21st Century Blog’ is as an expanded platform and online source book for ‘21st Century: Art in the First Decade’ (18 December 2010 – 26 April 2011), an exhibition project at the Queensland Art Gallery l Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia. The blog gathers reference material, artist contributions and contextual information on artists and projects included in the exhibition, complemented by a series of feature contributions by curators, writers and artists on issues relating to contemporary art and culture.

The ‘21st Century: Art in the First Decade’ is an international project that encompasses an exhibition, publication, blog and public programs that explore the art of the past ten years. Marking the end of the first decade of the new millennium, the project examines current directions in art practice and also reflects on the conditions for art and exhibition making in the 21st Century. The Queensland Art Gallery’s extensive contemporary collections form the core of the exhibition and is complemented by a group of ambitious new commissions and loans from Australian and international collections. The selection is broad in its geographic and generational scope including artists from Australia (Indigenous and non-Indigenous), Asia, the Pacific, Africa, Europe and the Americas.

In the lead-up to the exhibition, the blog serves as a dynamic platform for previewing the exhibition works and exploring the conditions for art production in the new decade. During the exhibition, it will publish new writing by a wide range of international contributors, alongside contributions by exhibiting artists, webcasts of lectures and public programs, interviews with artists and curators and critical responses to the exhibition. Guest contributors from December 2010 to April 2011 include: Negar Azimi, Mark Fisher, Marina Fokidis, Andrew Frost, Gridthiya Gaweewong, Ghassan Hage, Barbad Golshiri, Jens Hoffman, Ranjit Hoskote, Lisette Lagnado, Marcia Langton, Angela Ndalianis, Andrew Maerkle, Amanda McDonald Crowley, Adriano Pedrosa, Michael Smith and Tom Vanderbilt.

Exhibiting artists/collaborative groups:

Adel ABDESSEMED (Algeria), AH XIAN (China/Australia), AI Weiwei (China), Tony ALBERT (Girramay people, Australia), Francis ALŸS (Belgium), Armando ANDRADE TUDELA (Peru), Brook ANDREW (Australia), THE ATLAS GROUP / WALID RAAD (Lebanon), Jack BELL (Wik-Mungkan people, Australia), Richard BELL (Kamilaroi people, Australia), Pierre BISMUTH (France), Céleste BOURSIER-MOUGENOT (France), Martin BOYCE (Scotland), Candice BREITZ (South Africa), Olaf BREUNING (Switzerland), Frédéric BRULY BOUABRÉ (Ivory Coast), Jake & Dinos CHAPMAN (England), Claude CLOSKY (France), Nigel COOKE (England), Justine COOPER (Australia/United States), Martin CREED (Scotland), decolonizing.ps (Alessandro PETTI, Sandi HILAL, Eyal WEIZMAN) (Palestine), Thomas DEMAND (Germany), Nathalie DJURBERG (Sweden), Latifa ECHAKHCH (Morocco/France), Olafur ELIASSON (Denmark), Tracey EMIN (England), Leandro ERLICH (Argentina), Kota EZAWA (Germany/United States), Monir Shahroudy FARMANFARMAIAN (Iran), Spencer FINCH (United States), Parastou FOROUHAR (Iran), Andrea FRASER (United States), Sally GABORI (Kaiadilt people, Australia), Sally GARRIMARRA (Ganalbingu people, Australia), Shaun GLADWELL (Australia), Katharina GROSSE (Germany), Fiona HALL (Australia), Romuald HAZOUMÉ (Benin), Bill HENSON (Australia), Damien HIRST (England), Carsten HÖLLER (Belgium), HU Yang (China), Emily JACIR (Palestine/United States), Lorna JIN-GUBARANGUNYJA (Burarra people, Australia), Isaac JULIEN (England), William KENTRIDGE (South Africa), Bharti KHER (India), Anastasia KLOSE (Australia), Yvonne KOOLMATRIE (Ngarrindjeri people, Australia), Craig KOOMEETA (Wik-Alkan people, Australia), Susanne KRIEMANN (Germany), Yayoi KUSAMA (Japan), LEE Mingwei (Taiwan/United States), Birmuyingathi Maali Netta LOOGATHA (with Rayarriwarrtharrbayingat Amy LOOGATHA, Sally GABORI, Warthadangathi Bijarrba Ethel THOMAS, Thunduyingathi Bijarrb May MOODOONUTHI, Kuruwarriyingathi Bijarrb Paula PAUL and Wirrngajingathi Bijarrb Dawn NARANATJIL) (Kaiadilt people, Australia), Shirley MALGARRICH (Burarra people, Australia), Gabriella MANGANO & Silvana MANGANO (Australia), David MARPOONDIN (Wik-Ngathan/Wik-Me’an people, Australia), Ryan McGINLEY (United States), Jorge MÉNDEZ BLAKE (Mexico), Almagul MENLIBAYEVA (Kazakhstan), Aernout MIK (The Netherlands), Tracey MOFFATT (Australia/United States), Callum MORTON (Australia), Arlo MOUNTFORD (England/Australia), Mary NALMAKARRA (Burarra people, Australia), Garry NAMPONAN (Wik-Ngathan/ Wik-Alkan people, Australia), Leigh NAMPONAN (Wik-Ngathan/ Wik-Alkan people, Australia), Moataz NASR (Egypt), Rivane NEUENSCHWANDER (Brazil), Chris OFILI (England), Julian OPIE (England), Gabriel OROZCO (Mexico), Fiona PARDINGTON (New Zealand), Junebum PARK (South Korea), Campbell PATTERSON (England/New Zealand), Paola PIVI (Italy), John PULE (Niue/New Zealand), Tobias PUTRIH (Slovenia), Marc QUINN (England), Rashid RANA (Pakistan), Robin RHODE (South Africa), David ROSETZKY (Australia), Thomas RUFF (Germany), Edward RUSCHA (United States), Tony SCHWENSEN (Australia/United States), SOUTHERN LADIES ANIMATION GROUP (SLAG) (Australia), Jana STERBAK (Czech Republic/Canada), Beat STREULI (Switzerland), SUPERFLEX (Rasmus NIELSEN, Jakob FENGER & Bjørnstjerne CHRISTIANSEN) (Denmark), Ricky SWALLOW (Australia/United States), Mitra TABRIZIAN (Iran/England), Pascale Marthine TAYOU (Cameroon), THUKRAL & TAGRA (Jiten THUKRAL, Sumir TAGRA) (India), Guy TILLIM (South Africa), Rirkrit TIRAVANIJA (Thailand), THE TISSUE CULTURE AND ART PROJECT(Oron CATTS, Ionat ZURR) (Australia), Ryan TRECARTIN (United States), TSUI Kuang-Yu (Taiwan), UNKNOWN ARTISTS (Ghana), Sharif WAKED (Palestine/Israel), Kara WALKER (United States), WANG Qingsong (China), Louise WEAVER (Australia), Keith WIKMUNEA (Wik-Mungkan/Wik-Alkan people, Australia), Agnes WILINGGIRRA (Burarra (Martay dialect) people, Australia), XU Zhen (China), YANG Fudong (China), Roderick YUNKAPORTA (Wik-Mungkan people, Australia), ZHOU Xiaohu (China), Artur ŻMIJEWSKI (Poland).

A scholarly publication will full colour plates features informative and in-depth texts by a range of writers and curators. Curatorial essays explore some of the dominant strands of contemporary art practice which emerge in the Queensland Art Gallery collection while critical essays by leading Australian and international writers contextualise the role and nature of art in the 21st century. Contributors include Nancy Adajania, Claire Bishop, David Burnett, Rex Butler, Nicholas Chambers, José Da Silva, TJ Demos, Juliana Engberg, Julie Ewington, Ian McLean, Kobena Mercer, Terry Smith, Russell Storer, Miranda Wallace and Kathryn Weir. This exhibition catalogue is available from the Gallery Store and online.

The Queensland Art Gallery Children’s Art Centre has also launched an exciting publication for children. 21st Century Art for Kids is a richly illustrated book profiling art works, childhood images and stories by 16 contemporary artists. The publication explores the diversity of contemporary art practice in a format which is both appealing and accessible to children. Activities developed by the artists add a hands-on element for children to further engage with contemporary art at home or in the classroom. The featured artists are Ah Xian, Tony Albert, Pierre Bismuth, Justine Cooper, Katharina Grosse, Fiona Hall, Romuald Hazoumè, Yayoi Kusama, Jorge Méndez Blake, Callum Morton, John Pule, Tobias Putrih, Jana Sterbak, Louise Weaver and Zhou Xiaohu. This publication is available from the Gallery Store and online.