormous achievement for the Queensland Museum, the World Science Festival will be held for the first time outside of New York City, bringing with it some of the globe’s greatest minds today. The festival explores the nexus between science and the arts through debates, original theatrical works, interactive experiments and explorations, musical performances, small bespoke events and major outdoor experiences. Over the festival’s four days, science will come out of the laboratory and into the streets, parks, museums, galleries and performing arts venues of Brisbane and regional Queensland.
8 -16 April 2016
Brisbane Baroque is back after a hugely successful festival in 2015, which saw it taking out five trophies at the Helpmann Awards. The upcoming festival will see artistic greats from the international stage performing with some of Australia's youngest and brightest stars. Plus, internationally renowned American mezzo soprano Vivica Genaux and talented young harpsichord virtuoso Mahan Esfahani will make their Australian debuts.
Following the phenomenal success of the opera Faramondo in 2015, Brisbane Baroque is proud to present another stunning international production from the Gottingen Handel Festival – this time, Handel's Agrippina. The festival will also feature recitals, free talks and masterclasses, a concert version of King Arthur, along with a Bach – Music in the Castle of Heaven, a collaboration between The Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Brisbane Baroque.
