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[VIS] Adelaide Contemporary Art Gallery - Designs on Page 6

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 11:04 pm
by Norman
From AdelaideNow/The Advertiser
Government considering high-powered push for $250m art gallery by the Torrens to supercharge art tourism

A $250 MILLION modern art gallery set on the Torrens is under State Government consideration as a way to supercharge art tourism and revitalise the economy.

The proposed gallery, possibly adjacent to a new six-star hotel, would complement the existing Art Gallery of SA on North Tce.

Director Nick Mitzevich and Economic Development Board chairman Raymond Spencer are championing the project.

They say Adelaide could transform from economic desperation to a cultural destination, similar to the impact modern art and iconic architecture has had on struggling European cities like Bilbao in Spain.

Hobart has also received a big boost from its Museum of Old and New Art, MONA.

A world-class gallery with confronting contemporary art works would cost about half the price of the$535 million Adelaide Oval and attract similar numbers of interstate travellers, among at least 500,000 visitors in the first year, the government has been told.
Read the rest of the story here: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertain ... dd3309131c

[VIS] Re: Torrens Art Gallery

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 11:41 pm
by Nathan
Modern art gallery: Yes, desperately needed.
Concert hall: Yes, also desperately needed.

Demolish the Festival Centre for something by Frank Gehry: :toilet:

[VIS] Re: Torrens Art Gallery

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 8:52 am
by ml69
Wow this one is out of the blue ... it's an idea certainly worth further investigation.

The MONA gallery in Hobart has helped put it on the tourist map, and the Louvre annex gallery in Lens, France has done a similar thing also for that small city (Lens has population of 450,000 and in the heart of the poorest region of France). These are other examples of the so-called "Bilbao effect" of contemporary art galleries helping to revitalise struggling cities.

So why not Adelaide?

No one doubts that SA is currently at an economic crossroad. We either reinvent ourselves or continue to wither away. We need to think really big. Could this become a Guggenheim museum located in Adelaide? Then we have could have access to their extensive collection. There maybe something in it for Guggenheim too because they could have access to the world's largest Aboriginal art collection which SA's has.

I realise that it's probably only a remote chance of a Guggenheim Adelaide, but geez if we pulled it off it would be sensational coup, and have (mainly wealthy) tourists who would normally bypass Adelaide coming here in their droves.

[VIS] Re: Torrens Art Gallery

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 2:42 pm
by Nathan
Counter argument to the 'demolish Festival Centre and get Gehry in' suggestion:

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/demo ... y-comments

[VIS] Re: Torrens Art Gallery

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 3:24 pm
by Goodsy
Art Galleries are either go big or go home, do it right and big or don't do it at all.

[VIS] Re: Torrens Art Gallery

Posted: Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:24 pm
by Nathan
GoodSmackUp wrote:Art Galleries are either go big or go home, do it right and big or don't do it at all.
Not necessarily. There's some great smaller (mid-size) galleries around the world, like New Museum in New York, or 21_21 Design Sight in Tokyo. Even the Guggenheim in NY isn't all that large, generally only holding 2 exhibitions at a time.

That said, they're generally located in cities where there are also larger contemporary art galleries.

I do agree though that anything proposed for Adelaide does need to be large enough to have multiple temporary exhibitions as well as showing a significant amount of AGSA's permanent collection (the vast majority of which is currently in storage). With Samstag and CACSA fulfilling the role of those mid-size galleries. (I say mid-size, only to differentiate them from 1–3 room local galleries.)

[VIS] Re: Torrens Art Gallery

Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 1:45 am
by SRW
Another model to consider is the Centre Pompidou in Paris (who, although I don't advocate it, have also been amenable to international franchising).

If the Festival Plaza is the preferred location, even the physical design of the Centre could be a model for Adelaide - and I don't mean the high-tech/postmodern architecture necessarily, but the lesson of how a transparent/open/interactive façade can enmesh a building with its plaza.
Image
Something of the sort could slot in behind Parliament House (preferably with no office block neighbour :evil: ) and share space with maybe a museum of democracy or an arts school. As a facility for rotating exhibitions, it would provide a constant attraction for people to the plaza.

However, I'm not persuaded by any suggestion of a need to demolish the Festival Centre. I think with proper investment its internals can be returned to state of the art, and its external aesthetics could be improved with a few minor changes. For instance, its roofing could be replaced with material that doesn't evoke 'tin shed', while opening or extending some walls/faces could enhance its public approaches.

As far as a concert hall goes, I'll repeat my vision of building one where the Festival Centre's banquet room is currently sited -- adding another 'shell' to the collection, and one that would extend the centre to King William Street.

[VIS] Re: Torrens Art Gallery

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 12:09 pm
by Ben
http://indaily.com.au/arts-and-culture/ ... w-sa-icon/
Inside "Adelaide Contemporary": the plan to create a new SA icon

ARTS & CULTURE
A contemporary art gallery for Adelaide has been a dream for years. But now, InDaily can reveal the detailed plans for an ultra-modern $260 million new building being pushed for the riverbank precinct.

David Washington
@davidwashingto2

Art Gallery director Nick Mitzevich has developed comprehensive plans for a contemporary art gallery for Adelaide – a 27,000 square metre building that would become the city’s largest cultural institution, dwarfing the current gallery which is about 6500 square metres, and the Convention Centre, which covers around 15,000 square metres.

He has flagged the broad concept for some time now but, as reported by The Advertiser earlier this month, the State Government is now seriously considering a concrete proposal and an economic analysis on a $260 million building, likely to be set on the Riverbank.

However, what hasn’t been reported is what Mitzevich is actually proposing to fill the new edifice with – and he argues it is groundbreaking.

The gallery – which has the working title “Adelaide Contemporary” – would have three components.

The first would house the gallery’s entire 42,000-piece collection of works – there would be “full” access to the entire collection for the first time. These would be displayed in an innovative fashion, similar to the Multiversity Gallery in Vancouver (see below). The institution would become the first major Australian gallery to display its full collection.

“We’re putting the art collection to work,” Mitzevich says. “Bolted on to that is a big education facility, so we use the collection to help teach people not just about art, but history, geography, everything that you can use art to teach for.”

The second component would be what Mitzevich contends is a world first: a “gallery of time”, which would display Aboriginal, Asian and European works of art alongside each other in chronological order. Visitors could compare and contrast works from these three traditions which were produced in the same historical period.

“Imagine a big gallery space, with a timeframe on the wall. Then we run three cultural parallels through it – and they’re the three cultural parallels that are the dominant force in Australia – European, Aboriginal and Asian.

“No-one in the world is showing Aboriginal art in the context of Asia and Europe. And what’s interesting is that there are similarities and differences, and that’s where the magic happens.

“This is a strategic policy direction of this institution, that we’re trying to blur the boundaries of where Aboriginal art sits. The more that Aboriginal art can be seen in a national or international context, the greater opportunity for understanding and awareness.”

The third and final component would be a gallery of 21st century art, but it would expand the gallery’s traditional remit to include film, fashion and design alongside works of art.

“We want to blur what the definition of contemporary art is, so we’ve broadened it to design, film, fashion and traditional art.”

To attract national and international tourism, the gallery would commission major new works from leading international artists.

“We will commission international major works that are site specific. They will be installed as an attractor. We might commission a leading international artist to come here and commission a major site-specific work that would stay here for five years for example.

“We want destination works that make Adelaide Contemporary unique. We want significant works that people will travel for and become synonymous with the site.”

Chicago's landmark "Cloud Gate" by Anish Kapoor - also known as "The Bean" - is the kind of "beacon" art work that Mitzevich wants to commission. Photo: EPA/KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI
Chicago’s landmark “Cloud Gate” by Anish Kapoor – also known as “The Bean” – is the kind of “beacon” art work that Mitzevich wants to commission. Photo: EPA/KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI

The building would also include a large reception hall that Mitzevich hopes will host cultural events such as the Adelaide Fashion Festival.

The building’s design would need to be striking and challenging, and Mitzevich clearly favours a location on the Riverbank, probably west of Morphett St Bridge.

“The great thing about Riverbank is that it’s part of new Adelaide. It’s really constructing a new, important destination for the city. If this was to come to fruition it will be the first public building to face the river, and I think that’s quite symbolic. It would be the state’s first 21st century cultural building, so it’s quite a significant moment.

“If it fulfills its charter to define the 21st century – and that’s it’s reason for being – it must be a cutting edge building. It must push architecture and public institutions into a new realm. It has to be thoroughly contemporary in its attitude and its execution to fulfill its ambition.”

He isn’t interested in replicating Tasmania’s wildly successful Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), or the often-referenced Guggenheim in Bilbao, except in terms of their economic impact.

Rather, he wants Adelaide Contemporary to be a unique attraction that would bring in national and international tourists, as well as attract locals to the Riverbank in the down times when the Adelaide Oval and Festival Centre lay dormant.

He also believes the gallery would attract private investors to the precinct, such as the long-touted new hotel for the Riverbank.

“We would be the berley for such things. Art galleries are the new palaces, or churches, of the 21st century. They’ve demonstrated around the world that they can attract people. I think it makes commercial investment in and around the location more viable – an anchor that brings people and activity.”

Above all, he believes a landmark new gallery would make a statement about the “new Adelaide”.

“This is not just a worthy project for art – this is a bold statement about the ambition, the future and the drivers the city needs for the 21st century.”

The Government says it’s early days for the proposal, but ministers, including Arts Minister Jack Snelling, are making positive noises.

Mitzevich says it would be a wise investment for the city, and compares the benefits of investing in culture compared to the millions spent on industry support over the years.

“I think what’s interesting about these kinds of proposals is that it is an investment, a long-term investment. We don’t have any qualms about supporting industries but we’ve seen in recent times they’ve exported those jobs and expertise overseas. With this it’s about the experience – the government’s investment won’t be exported anywhere, it will keep giving to the state for 50 or 100 years.

“Why do we consider industry support to be critical, but when we consider investing in cultural infrastructure it’s considered to be an indulgence? It’s actually the reverse – we’re embedding something in our own city which is an experience that no-one can export out, shut down or sell off. Each year it will continue to drive people into the city.”

The current art gallery would be freed up to display more of the institution’s huge collection of pre-2000 art.

If the Government comes to the party, Mitzevich believes work can begin very quickly – which may be a very appealing prospect to the State Government given the imminent end of the massive new Royal Adelaide Hospital construction project.

“If it was funded soon, we could move on it very quickly and turn dirt within 12 months and be open in the first part of 2019.

“I’ve been working on this project for nearly five years – it’s not a whim, its an accumulation of years of development work.”

[VIS] Re: Torrens Art Gallery

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 12:32 pm
by jk1237
I still reckon the former RAH site would be the best and most perfect spot for a large scale art gallery

[VIS] Re: Torrens Art Gallery

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 4:26 pm
by Patrick_27
jk1237 wrote:I still reckon the former RAH site would be the best and most perfect spot for a large scale art gallery
You're simply saying that because it's what's available. It couldn't be a worse location if it tried, it's out of the way. The old RAH site will probably end up contributing to an expansion of the Botanic Gardens and facilities for UniSA and the new Adelaide High School, despite all the talking up of what it could become.

I like the location, I also like the name (speaking of which, should the name of this thread be changed in line with that?)

[VIS] Re: Torrens Art Gallery

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 4:41 pm
by Nathan
Patrick_27 wrote:
jk1237 wrote:I still reckon the former RAH site would be the best and most perfect spot for a large scale art gallery
You're simply saying that because it's what's available. It couldn't be a worse location if it tried, it's out of the way. The old RAH site will probably end up contributing to an expansion of the Botanic Gardens and facilities for UniSA and the new Adelaide High School, despite all the talking up of what it could become.

I like the location, I also like the name (speaking of which, should the name of this thread be changed in line with that?)
I actually agree on the RAH location. The RAH is a major economic contributor to the East End, with a large amount of foot traffic coming from the hospital (from staff, visitors and patients). Once that moves, there's going to be serious issues in the area and whatever goes in the RAH location needs to address that. A high school is not going to do that, but a major gallery (and other cultural institutions around it) will. It's also means it can continue on from the existing cultural boulevard of the library, museum and art gallery.

Whereas the riverbank location west of Morphett St bridge is partially removed, and will be thrown in with the "health precinct".

[VIS] Re: Adelaide Contemporary Art Gallery

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 5:10 pm
by SouthAussie94
I would like it to go west of the Morphett St bridge simply so that the railyards are covered. Covering the railyards and linking the health precinct with the river would be a great outcome. A scattering of apartments/restaurants and maybe a hotel would further revitalise this area.

I can also see the merit in the RAH location and I agree with others who say that whatever goes on this site needs to attract people to the area.

I look forward to hearing more about the proposed plans and location.

[VIS] Adelaide Contemporary Art Gallery

Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 5:20 pm
by Wayno
I vote for locating in the riverbank area. Why? Well simply because it's "outside the square" and "breaks the mould", and will have great visibility as a result.

The East End already has a good balance of restaurants and residential that will only improve with time. A few basic cafes may suffer from the RAH shutdown, but that's not a compelling reason for using the old RAH site for this gallery proposal.

[VIS] Re: Adelaide Contemporary Art Gallery

Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 12:16 am
by ml69
Good to see someone like Nick Mitzevich with a vision of what we could become, and hopefully some influence. We need more people in positions of authority like him.

[VIS] Re: Adelaide Contemporary Art Gallery

Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 8:59 am
by Honey of a City
Build it in the grounds of Government House. Move the Governor to a luxury apartment in the CBD as they've done in Sydney, or part of the old RAH site, and incorporate the current heritage building into a stunning post-modern gallery/music complex already surrounded by gardens and in an iconic highly accessible location. Make North Terrace the most awesome cultural, educational, botanic, entertainment, health boulevard on the planet. Give this land back to the people, and turn it from an walled archaic symbol of colonialism and privilege into an international centre of creativity, vision and opportunity. Demolish the current walls and merge the whole complex into the Parade Ground and river at the back. Convert the Parade Ground from a part time car park into a fully functional state-of-art outdoor events space fronting the river, and make the river into a 3km sculpture park. Build a beautiful footbridge over King William St to connect the whole thing with the Festival Centre/Riverbank. Don't tinker or dither - think big and then do it - now.