Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to take this opportunity to shine the spotlight on an emerging icon in the Brisbane contemporary arts scene. Established in 1975 the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley is one of the key contemporary art institutions in Australia. For almost 40 years it has presented the work of important artists from Queensland, Australia and beyond. It has supported and sustained the careers of key artists including Robert MacPherson, Tracey Moffatt, Gordon Bennett, Vernon Ah Kee, Michael Zavros, Eugene Carchesio, Scott Redford and Judy Watson. It has also operated as an incubator for emerging artists. It interfaces with galleries, museums and universities throughout Australasia, touring and jointly producing exhibitions. It is highly respected and is the only space of its kind in Queensland.

Next year there will be a change of director, as Robert Leonard is leaving after eight years in the role to become senior curator at City Gallery, Wellington. Robert will also curate New Zealand's representation at the Venice Biennale in 2015. It is of note that of the 19 applicants for the new director position 14 were international, reaffirming the very high reputation the IMA maintains within the global contemporary arts scene.

The new directors of the IMA will be Aileen Burns and Johan Lundh from Canada and Sweden respectively. They come from the Centre for Contemporary Art in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, where they have just hosted the Turner Prize. I wish them all the very best. (Time expired)