An exhibition celebrating 50 years of cultural exchange between Australia and China

A point in time combines the concept of place (point) and time. Literally, ‘point in time’ means precisely at this moment. No point in time is its opposite. It negates fixity and permanence in both space and time. This exhibition brings together eight internationally renowned artists with deep connections to both Australia and China to mark 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Australia and the People’s Republic of China.

It comes at a time when the Australia-China relationship is at its lowest point since diplomatic relations were established. Over the past 50 years, the relationship has reached great heights of engagement and enthusiasm, but it has also experienced periods of sharp disagreement and disappointment. But nothing as bad as today with its mutual antagonism.

Yet the durability of the relationship remains, underpinned and driven by close personal relations between the peoples from both places, and the constant movement and interaction between them. The artists in this exhibition have lived and worked in each other’s country. In times of difficulty, artists, and cultural engagement more broadly, play an outsized role in helping to stabilise and overtime normalise relations. Remember that the thaw in US-China relations after decades of mutual hostility began with ping pong.

This exhibition celebrates personal and cultural movement between Australia and China, and the fluidity of the artists’ lives and work as they seek to understand two such vastly different worlds. This exhibition’s theme is that in the interaction between Australia and China there is no resting place, just movement, ebb, and flow. There is no point in time.” – Guest Curator, Dr Geoff Raby AO