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Exhibitions
The artists' brief The brief is to explore the idea of 'gold' in any of its manifestations - physical, aesthetic or cultural. The idea of gold can be celebrated or critiqued. The artists have been asked to work together and be open to each other's practice. The breadth of the brief has enabled artists from various disciplines to be invited: painters, glass artists and textile artists, as well as gold and silversmiths. A touring exhibition 2001-2002 The results of this collaboration forms the basis of the touring exhibition Foundations of Gold. The exhibition opened at RMIT Gallery, Melbourne in July 2001, 150 years after the discovery of gold in Victoria. The exhibition celebrates this sesquicentenary and the BPC network, and the possibilities offered today for creative collaboration between artists in our region. The exhibition will tour to each of the five cities involved in this inaugural cultural collaboration with Melbourne: Osaka, Seoul, Manila, Singapore and Mumbai. The Foundations of Gold project has been initiated by the City of Melbourne in partnership with The Asialink Centre of The University of Melbourne and RMIT Gallery of RMIT University. Supporting Partners The exchange has been supported by: Gold and Melbourne Europeans arrived on Wurundjeri land, the current site of Melbourne, in 1835. Melbourne was a village until the goldrush of the 1850s transformed it into a bustling city. In July 1851, gold was discovered at Clunes, just 100 miles north of Melbourne. In December that year Victoria had a population of 97,000 people. In twelve months this had expanded to 168,000, and by 1861 Victoria's population was 540,000. People came from all around the world to search for gold. For most, their access to this new wealth and their diversity of background helped create an expectation of a democratic, optimistic and egalitarian way of life. The new immigrants (and their newfound gold) led to the development of a sophisticated social infrastructure. From 1853 to 1854, the number of buildings in Melbourne doubled. The streets were paved. By 1855 gas pipelines were laid in the city's centre, a railway linked Melbourne with the coast and an electric telegraph communicated with near towns and Adelaide. Cultural life flourished with internationally renowned performers attracted to the wealthy city. The University of Melbourne opened in 1855 and the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1856. All this wealth and activity was founded on gold. In the 1850s 23 million ounces of gold was mined in Victoria. This was more than 40% of the world's gold output. It was worth in today's terms A$11,000,000,000, making Australia one of the richest countries in the world. July 2001 is the celebration of the 150th anniversary of gold's discovery in Victoria. The City of Melbourne and The Business Partner City Network In 1999, The City of Melbourne joined the Business Partner City Network (BPC), a network aimed at expanding business links between the Asia Pacific's most dynamic and influential business cities. Melbourne's partners are: Osaka, represented by the Osaka Business Partner City Council; Hong Kong, represented by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council; Singapore, represented by the Singapore Trade Development Board; Bangkok, represented by the Thai Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Kuala Lumpur, represented by the City of Kuala Lumpur; Manila, represented by Manila City Hall; Jakarta, represented by the Jakarta Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Seoul, represented by the Seoul Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Shanghai, represented by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government Foreign Economic Relations & Trade; Ho Chi Minh City, represented by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Congress and Mumbai, represented by The Indian Merchants Chamber. The object of the BPC is trade. But of course trade is based on people and people need to understand each other. The City of Melbourne hopes that the Foundations of Gold Cultural Program will encourage deeper understanding of cultures across our region as well as providing further opportunities for creative collaborations between various sectors of our communities. Gold, which provided the foundations of Melbourne itself, is a wonderful medium for artists to work with. It also has an important place in the myths and dreams of most civilization. The project reinforces the fruitfulness of the relationships possible between people of the Asia Pacific region. The project has been initiated by The City of Melbourne, and managed by The Asialink Centre of The University of Melbourne in conjunction with RMIT Gallery and the City. The City of Melbourne is the presenter of the project, working in collaboration with its Business Partner City colleagues. |
