Bringing the World to Australia

"The first few years of the blockbuster era had been inspiring...including The Entombed Warriors in 1982-83. It was the first international exhibition to be shown at the new National Gallery of Australia, where it attracted 50,000 people in nine days.

These exhibitions were the product of the new Australian Government Indemnity Scheme and the successor to the Australian Galleries Directors Council set up by the Australian government to coordinate exhibitions in 1980 - the International Cultural Corporation Australia headed by Robert Edwards who created its vision and purpose.

Its role was to manage significant exhibitions of 'cultural and historical interest relating to art, science and antiquities, working in close co-operation with Australian and overseas museums. The ICCA received a total of $1 million in funding from the Australian government between 1980 and 1983, but after that its programs became self-supporting through sponsorship, admission fees and merchandising.

Over the next 25 years it staged an impressive 57 exhibitions, attracting more than 10 million visitors; raised $42 million in sponsorships; and started a million-dollar foundation. It changed its name to Art Exhibitions Australia in 1991."

From: Understanding Museums Griffin D and Paroissien L (Eds) 2011

"It is perhaps in his role as Founding Director of the International Cultural Corporation of Australia, later renamed Art Exhibitions Australia, that he achieved the highest public profile.

AEA was established by the Federal Government to encourage private interest in supporting a national programme of outstanding major exhibitions. The success in using that mandate under Dr Edwards' leadership could only be described as phenomenal.

The Entombed Warriors (1982), Golden Summers (1985), Claude Monet (1985), Gold of the Pharaohs (1988), he Bicentenary programme in 1988, Van Gogh (1993), Renior (1994), Matisse (1995) and Rembrandt (1997) were among the most successful exhibitions ever to come to Australia, both for their popularity and their unquestioned artistic significance.

The Entombed Warriors: Quin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses particularly became recognised as a great coup for Australia as it was the first showing outside China of these wonderful art objects from the tomb of the First Emperor of China. Its serious public appeal was demonstrated convincingly by amazing attendance records of over 800,000 people who saw the exhibition in six Australian venues. At the Queensland Art Gallery in 1982 crowds wore a path in the new parquet flowing of the Gallery only opened that year.

That the exhibition was shown at all in Australia was due in essence to the diplomatic skills of Dr Edwards in negotiating with the Chinese authorities.

As Executive Director of AEA from 1990 Dr Edwards travelled tirelessly to Europe, Asia, North America and beyond completely transforming the landscape of exhibitions in this country. Several million Australians have been able to see some of the world's greaest cultural objects and art works here in this country through his efforts.

He has made an extraordinary contribution to Australia's cultural diplomatic relations with many key countries in the world who were persuaded to lend their greatest treasures to Australian institutions and in the process he forged the permanent networks and friendships which have so greatly enriched Australia's place in the world of art, culture and museums." 

From: A Tribute to Bob Edwards National Museum of Australia Neil MacGregor

"During February, Robert Edwards, moving as quickly as flights allow, will travel from Los Angles to Dallas, then to Houston, Washington, Boston and Philadelphia, then back to Los Angeles and then to New York. At every point, there will be a meeting with a trusted representative of an institution or private collection which has agreed to lend works by the great French master Henri Matisse for exhibition in Australia this year.

Unlike other major Matisse exhibitions over the 40 years since his death, the one mounted by Art Exhibitions Australian with Dr Caroline Turner of the Queensland Art Gallery its commissionaire shows the full range of Matisse's art - paintings, drawing, sculpture, costumes and cut-outs. It has been seven years in the planning."

From: Frost, A. Waiting for Matisse. Country Style February 1995