jen valender is an Australasian artist based in Narrm Melbourne working across moving image, sculpture, sound and performance art. Her practice undulates between the dissonant and the absurd to surface undercurrents of environmental and social problems. Jen’s current research investigates ways to compress complex experiences and ethical dilemmas into simple gestures through projection, moving image and performance. She is the co-founder of AMP art collective and editor of the Volumes of Mutual Aid art journal.
As an uninvited guest on First Nations territory, I acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the land and waterways on which I have the privilege to live, research and create. Specifically, the Yalukit Willam clan of Euro-Yroke country, known as the coastal tribe of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nations. I pay respect to all Traditional Owners and Elders past, present and emerging.
Education
2020/2021 Master of Fine Arts (Research)
VCA, University of Melbourne
2019 Bachelor of Fine Arts (honours)
VCA, University of Melbourne
2018 Bachelor of Fine Arts
Monash University, Melbourne
Exhibitions
2021 The ocean wants you back
PAST, PRESENTs, FUTUREs
Gertrude Street Projection Festival
2021 Distilled Dissonance:
the species known & other beings
Island Island, Bus Projects
2021 Golden Passage
Opening of Collingwood Yards
Centre for Projection Art
2021 Played as they lay
Spier Light Art
Stellenbosch, South Africa
2020 Volumes of Mutual Aid
Digital Platform & Journal
AMP Art Collective
2020 Clean unclean
Fringe Digital
Melbourne Fringe Festival
2020 Blackout clean
Zero O’Clock Digital, curated by Sophia Cai
Centre of Visual Art (CoVA) Melbourne
2020 The Objet a and why you should want the heart of
Himalayan monkeys et al
George Paton Gallery Virtual
2020 Light Windows
Produced by HoloCenter, New York
presented by Centre for Projection Art
Zaneth Manor & Collingwood Yards, Melbourne
2020 Tank
Next Wave New Student Precinct Project
University of Melbourne
2019 This is nice
FiX Performance
KINGS (ARI), Melbourne
2019 Familial Feet
Produced by Choat Collab.
Fringe 33, Fringe Festival
Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
2019 Shyness is nice
Performing Textiles exhibition
Ian Potter Museum, Melbourne
2019 Balancing Act
Dirty Dozen Creative Spaces
Campbell Arcade, City of Melbourne
2019 Built-Bridges-Burnt
Satellite Anthem curated by Kate Just
Assembly Point Vitrines, City of Melbourne
2019 Fabrication
Collaboration with Denise Honan & Karima Baadilla
222 Rosslyn Gallery, Melbourne
2018 Bear Ear
Small works exhibition
fortyfivedownstairs gallery, Melbourne
2018 Before the Light Leaves Us
Collaboration with Denise Honan, From Nature
Gasworks Arts Park, Melbourne
2018 Bunny & Bongo
Held in the hand exhibition
Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
2018 Fem*
Build/ReBuild exhibition
Collaboration with Denise Honan
The Artists Guild Docklands, Melbourne
2018 Fluoro Nightmare and the Restrained One
Collaboration with Denise Honan
Intermission Gallery, Monash University
Awards, Grants & Residencies
Centre for Projection Art 2020 Residency
Collingwood Yards, Melbourne
Next Wave New Student Precinct
Project Art Prize 2019
‘Tank’ 2020 billboard
University of Melbourne
Miegunyah Research Project Award 2019
‘Hold your tongue, Sir: Govenor Bligh hauled out from under a bed’
Ian Potter Museum of Art
Ralph McLean Microgrant 2019
‘Familial Feet’
Fringe Festival, Abbotsford Convent
UMSU Creative Arts Grant 2019
‘Shyness is nice’
Performing Textiles, Ian Potter
Bearbrass Prize 2018
‘Stage of the brief and found’
MADA Now
Studio XL>XS 2018
Summer residency, The District Docklands
Committee Appointments
2021 GSA-nominated representative
University of Melbourne Library and Scholarly Services Advisory Group
2019-2020 Port Phillip Council Art Acquisition Reference Committee
Contact: ︎
As an uninvited guest on First Nations territory, I acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the land and waterways on which I have the privilege to live, research and create. Specifically, the Yalukit Willam clan of Euro-Yroke country, known as the coastal tribe of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nations. I pay respect to all Traditional Owners and Elders past, present and emerging.
Education
2020/2021 Master of Fine Arts (Research)
VCA, University of Melbourne
2019 Bachelor of Fine Arts (honours)
VCA, University of Melbourne
2018 Bachelor of Fine Arts
Monash University, Melbourne
Exhibitions
2021 The ocean wants you back
PAST, PRESENTs, FUTUREs
Gertrude Street Projection Festival
2021 Distilled Dissonance:
the species known & other beings
Island Island, Bus Projects
2021 Golden Passage
Opening of Collingwood Yards
Centre for Projection Art
2021 Played as they lay
Spier Light Art
Stellenbosch, South Africa
2020 Volumes of Mutual Aid
Digital Platform & Journal
AMP Art Collective
2020 Clean unclean
Fringe Digital
Melbourne Fringe Festival
2020 Blackout clean
Zero O’Clock Digital, curated by Sophia Cai
Centre of Visual Art (CoVA) Melbourne
2020 The Objet a and why you should want the heart of
Himalayan monkeys et al
George Paton Gallery Virtual
2020 Light Windows
Produced by HoloCenter, New York
presented by Centre for Projection Art
Zaneth Manor & Collingwood Yards, Melbourne
2020 Tank
Next Wave New Student Precinct Project
University of Melbourne
2019 This is nice
FiX Performance
KINGS (ARI), Melbourne
2019 Familial Feet
Produced by Choat Collab.
Fringe 33, Fringe Festival
Abbotsford Convent, Melbourne
2019 Shyness is nice
Performing Textiles exhibition
Ian Potter Museum, Melbourne
2019 Balancing Act
Dirty Dozen Creative Spaces
Campbell Arcade, City of Melbourne
2019 Built-Bridges-Burnt
Satellite Anthem curated by Kate Just
Assembly Point Vitrines, City of Melbourne
2019 Fabrication
Collaboration with Denise Honan & Karima Baadilla
222 Rosslyn Gallery, Melbourne
2018 Bear Ear
Small works exhibition
fortyfivedownstairs gallery, Melbourne
2018 Before the Light Leaves Us
Collaboration with Denise Honan, From Nature
Gasworks Arts Park, Melbourne
2018 Bunny & Bongo
Held in the hand exhibition
Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
2018 Fem*
Build/ReBuild exhibition
Collaboration with Denise Honan
The Artists Guild Docklands, Melbourne
2018 Fluoro Nightmare and the Restrained One
Collaboration with Denise Honan
Intermission Gallery, Monash University
Awards, Grants & Residencies
Centre for Projection Art 2020 Residency
Collingwood Yards, Melbourne
Next Wave New Student Precinct
Project Art Prize 2019
‘Tank’ 2020 billboard
University of Melbourne
Miegunyah Research Project Award 2019
‘Hold your tongue, Sir: Govenor Bligh hauled out from under a bed’
Ian Potter Museum of Art
Ralph McLean Microgrant 2019
‘Familial Feet’
Fringe Festival, Abbotsford Convent
UMSU Creative Arts Grant 2019
‘Shyness is nice’
Performing Textiles, Ian Potter
Bearbrass Prize 2018
‘Stage of the brief and found’
MADA Now
Studio XL>XS 2018
Summer residency, The District Docklands
Committee Appointments
2021 GSA-nominated representative
University of Melbourne Library and Scholarly Services Advisory Group
2019-2020 Port Phillip Council Art Acquisition Reference Committee
Contact: ︎
