Michaela Gleave is a Sydney-based visual artist currently living and working in Berlin. Working primarily in sculpture, performance and installation Michaela’s practice centres on the physicality of sensory perception and the ways in which we perceive and interact with the world around us. Executed as a series of experiments, her often-temporal installations question our relationship to space, matter and time, frequently involving natural phenomena and tricks of perception within the context of the systems and structures that shape contemporary existence. Using materials such as cloud, snow, glitter, bubbles and ice within constructed, architectural environments, Michaela’s often-illusory works hover at the junction between art and science, operating between the spaces of personal experience and global understanding. Returning repeatedly to the atmosphere and global airspace as the site for her work, Michaela’s installations and interventions question the relationship we have with our surroundings, allowing us to experience the processes by which we comprehend reality and rethink our presence within it.
Michaela was born in central Australia in 1980 before moving to North-West Tasmania as a child. She holds a MFA in Sculpture, Performance and Installation from the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, and a BFA Honours First Class from the School of Art Hobart, University of Tasmania. Michaela’s recent exhibitions include: ‘Primavera 09’ at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; ‘Persistent Optimism’ (solo) at Anna Pappas Gallery, Melbourne; ‘Urban/Landscape’ at Gallery Linda, Hamburg, Germany; ‘Snowdrift’ (solo) at MOP Projects, Sydney; and ‘Wall Work’ as part of the 2010 Next Wave festival, Melbourne. Upcoming projects include: ‘Rules of Play’ at Bell Street Project Space, Vienna, Austria; a one-month residency at NES Skagaströnd in northern Iceland; and a six month studio residency at Artspace, Sydney beginning in January of next year. In 2008 Michaela completed a directorship at Firstdraft Gallery in Sydney and is currently a resident artist at Workshop Showroom. She sits on the board of runway magazine and is a member of the dialogue-based collective The Free Association.
Qualifications
2007, Master of Fine Arts (Research), College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales
2003, Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours Upper First Class), School of Art, Hobart University of Tasmania
1998, Associate Diploma of Music, Australian Music Examinations Board
Solo Exhibitions
2010, Persistent Optimism, Anna Pappas Gallery, Melbourne, NSW, AU
2009, Snowdrift, MOP Projects, Sydney, NSW, AU
2007, Constructing Space: Experiments in Light, Tin Sheds Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2007, Cloud Field, Kudos Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2006, Raining Room (Diamond Dust), Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2002, Between the Cracks (Recent Explorations in Sugar), Republic Gallery, Hobart, TAS, AU
2002, (h)ours<e> (in Collaboration with Benjamin Wright), Entrepot Gallery, Hobart, TAS, AU
Group Exhibitions
2010, Rules of Play, Curated by Kathryn Gray, Bell Street Project Space, Vienna, Austria
2010, No Risk Too Great, Next Wave Festival, Melbourne CBD, VIC, AU
2010, Urban/Landscape, Curated by Iriz-a-Maz, Gallery Linda, Hamburg, Germany
2010, Draught, Tin Sheds Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2010, Michaela Gleave and Lena Obergfell, Watch This Space, Alice Spring, NT, AU
2010, Staff Show, See Street Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2009, Primavera 09, Curated by Jeff Khan, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, NSW, AU
2009, Breathing Space, Curated by Brendan Penzer, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, NSW, AU
2009, Snow Show, Curated by Emily Fitzgerald, East Sydney Doctors, NSW, AU
2009, Unto the Breach (Dear Friends), Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2009, Save Firstdraft, fundraiser exhibition and auction, hosted by LIz Ann McGregor, Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2009, Hello, ESP Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2009, Kimbriki, EcoForum 09, Australian Technology Park, Sydney, NSW, AU
2009, Game is Good, Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2009, Life of Staff, See Street Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2009, The Ice Palace, The Red Rattler, Sydney, NSW, AU
2008, Membrane, Next Wave Festival, Federation Square, Melbourne, VIC, AU
2008, Runway - Conversations, curated by Anneke Jaspers, publication launch, ICAN, Sydney, NSW, AU
2008, Cash and Carry, MOP Projects, Sydney, NSW
2008, Single Poster Seeks Same, Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2008, Salút, See Street Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2008, Marrickville Contemporary Art Prize, Crissie Cotter Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2008, By George! Art and About Laneway Festival, Sydney CBD, NSW, AU
2007, Shelf Life, Curated by Nicholas Vickers, Delmar Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2007, Vive Le Bonheur!, Curated by Cecelia Huynh, Workshop Showroom, Sydney, NSW, AU
2007, Square Dance, Firstdraft, Sydney, NSW, AU
2007, Marrickville Contemporary Art Prize, At the Vanishing Point, Sydney,NSW, AU
2007, Raise High the Roof Beam, BUS Gallery, Melbourne, VIC, AU
2007, From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come), Curated by Elizabeth Reidy, Presented by ½ Doz., Chauvel Cinema, Sydney, NSW, AU
2006, Better Than It Really Is, INFLIGHT Art, Hobart, TAS, AU
2006, Red Wall Gallery Launch, Red Wall Gallery, Hobart, TAS, AU
2005, Are we there yet? (The Sublime Project), Curated by Christine Bradburn and Alicia Ritson, Phatspace, Sydney, NSW, AU
2004, Hatched, National Graduate Survey Show, Perth Institute of Contemporary
Arts, Perth, WA, AU
2003, BFA (hons), Plimsol Gallery, School of Art, Hobart, TAS, AU
2003, Kylie’s Dog Dreams of Paradise, Curated by Caroline Rose, INFLIGHT Art,
Hobart, TAS, AU
2002, Down the Garden Path, Royal Botanical Gardens, Hobart, TAS, AU
2002, Global House Project, Curated by Shaun Wilson, Various Site-specific Locations, New York and San Francisco, USA
2002, Brush Strokes, Side Space, Salamanca Arts Centre, Hobart, TAS, AU
2002, Inside-Out, Fine Arts Gallery, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, AU
2001, Transistor, Entrepot Galleries, Hobart, TAS, AU
2001, Shoe Box, Entrepot Galleries, Hobart, TAS, AU
Awards/Grants/Residencies
2010, The Ian Potter Cultural Trust, Ian Potter Foundation
2010, NES Artist’s Residency, Iceland
2010, Takt Kunstprojektraum, Residency, Berlin, Germany
2010, Watch This Space, Residency, Alice Springs, Australia
2010, Fraserstudios, Studio Residency, Sydney, Australia
2009, New Work Grant - Emerging, Australia Council for the Arts
2009, Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship
2009, Artstart Grant, Australia Council for the Arts
2009, Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards, Visual Arts - National Finalist
2009, Arts Project Grant, City of Melbourne
2009, NAVA Marketing Grant, National Association for the Visual Arts
2009, Firstdraft Emerging Curator Grant, Firstdraft Gallery
2007, Highly Commended, Marrickville Contemporary Art Prize
2005, Australian Postgraduate Association Scholarship
2006, GAS Grant, CoFA Student Association Arts Presentation Grant
2002, Dean’s Role of Excellence, University of Tasmania
2001, Dean’s Role of Excellence, University of Tasmania
2001, Admitted to The International Golden Key Honour Society
Curatorial Projects
2009, Game is Good, Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney, NSW,AU
2007, Square Dance, Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2006, 20LOVE, Festival Program, Firstdraft Gallery, Sydney, NSW, AU
2002, Inside-Out, Fine Arts Gallery, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, AU
2001, Shoe Box, Entrepot Galleries, Hobart, TAS, AU
Theatrical Projects
2008, The Whale Chorus, directed by Janie Gibson, PACT Theatre, Sydney, AU
Citations
2010, Gill Samuel, The Evolution of Talent, Incubate Magazine, Issue 5, 2010, p14 - 18
2010, Wall Work, Michaela Gleave and Kate Mitchell, featured artists, runway magazine, Issue16, p58-63
2010, Mark Chipperfield, People to Watch 2010, Sydney Magazine, Issue 82, p45
2010, Katrina Israel, Ones to Watch in 2010, Harper’s Bazaar, January/February 2010, p178
2010, Incubate, Ed. Jo Bosben, Pub. CoFA, UNSW, ISBN: 1883 1826, p13
2010, Artists at Work, Centralian Advocate, Alice Springs, January 9, p13
2009. Conspirators: A Snapshot of Sydney’s Creative Community, Ed. Kate Jinx, Pub. Concrete Playground, p62-63
2009, Arts and Events, Vogue Living Australia, Nov/Dec 09, pg 90
2009, Talia Linz, Primavera 09, feature, Runway Magazine, issue 15: Lies, pg 80
2009, Lucy Johannsohn, All About the Adventure, Article, The Advocate, December 5, pg 42
2009, Josephine Skinner, New Growth, New Directions: Primavera 2009, Museum of Contemporary Art, Review, RealTime, issue #93, Oct-Nov 09, p53
2009,Tracey Clement, Mixed-Media Messages, Review, Metro Art, The Sydney Morning Herald, pg 14, October 2-8 2009
2009, Becky Wilson, Tangible Connections, Feature, OUTthere, Rex Airways Magazine, Spring/summer 09
2009, Primavera, East Side Radio Arts Program, Interview
2009, Eddie Sharp, Unto the Breach (Dear Friends), Review, Canvas Arts Program, FBI Radio
2009, Kate Scardifield, Focus on NSW, NAVA Quarterly, March 09, p13
2009, Game is Good, Canvas Arts Program, FBI Radio Interview, Presenter: Matthew Levinson
2009, Josephine Tovery, Game is Good, Open Gallery, The Sydney Morning Herald, January 17-18 2009
2009, Rachel Elliot-Jones, Game is Good, Two-Thousand Magazine, December 12
2008, Michaela Gleave, En Plein Air - Tessa Rapaport and Karl Logge, Catalogue
essay, Next Wave Festival Publication, July 2008
2008, Re: View - Reflections on ATVP April 2007 - March 2008, Ed. Brendan Penzer,
Pickafight Books, ISBN 9780780494006
2007, Michaela Gleave, Constructing Space: Experiments in Light, Feature Article,
College Voice, Volume 5, Issue 1, Winter 2007
2007, Generation Green, Postgraduate Feature, Sydney Morning Herald, April 22
2007, Good Weekend Magazine, Sydney Morning Herald, May 12 2007
2006, The Art Life, Raining Room (Diamond Dust), April, 2006
2005, Christine Bradburn and Alica Ritson, Are We There Yet (The Sublime Project), Catalogue Essay, June 2005, ISBN 0-646-44990-7
2004, Briony Downes, Undiscovered Artists: Michaela Gleave, Feature, Australian Art Collector, Issue 28, April – June, 2004, p 95
2001, Lucien Simons, Transistor, Review, Festival Magazine, Hobart, Tasmania,
2001, pg 7
2001, Anthony Curtis, Art Reviews, Review, Togatus, University of Tasmania Student Magazine, Issue no. 8, 2001, p 30
Symposia/Lectures
2009, One Way or Another: Artist Self-Organisation in NSW, Symposium, Artspace, Sydney, November 13
2009, Breathing Space, Forum Presentaiont, Hawkesbury Regional Gallery, October 18
2009, Guest Lecture, Alexandria Public School, Sydney, Program coordinator: Sam Whittingham, September 23
2008, Structural Integrity, Forum presentation, Next Wave Festival, Melbourne,
May 25, hosted by Anna Tweedale
2008, Next Wave Tsunami, Forum presentation, Quarter Bred #5, PACT Theatre,
Sydney, June 22
2007, Emerging: Artist-Run-Initiatives, Public Seminar, Professional Practice
Program, National Art School, Sydney, August 07
2006, Constructing Space: Experiments in Light, School of Art Research Seminar,
College of Fine Arts, October 06
2001, Art In Zero Gravity, Public Lecture, School of Art, Hobart, University of Tasmania, September 2001
Current Positions
Board Member, runway Magazine, Sydney, NSW, AU
Member, The Free Association, Sydney, NSW, AU
Resident Artist, Workshop Studios, Sydney, NSW, AU
Technical Officer, Sydney Gallery School, Sydney, NSW, AU
Previous Positions
2006-2008, Co-Director, Firstdraft Gallery, Surry Hills, NSW, AU
2006-2008, Art Assistant, St. Catherine’s School, Waverly, NSW, AU
2007-2008, Technical Assistant, Tinsheds Gallery, Darlington, NSW, AU
2007, Install Technician, Delmar Gallery, Summerhill, NSW, AU
2007, Teacher and Program Coordinator, After-School Art, St. Catherine’s School, Waverly, NSW, AU
2005, Intern, Artspace, Wooloomooloo, NSW, AU
2002, President, Tasmanian University Union Sculpture Society, Hobart, TAS, AU
2002, Board Member, Entrepot Gallery, Hobart, TAS, AU, AU
2000-2003, Flute Tutor, St. Mary’s College, Hobart, TAS, AU
1997-1998, Flute Tutor, Marist Regional College, Burnie, TAS, AU
1995-1998, Private Flute Tutor, North-West Coast, TAS, AU
