QAGOMA partners with London’s Victoria and Albert Museum on Asia-Pacific exhibition

The Queensland Art Gallery|Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) have partnered to present an exhibition of highlights from the Queensland-grown Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art series (APT).

The Victoria and Albert Museum, London (V&A) is the world’s leading museum of art, design and performance with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity, spanning 5000 years of human creativity.

This is the first time an APT exhibit of this scale will be shown in Europe, and only the second time any of the APT pieces will be seen internationally.

The exhibition will feature works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island artists – sharing first nations stories with the world.

Queensland Minister for the Arts, Leeanne Enoch advised “QAGOMA’s partnership with the V&A is an opportunity to share APT highlights and Queensland’s state collection with a wider international audience.

“The exhibition will profile art and artists from the region at one of the world’s leading museums, including works by Queensland and First Nations artists.

“It will showcase the incredible talent and ancient cultures of Queensland to global audiences including paintings by Queensland Waanyi artist Judy Watson and Beizam headdresses by Torres Strait artist Ken Thaiday Snr. 

“QAGOMA’s exciting new international partnership with the V&A aligns with the Queensland Government’s Creative Together 2020-2030: A 10-year Roadmap for arts, culture and creativity in Queensland.”

Established in 1993, the APT has helped to put Queensland on the international art map, drawing visitors from around the world to the state every three years.

Across ten exhibitions, the APT has enabled QAGOMA to build a world-leading contemporary collection and take a leading role in showcasing the diversity of art from across the Asia Pacific region.

The Queensland Government is a founding supporter of the APT exhibition series experienced by more than four million visitors over the past ten editions, with APT10 also supported by blockbuster funding for Queensland-exclusive exhibitions presented at QAGOMA.

Chris Saines CNZM, Director, QAGOMA shared “The exhibition at the V&A in London in 2026 will include highlights from QAGOMA’s APT collection, acquired over the lifetime of the series.

“The Triennial’s dynamic curatorial model continuously re-assesses the art of Asia, Australia and the Pacific through on-the-ground curatorial research that brings together cutting edge and customary art practice, and collaboration with communities that represent an ever-changing and authentic cross-section of the region’s creators.”

Dr Tristram Hunt, Director, Victoria and Albert Museum added “The museum is delighted to share the ambition of hosting a flagship exhibition of The Asia Pacific Triennial at the V&A in London in partnership with QAGOMA.

“APT presents a truly global, cross-cultural offering of contemporary practice across disciplines and regions, and we look forward to sharing this with our international audiences in London.”

Image. Front to back: Grace Lillian Lee and Ken Thaiday Snr, Suggoo Pennise (2021) (detail); tepo (mats) by Bajau Sama Dilaut Weavers (Purchased 2021). Exhibition view: The 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane (4 December 2021–25 April 2022). Courtesy the artists. Credit: Chloë Callistemon, QAGOMA.