Australia and Japan share many things, particularly our geographic place in the world. We share a major trading relationship. We share political understanding. But our cultures are very different. Exchanges of art and artists help us understand each other better. These exchanges excite and inform people in each country about each other's culture. Artists in our region explore our world more successfully together. The Initiative   With this in mind, the Australia Japan Foundation provided seed funding to Asialink for a series of exhibitions of Australian contemporary art and craft to be seen in Japan. It is a three year program, with seven projects under its umbrella. The Australia Council, the Australian Government's arts funding and advisory body, provided considerable support to the Program, and relevant Australian State governments backed individual projects. Australian public galleries organized the exhibitions, hosted by Japanese partners. Asialink provided the program management. The focus is on partnership and working together to create a result with the greatest possible impact for these individual exhibitions as well as furthering cultural understanding more widely.   The Program     Seven contemporary Australian art exhibitions travelled to Japan as part of the Australia-Japan Art Exhibitions Program. The program has attracted interest from galleries around Australia and has led to some of Japan's leading galleries taking on Australian exhibits for the first time. Exhibitions are focused on the most contemporary visual arts and craft in Australia, and include photography, a major contemporary indigenous collection and sophisticated craft and design. The exhibitions featured at a range of high profile venues around Japan from 2002-2004.   The Project Steering Committee     Director, Australia-Japan Foundation (Canberra) Rhana Devenport, Senior Project Officer, Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Queensland Art Gallery Sarah Miller, Director, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art Roslyn Oxley, Director, Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery (Sydney) Anna Waldmann, Executive Officer, Visual Arts/Craft Board, Australia Council Alison Carroll, Director, Arts Program, the Asialink Centre of the University of Melbourne For further information, please contact: Alison Carroll Director, Asialink Arts The University of Melbourne, Vic, 3010 Email: a.carroll@asialink.unimelb.edu.au Phone: 61-3-8344 4800 Fax: 61-3- 9347 1768