History

Boxcopy began in 2007, operating out of a basement of a house in New Farm, Brisbane. Founded by six Queensland University of Technology visual art graduates, it was established to address the lack of exhibiting and networking opportunities for young graduates and emerging artists in Brisbane. From an early stage, the Artist-Run Initiative (ARI) developed a strong ethos to focus on the process of artistic development and to provide emerging artists with resources and opportunities free of charge. A strong commitment to presenting highly experimental and challenging approaches to contemporary art practice also evolved from the range of shows presented, featuring installation-based work, including video, performance, sound and other forms of technology. Boxcopy is currently run by eight Co-Directors who all play an equal part in developing the creative vision and direction for the ARI and its projects.

In 2007-08, Boxcopy presented ‘Great Expectations’, a large-scale project part of the 2008 Next Wave Festival in Melbourne and was selected for a newly established residency program at Metro Arts, Brisbane. With an ambitious program of monthly solo and group exhibitions in a studio space in the Metro Arts building, open for public viewing throughout the week, Boxcopy built a loyal audience comprised of students, artists and industry-based professionals. The program supported Boxcopy to develop the operational rigour to successfully deliver a program of this size. Boxcopy also established an auxiliary exhibition program called Boxcopy: Ensuite that staged events in non-gallery venues. These events further encourage collaboration between emerging artists, curators and writers, and as a result, provide additional support to interdisciplinary art practices. Past projects part of the ‘Boxcopy: Ensuite’ program include: ‘I Want to Believe’, a group exhibition as TCB Centre, Fortitude Valley;  ‘The Art Resort’ at the QUT Art Museum, Brisbane; ‘not apt to disclose secrets’ a project at Raw Space window boxes, as part of The Wandering Room project; ‘Some Absolute Beauties’, an exchange project with Melbourne ARI Seventh; and ‘Simple Pleasures’, part of Structural Integrity, an keynote project of the 2010 Next Wave Festival; and ‘Invisible Structures: Australian artist collectives in Tokyo, Singapore and Yogyakarta’, a residency in Singapore supported by Next Wave and Asialink.