The Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) is partnering with the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) on an exhibition of highlights from ‘The Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ (APT) and QAGOMA’s world-renowned collection of Asian and Pacific art to be presented at V&A South Kensington in London in early 2026.

QAGOMA Director Chris Saines said he was thrilled to be working with V&A Director Tristram Hunt and the museum’s internationally renowned exhibitions team to bring the Gallery’s unique collection of contemporary Australian, Asian and Pacific art to the world.

‘For three decades the APT has been the cornerstone of our Gallery program, bringing together the work of more than 650 artists and groups from across 50 countries in the Asia Pacific region, and the London project will be only the second time that works acquired through the exhibition have toured internationally, following a tour to Santiago, Chile in 2019.

‘It’s a wonderful opportunity to share the cutting edge and customary art practices of our vast and immensely diverse region, which are so richly represented in our collection, with audiences in the northern hemisphere.

‘The exhibition is being co-curated by QAGOMA’s team of Asian and Pacific art curators led by Tarun Nagesh and Daniel Slater, Director of Exhibitions at the V&A.

‘Since its inception in 1993, the APT has attracted more than 4 million visitors and extended QAGOMA’s reputation nationally and internationally. Importantly, the APT has enabled us to build an extraordinary, unrivalled collection of contemporary Asian and Pacific art that represents the unique creative voices of world-renowned contemporary artists alongside collaborations with local communities and arts makers,’ Mr Saines said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Queensland Government was proud to back this opportunity to showcase Queensland’s cultural leadership, and the important art and stories from our region.

'This exciting collaboration will put our region’s contemporary art and culture in the international spotlight from 2026.

'The exhibition will feature works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island artists – sharing First Nations stories with the world.'

Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch welcomed QAGOMA’s partnership with the V&A.

'This is an exciting opportunity to showcase APT highlights and Queensland’s state collection to a wider international audience and profile art and artists from the region, including works by Queensland and First Nations artists, at one of the world’s leading museums,' Minister Enoch said.

'QAGOMA’s new international partnership with the V&A aligns with the Queensland Government’s Creative Together 2020-2030: A 10-year Roadmap for arts, culture and creativity in Queensland.

'This exhibition reinforces the importance of collaborations that ensure Queensland’s depth of creative talent and innovation are celebrated on a global stage,' Minister Enoch said.

'Focusing on our creative future will ensure Queensland embraces the opportunities of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games when our local stories and unique arts and cultural experiences will again share the world spotlight,' Minister Enoch said.

Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A said the museum was delighted to share the ambition of hosting a flagship exhibition of The Asia Pacific Triennial at the V&A in London in partnership with QAGOMA.

‘The APT presents a truly global, cross-cultural offering of contemporary practice across disciplines and regions, and we look forward to sharing this with our international audiences in London,’ Dr Hunt said.

The exhibition will feature works by artists from the mega cities of Asia to those based in Australia and the distant atolls of the Pacific. It will include works ranging from large-scale sculptural installations to miniature painting to works on bark cloth and intricate body adornment.

This Queensland Art Gallery l Gallery of Modern Art exhibition will be presented in partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum.

ENDS

About the V&A

The Victoria and Albert Museum, London (V&A) is the world’s leading museum of art, design and performance with collections unrivalled in their scope and diversity, spanning 5000 years of human creativity. It was established in 1852 to make works of art available to all and to inspire British designers and manufacturers. Today, its purpose is to champion creative industry, inspire the next generation, and spark everyone’s imagination. vam.ac.uk