The GOMA is another free museum across the river from downtown Brisbane. The amount of free facilities and activities here is really a plus for Brisbane. We did not try to visit all of the exhibits since we can return anytime for free. We spent most of our time on the Asia Pacific Triennial exhibit. So many cultures were represented here, from Nepal, to the Torres Straights to Taipei. Many of the cultures did not fit within a specific country, the Tamang people were one of them. The Tamang people were indigenous people from an area that resides within Nepal, Bhutan and India. Their culture was subsequently fractured and suppressed by the "countries" that grew up around their traditional homelands. Another instance was the artist who made all the clay items below in her "The Vomit Girl Project". She was born in Tasmania from a Vietnamese father and Australian mother who grew up in Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. Mai Nguyen-Long's cultural identity is so mixed up it is like something that came out of a blender. We saw great art and reading the stories behind the art was most captivating. There was also a mesmerizing stop action film "Compound Eyes of Tropical" made by Zhang Zu Zhan about a mouse deer trying to cross a crocodile infested lake. The film was aired in a room separate from the sets and puppets used in the film.
A variety of ceramic techniques were displayed
A variety of Cats
White clay and a bit of the orange
My favorite white unglazed clay painted with black paint
Time for a snack?
The mouth seems to run on and on, perhaps a person who talks too much
The evil eye
An abacus made of heads
Some simple
Some very elaborate
A mix of old Chinese motifs and new designs
The newer design on the back of the vase above
The puppet used for the Mouse Deer in the animated film
One of the crocodiles
A picture from the film with Crocodiles in the lake water and the mouse deer jumping on their backs
Drummers that surround the lake
This is one of the sets used to make the movie. The following is a link to an interview with the artist.
This intriguing piece is from a Nepalese artist
It centers around the Munn, a traditional female shaman
The works are textiles
They are hung from a central hoop
This of from a series of illustrations with trees growing out of the heads of the people
"Memory Garden 2024" uses famous western sculptures recreated without the human figures
Which iconic sculpture is being presented was not identified, but the foot prints remain
Removing the humans brings the foliage to the forefront
A series of prints from woodblocks depicting the Tamang creation story
Withing the heads of the people depicted is a whole other level of creation
This artist found nine doors from an abandoned building in Hoi An Viet Nam, painted them and arranged them in a open square resembling a ruined house
She painted scenes of birth, death and renewal using lacquer and silk
Death on the outside and birth and renewal on the inside
A commentary on the destruction of mangrove forests
A large scale painting of community life
The many uses for this ceramic foot are listed on the box. These uses include egg cup, centerpiece, air plant planter, pinch bowl, egg sculpture, foot model and my left foot
Lizards greet us outside the museum
Again we pass the headstand elephant
A cute gecko bids us goodbye
We will need to walk over this pedestrian bridge, but not today
Ferris Wheel
Clowns!
Sculptures across the river
The library also has a fine building
Much thought went into the design
The hospital building is another distinct building
As scooter that is trying to swim in the river
Other debris in the water, most likely due to the recent rains. is made up of natural materials
