A Year in Art: Australia 1992 at Tate Modern, Gordon Bennett, Possession Island (Abstraction), 1991, Tate and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, purchased jointly with funds provided by the Qantas Foundation 2016. Photo © Tate (Sonal Bakrania)
"What we love about this programme is the opportunity to grow awareness and deepen understanding of Australian art not just in Australia through the MCA, but on the global stage through Tate. It’s a really powerful and unique combination – two of the world’s best and most influential cultural institutions working side by side to win new audiences for the amazing artists that we have in our country. Qantas has always believed in the power of art to tell Australia’s story – our Indigenous identity, our modern development and our links to the world, which is so vital to our future. As Australia’s national carrier we are extremely proud to be involved in this programme which helps to showcase the spirit of Australia to the world."
Alan Joyce, Former CEO of Qantas Airways
The International Joint Acquisition Programme
The International Joint Acquisition Programme for contemporary Australian art was launched in 2015 through a $2.75 AUD million corporate gift from the Qantas Foundation. The initiative has allowed the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Tate to jointly acquire 35 works of art by 24 leading contemporary Australian artists.
This partnership has significantly enhanced both organisations’ holdings of Australian art, transformed the opportunities for international audiences to connect with contemporary Australian art and artists, as well as given Australian artists more visibility around the world.
"In recent years Tate has made great progress in presenting a more international view of art, but this is only possible with the expertise and support of other organisations. Thanks to the generosity of the Qantas Foundation, this new collaboration with the MCA will ensure both collections can represent Australian art at its best and its connections with the wider Asia-Pacific context."
Nicholas Serota
Chair of Arts Council England
Supporting Free Collection Displays
Several of the works acquired through this programme have been shown in the collection displays of both Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Tate over the last 7 years. This includes but is not limited to A Year in Art: Australia 1992 which was open from 8 June 2021 – 14 May 2023 at Tate Modern, and Richard Bell: Embassy installed on Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall Bridge as part of Tate’s free programme from 20 May – 18 June 2023. Qantas also supported the travel of art activists, Richard Bell, Megan Cope and Ghillar Michael Anderson, who participated in a series of talks as part of the programme for Richard Bell: Embassy. The talks explored the artwork, educated visitors and enabled audiences to share their own stories and experiences.
Richard Bell and Ghillar Michael Anderson at Tate Modern. Photo © Tate Photography
