Thanks very much for that explanation. The story I had been given seemed quite plausible since it explained why a record was still standing after over 50 years, but I should have checked further. Thanks again.
The Motorcycle: Design ~ Art ~ Desire
- Thread starter Magnetoman
- Start date
As I wrote in the first post in this thread, if these were normal times QAGOMA would get 30% of its visitors from interstate and internationally. So, since Queensland's borders are now set to open on December 1, and barring another outbreak, attendance at 'The Motorcycle' has the potential not to suffer much at all from what it would have been in a normal year. As the first major exhibition created specifically with the post-covid world in mind, there's even reason to believe this might be the right exhibition at the right time to exceed expectations.
Of course, the situations we face are different, but in the U.S. an estimated one-third of all museums remain closed because of covid. The financial loss of nearly a year's income thus far means some of them are being forced to sell off parts of their collections to survive and, even with that, not all of them are expected to ever reopen.
For most major museums, a successful "summer blockbuster" exhibition provides the operating income for the remaining three-quarters of the year. Given how dire the Australian situation looked in March-April and again in July-August, museum directors who thought they were preparing for the worst by curtailing activities are now unprepared for their big summer season.
Creating a blockbuster art or design exhibition requires a few years, not a few months, to scour the world and secure the necessary international loans, so it's not something that could be done starting when the Australian situation began to look hopeful at the end of August. For example, the exhibition this time last year at the National Gallery of Australia was of two major European artists, entitled 'Matisse & Picasso', that "brings together masterpieces from collections across the world and includes paintings that will be on display in Australia for the first time." In contrast, this year it's 'Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now' with works "Drawn from the National Gallery’s collection and loans from across Australia." Clearly, this year's exhibition was not years in the making, nor does it have the potential to draw the same number of visitors as last year's.
For what it's worth, despite all the uncertainty, stress and hard work since the world changed in March, Ultan Guilfoyle and I are both very pleased that QAGOMA's Director, Chris Saines, never wavered in his vision to have this exhibition open as planned on 28 November. Given how it all worked out, he is quite pleased as well. Opening is now just a few days away.
Of course, the situations we face are different, but in the U.S. an estimated one-third of all museums remain closed because of covid. The financial loss of nearly a year's income thus far means some of them are being forced to sell off parts of their collections to survive and, even with that, not all of them are expected to ever reopen.
For most major museums, a successful "summer blockbuster" exhibition provides the operating income for the remaining three-quarters of the year. Given how dire the Australian situation looked in March-April and again in July-August, museum directors who thought they were preparing for the worst by curtailing activities are now unprepared for their big summer season.
Creating a blockbuster art or design exhibition requires a few years, not a few months, to scour the world and secure the necessary international loans, so it's not something that could be done starting when the Australian situation began to look hopeful at the end of August. For example, the exhibition this time last year at the National Gallery of Australia was of two major European artists, entitled 'Matisse & Picasso', that "brings together masterpieces from collections across the world and includes paintings that will be on display in Australia for the first time." In contrast, this year it's 'Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now' with works "Drawn from the National Gallery’s collection and loans from across Australia." Clearly, this year's exhibition was not years in the making, nor does it have the potential to draw the same number of visitors as last year's.
For what it's worth, despite all the uncertainty, stress and hard work since the world changed in March, Ultan Guilfoyle and I are both very pleased that QAGOMA's Director, Chris Saines, never wavered in his vision to have this exhibition open as planned on 28 November. Given how it all worked out, he is quite pleased as well. Opening is now just a few days away.
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As I write this it is 10am Thursday morning in Brisbane (5pm Wednesday afternoon in Arizona), so as the following image shows the Media Preview, followed later by the VIP tour of the completed exhibition, is just 24 hours away.
Unfortunately, if anyone in the press wants to talk with me tomorrow, their call will come at exactly the time I've finished stuffing myself with Thanksgiving turkey and wine, and fighting with all my strength not to fall asleep on the sofa. The timing couldn't be worse.
Unfortunately, if anyone in the press wants to talk with me tomorrow, their call will come at exactly the time I've finished stuffing myself with Thanksgiving turkey and wine, and fighting with all my strength not to fall asleep on the sofa. The timing couldn't be worse.
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Well, the show looks like a hit.........Cath and I took the train up and got there early so we could get something to eat first.......always feels strange going into the city now, everything busy, loads of traffic, cars, buses everywhere........Loads of people all nicely dressed going about their thing, eating and drinking in local bars and restaurants........So we got there about 5:00 Pm for the opening.........good number of people there, not a huge crowd, but a good number for the opening........then my phone rang and it was Franc Trento........I told him I was literally only a few meters from his old bike (The Ehret Lightning)......He asked if i could give the seat a "Pat" for him........ Well not likely with all the security folk everywhere, looking closely at everyone's moves as they lent in for a closer look......... We quickly caught up with a few other Vincent folk not long after we got into the main display area.......Plenty of room with a great variety of machines on display, all up on differing height stages all in white........The machines mostly sat upright and tethered with thin stainless cables concealed carefully under a low part of the bikes passing through the base of the stage. This gave a much better viewing of the bikes, and there were not too many up against walls where you only get to see one side of the bike. Great variety of machines from very early models up to trendy modern electrics. The quality of the bikes was exceptional, including several original unrestored machines that were equally impressive........ I recognized many faces in the crowd, and it felt at times like being at a swap meet where you spend more time talking and catching up than looking at the displays, but that is just what happens. Many folk asked why I did not have any bikes on display at the show........ I explained that the Lightning was enough.......Some of them seemed disappointed that the Lightning looked so shabby...........I just laughed and explained that not all bikes should be all shiny and new........I must say I was very surprised at how many ladies were there, many of whom seemed to be on their own or in pairs, and all very nicely dressed.........I would say the split of male/female was about 60/40 percent........many as couples as you might expect. All in all I really enjoyed it, and i'm sure ill probably go back before its over.......There are so many interesting features about the bikes that are amazing.......On some of the early bikes the types of suspension they tried, and even the locations of how they did things........very clever indeed......I think the show will be very well received, and with the borders to the southern states opening up now the visitor numbers will increase very much.........so to Charlie and Ultan, very well done and thank you both so much for such a great exhibition.......Something not only very interesting but very positive for the world of Motorcycling. Cheers for now.......... Greg.
Greg, thanks very much for that review. I just got a photo sent to me showing a queue all the way to the river steps, so it's off to a good start.
The reason there is plenty of room is we had to lock in the overall layout in early September, when Australia was still in the midst of a big covid spike, forcing us to guess what kind of social distancing requirements might be in place when the exhibition opened nearly three months later.
We wanted the "objects" to be displayed as cleanly as possible so you would have seen only one bike on its center stand. The front tire of that one suddenly deflated the day before you visited so the only short-term solution possible was the center stand.
Some people certainly expect to see over-restored machines so are surprised at the as-found or as-used condition of some of them, like the Lightning. However, I think by the time they've made their way through the exhibition most have them have become indoctrinated into accepting the condition of the unique machines, just as they would expect to see a, say, ancient Greek vase in it's as-found condition.
I love your comment about how many ladies were present. As I wrote previously, hard-core bikers are going to come no matter what. It's the ladies and children whose opinions about motorcycles and motorcycle design that we want to shape.
p.s. the exhibition opened to the public at 10am today. This photograph was taken at 10:05 am:
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Against all odds, somehow the exhibition has made it all the way to April, with having been briefly shut down only a couple of times by local outbreaks of Covid. But, with State borders opening and closing without warning, if you haven't seen the exhibition and still plan to (or would like to see it again), you only have four more weeks before the doors will shut for good.
To paraphrase a MasterCard commercial that first ran 20 years ago:
Seeing your book in print, satisfying.
Receiving your first royalty check, priceless.
There are some things money can't buy. But for this book, there's MasterCard (or Visa, or American Express, or...).
This is almost certainly the only book on motorcycles written by an award-winning physicist and an award-winning filmmaker. With electric vehicles featuring prominently in the U.S. President's proposed $2T infrastructure program, our essays on 'Technology' and on the 'Past, Present, and Future' of personal transportation are timely, if not prescient.
To paraphrase a MasterCard commercial that first ran 20 years ago:
Seeing your book in print, satisfying.
Receiving your first royalty check, priceless.
There are some things money can't buy. But for this book, there's MasterCard (or Visa, or American Express, or...).
This is almost certainly the only book on motorcycles written by an award-winning physicist and an award-winning filmmaker. With electric vehicles featuring prominently in the U.S. President's proposed $2T infrastructure program, our essays on 'Technology' and on the 'Past, Present, and Future' of personal transportation are timely, if not prescient.
Anzac Day commemorates the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli during WWI, and because it falls on a Sunday this year, Queensland will celebrate it as a public holiday on Monday the 26th. Not coincidentally, that also will be the last day of 'The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire'. Which means, this holiday weekend is the last chance to see the exhibition before it closes after a very successful five-month run, and the bikes are returned to their lenders around the world.
Special circumstances aside, when results are tallied they very well may show 'The Motorcycle' set a record as the most heavily attended art museum exhibition of 2020 in the world. Since that would be a step up on 'The Art of the Motorcycle', which only set an all-time attendance record for the Guggenheim, if we ever curate a third exhibition it would have to achieve a galactic attendance record to top it.
Seriously, a few of you who are reading this helped us in various ways, for which we are most grateful. Also, our thanks go to those of you who attended the exhibition, or bought the book, or both.
Ultan Guilfoyle
Charles Falco
Special circumstances aside, when results are tallied they very well may show 'The Motorcycle' set a record as the most heavily attended art museum exhibition of 2020 in the world. Since that would be a step up on 'The Art of the Motorcycle', which only set an all-time attendance record for the Guggenheim, if we ever curate a third exhibition it would have to achieve a galactic attendance record to top it.
Seriously, a few of you who are reading this helped us in various ways, for which we are most grateful. Also, our thanks go to those of you who attended the exhibition, or bought the book, or both.
Ultan Guilfoyle
Charles Falco
When I visited the site just to check out the location (last week) I was advised by the doorman to have a cup of coffee at the café and arrive just after 10.30 to avoid the queue. Even then there was still a substantial queue of old bikers, ladies and children. It was certainly worth the effort and money to travel from far flung Wollongong. Thank you for your magnificent effort.
The next best thing to attending the 'The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire' exhibition in person ... well, actually, since it's now closed, the only way to "attend" the exhibition is via a rather remarkable 3D video that has just gone live on the QAGOMA website. It allows the viewer to tour the entire exhibition, pause, zoom in on any of the 100 bikes, turn around, and even look at the floor and ceiling. There are enough features in this video that it will require returning to it more than once to find them all.