Creating a Sustainable Environment through Culture, Asia-Pacific (SECAP)
Sustainable Environment through Culture in the Asia Pacific (SECAP) is a research initiative of the Queensland College of Art (QCA), Griffith University. The objectives of SECAP include multi-disciplinary approaches to the visual arts that are cognisant of UNESCO’s 2001 Declaration on Cultural Diversity that notes: ‘culture should be regarded as the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual, and emotional features of society or a social group, and that it encompasses, in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs.’
Directed by Professor Pat Hoffie membership of SECAP includes research active staff and research students at QCA who work in a range of ways including collaborative initiatives and projects, a number of which have been established in conjunction with other organisations and institutions.
Windwells: Channelling and Divining (detail), Pat Hoffie and Stefan Purcell, 2010
In 2008/09 members of SECAP have been working closely with Kevin Wilson, CEO of Queensland Artworkers Alliance in developing the arc Biennial, an exhibition, workshop and forum project that moves into new spaces in Brisbane in order to extend and challenge the more traditional approaches to such ventures. These include one of the old heritage listed Brisbane Wharves and the historic site of Fort Lytton. The program involves international, national and local artists in a series of events aimed to generate increased critical responsiveness to the ways in which artists approach their practice and their audiences.
One of many collaborative ventures include The Australian Photo Journalist, (APJ) an annual journal that attracts many of the world’s leading photojournalists, bringing to light stories — mostly on human rights — that are overlooked by mainstream media. The journal has been recognised as exemplary in its field and a number of its contributors have been highly acclaimed (including Megan Lewis who won the 2006 Walkley Award for her (photo) story Conversations with the Mob published in the Australian PhotoJournalist Vol 11 no 1 Celebrating Journalism). In 2009 the APJ engaged in establishing an on-line community within the title Centre for Documentary Practice, that consist of practitioners, academics, students and emerging journalists. The CDP will host international on-line conferences, and will initiate a range of international projects that focus on the necessity of visualising those places, people and events rendered invisible by mainstream media.
SECAP’s emphasis on cultural diversity has underscored the commitment to such issues that already existed in the work of a number of postgraduate students. These include the names of internationally acclaimed visual artists such as Vernon Ah Kee, Dennis Nona and Alfredo Aquilizan, each of whom continues to produce works that challenge orthodoxies about contemporary art production by indigenous and marginalised cultures. Each of these artists has maintained internationally acclaimed profiles through their representation in the world’s leading biennales and triennales, while still maintaining strong commitments to localised community and cultural practices.
SECAP’s commitment to international engagement and grass-roots initiatives across the region is reflected in the stellar careers of QCA’s Adjunct Professors who include Tim Page, Adding Christanto, Tony Fry, Jenny Watson, Judy Watson, Craig Walsh and John Rodsted.