Every issue, Artlines invites an artist, curator or friend of the Gallery to share their practice and passions with us. Here, Artlines spoke with Tiffany Noyce, QAGOMA’s Senior Registrar, Exhibitions, whose work with the Registration team has seen her involved in presenting nine iterations of the APT.
What is the role of a QAGOMA Registrar?
Registrars perform the largely unseen work of managing the physical and legal risk to the 19 660 objects in the Gallery’s Collection, and those included in temporary exhibitions. Our team of 17 works behind the scenes to complete the documentation, storage, safe handling, digitisation, accessioning, stocktaking, packing, insurance and transportation of artworks to ensure that they can be enjoyed by future generations.
Describe your studio or work area.
A lot of the planning and loan coordination happens at my desk. However, if I am overseeing the unpacking or repacking and despatch of an exhibition, I’m either in the gallery spaces, at the cargo warehouse or on the tarmac — and sometimes in the open nose-cone of a cargo plane as we load our precious crated cultural objects.
What work do you most enjoy doing?
I love managing and problem-solving challenging, logistically complex and high-value art shipments. It’s rewarding to work with colleagues from major collecting institutions both here and overseas, and just as satisfying to be in contact with artists living in remote, under-resourced areas to plan the safe packing of their work using local materials.