Mel O'Callaghan

Last updated

Mel O'Callaghan
Born1975 (age 4748)
Sydney, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Alma materUniversity of Sydney
University of New South Wales,
Known for
  • video
  • sculpture
  • installation
  • painting

Mel O'Callaghan (born 1975) is an Australian-born contemporary artist who works in video, performance, sculpture, installation, and painting. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions around the world and received a number of awards for her artistic practice, and her work is held in a various collections in Australia and France.

Contents

Early life and education

O'Callaghan was born in Sydney, Australia in 1975. [1] [2] She attained a Bachelor of Visual Arts with Honours from the Sydney College of Arts, University of Sydney, and a Masters of Fine Arts in Research from the College of Fine Arts (COFA), University of New South Wales, and a Bachelor of Science Architecture from the University of Sydney. [3]

Practice

She is interested in human behaviour, psychology, and transformative states. [1] [4] Her work is experiential and looks at the human condition and ritual. [2]

O'Callaghan lives and works in Paris, France and Sydney, Australia. [1] [2] [5] She and her husband, Clemens Habicht, founded the Parisian art gallery Galerie Allen in 2013. [6]

Exhibitions

O'Callaghan has been in solo and group exhibitions around the world and received a number of awards for her artistic practice. [2] [5] [7] [8] [3]

Centre of the Centre

Centre of the Centre was O'Callaghan's first large scale exhibition in an Australian public institution. [5] Combining a large-scale video, sculptural installations, and regular performances, the show explored the origins of life and regeneration [2] [5] [7] [9]

The video was a result of multiple cross-disciplinary collaborations, including one with Daniel Fornari from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. [4] It is 20 minutes long, was projected 7 metres wide, and includes underwater shots of thermal vents in the Pacific Ocean as well as the coco worm. [4] The performances involved breath-induced trances and took place around the exhibition's glass and metal sculptures. [4]

Centre of the Centre was commissioned by Le Confort Moderne, Poitiers; Artspace, Sydney; and UQ Art Museum, Brisbane. [4] It premiered at the former in June 2019 and will be on show at the latter until January 2021, after which it will tour various other Australian venues. [4]

Major solo exhibitions

O'Callaghan has had solo exhibitions in many parts of the world, including Australia, France, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the USA.[ citation needed ]

Major group exhibitions

O'Callaghan has been involved in group exhibitions in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, and the UK.

Major grants, awards, residencies

Collections

O'Callaghan's work is held in a various collections in Australia and France.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Mel O'Callaghan | NGV". www.ngv.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Mel O'Callaghan: Centre of the Centre". art-museum.uq.edu.au. 18 October 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  3. 1 2 Galerie Allen. "Mel O'Callaghan: Bio". www.galerieallen.com. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lacroix, A. (2020). "Room to Exhale: Mel O'Callaghan's 'Centre of the Centre'". Art Monthly Australia. 324: 72 via ProQuest.
  5. 1 2 3 4 NSW, Museums & Galleries. "Mel O'Callaghan Centre of the Centre". MGNSW. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  6. Hancock, C (2016). "Centre and Periphery: Establishing Galerie Allen in Paris". Art Monthly Australasia. 295: 21–23 via Informit.
  7. 1 2 Digital, Atlas. "Centre of the Centre | Mel O'Callaghan". ArtSpace. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  8. "Mel O'Callaghan: Centre of the Centre | NETS". netsaustralia.org.au. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  9. NSW, Museums & Galleries. "Mel O'Callaghan Centre of the Centre". MGNSW. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  10. "Mel O'Callaghan — Primary/ Secondary Score". www.melocallaghan.com. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  11. "Mel O'Callaghan | NGV". www.ngv.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  12. "Mel O'Callaghan — Dangerous on-the-way". www.melocallaghan.com. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  13. Ensemble (2013) at National Gallery of Victoria
  14. Framework (2014) at FRAC Bretagne