In an inspiring example of international collaboration, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Qantas and Tate are collaborating in an International Joint Acquisition Program for contemporary Australian art.

Over the five year joint acquisition program launched in 2015, a range of major works by contemporary Australian artists will be acquired for the MCA and Tate collections, owned and displayed by both institutions, for art-lovers the world over.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA), Qantas and Tate last year revealed the first five artworks in their International Joint Acquisition Program for contemporary Australian art. The Program promotes Australian art globally, helping Australian artists reach new audiences.

These joint acquisitions by MCA and Tate include two large video installations, one by Susan Norrie (Transit 2011) and another by Vernon Ah Kee (tall man 2010), two paintings by Gordon Bennett (Possession Island (Abstraction) 1991 and Number Nine 2008) and an artist book by Judy Watson consisting of sixteen etchings with chine collé (a preponderance of aboriginal blood 2005).

The artworks have been on display in the MCA Collection Galleries before heading to Tate to be displayed in the UK.

Made possible through a $AU 2.75 million corporate gift from the Qantas Foundation, this ground-breaking collaboration is enabling an ambitious five-year joint program through which a range of major artworks by contemporary Australian artists will be acquired for the collections of MCA and Tate, owned and displayed by both institutions.

Museum of Contemporary Art Director, Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE, said: “We are thrilled to unveil this diverse range of joint acquisitions with Tate. This initiative is a true game-changer for contemporary Australian artists: it places their artworks in one of the world’s great public collections, where they will be seen alongside those of their international peers. It also enables us to acquire more ambitiously and strategically – transforming the opportunities for international audiences to connect with contemporary Australian art.”

“Working closely with the Tate curatorial team has been an enriching experience; there’s been a real synchronicity in our approaches,” Ms Macgregor continued.

Read more about the artworks selected as the first joint acquisitions