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The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) proudly unveils the results of its first year of collecting in a new show that opens next in Sydney Wednesday, June 28.
The New Acquisitions show is made possible by two anonymous donations as well as a new sponsorship with the National Australia Bank (NAB).
The $1 million in anonymous donations represents the enormous faith of the MCA's supporters in the Museum's place as Australia's leading contemporary art museum, while NAB joins the MCA's growing ranks of supporting corporate sponsors.
"Being in a position to collect artists' work means we can support them and build our cultural heritage in more meaningful ways than ever before," said MCA director, Elizabeth-Ann Macgregor.
"The MCA is the only Australian public gallery to collect contemporary Australian art exclusively and to now purchase works for our permanent collection means we make long term investment in our artistic life. It's an important extension of our work and the injection of significant funds from two anonymous donors as well as a new sponsorship from the NAB ensures that we present Australian contemporary art in the best possible light. We are thrilled that NAB shares this vision and we look forward to building our partnership."
In launching the NAB supporting sponsorship today, Gary Turner, NSW State General Manager of NAB, said: "NAB's partnership with the MCA adds to the range of ways we support the arts in Australia. It is also a great reflection of NAB's more contemporary and accessible brand."
With a full spectrum of artistic media ranging from video, painting, photography, drawing, sound and installation, these new acquisitions reflect the diversity and depth of contemporary Australian art practice. Works to be unveiled include major installations from Sydney-based artists Janet Laurence, Cellular Gardens and Maria Fernanda Cardoso, Woven Water: Submarine Landscape 1. While very different in approach, both works are built on elements of natural ecology, from starfish to rainforest saplings. Each work creates a fragile yet interconnected 3D space, filled with a sense of hope for the future.
Also featured are significant works by Brisbane-based artists Richard Bell and Vernon Ah Kee, Worth Exploring? and Fantasies of the good which both address concerns with the representation of Indigenous people. Drawing on last year's exhibition Interesting Times comes Ruark Lewis' acclaimed, mixed media work False Narratives. First shown in the 2005 exhibition Situation, Anne Kay and Jane Polkinghorne's Artist Archive features video interviews with 100 Sydney artists and becomes part of the MCA's Contemporary Art Archive.
With this new support, the MCA is forging a distinctive place in presenting Australian cultural life.
New Acquisitions will be launched by MCA Chairman David Coe, collector, business leader and role model. The exhibition shares the Level 4 gallery with bangu yilbara, an exhibition also drawn from the MCA Collection, highlighting the diversity of art practice by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
New Acquisitions 2006 29 June - 3 September 2006. MCA open 10am - 5pm daily.
MEDIA: for a full list of works, images, interviews and further information contact Trudy Johnston, Trudy Johnston Communication t: +612 9499 7658 m:0402 485 902 e: trudy@tjc.com.au
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