Kieran Boland
I am a visual artist working across screen and sound culture. I engage with video, sound, animation, drawing, and writing, in conjunction with performances from a wide variety of participants, both professional and the general public. I have a long-term interest in developing site-specific projects for unexpected or overlooked places. These have occurred within elevators, telephone booths, amongst the garbage bins behind a radio station, and in a decommissioned bank. I completed a practice-based PhD in Fine Art on the self-coined term Smartphonocentrism at RMIT University School of Art in 2022, in which I explored the decline of the voice as a primary means of communication through the pervasive influence of the smartphone. This developed from an interest in the representation of the human voice as both an “immaterial” entity and as a form of bodily detritus that finds an independent and often unexpected afterlife through its recorded transmissible form. I see waste as the flip side of a rapidly evolving age of innovation and, as such, representative of an underlying reality across cultures today. As such, I have felt increasingly impelled to respond to everyday life's visual and aural detritus in recent projects. I have been the recipient of several grants and scholarships as well as five international residencies across Europe, Asia, and the USA. My work has been exhibited and screened locally and internationally in art museums, artist-run spaces, commercial galleries, and other screening venues. I am currently a University Lecturer in Design at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. I have previously taught at a variety of institutions including Monash University (MADA), RMIT University, and Deakin University Film School. I acknowledge the sovereignty of the traditional custodians of the land on which I live and work, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.
Born
Toowoomba, Australia.
Lives and works on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country
Education
2022 PhD School of Art, RMIT University, Melbourne
2011 MFA (Master of Fine Art) MADA, Monash University, Melbourne
2002 EDIM (Advanced Diploma in Electronic Design and Interactive Media) RMIT University
1996 Post Graduate Diploma in Fine Art (Painting) VCA, University of Melbourne
1991 Bachelor of Creative Arts University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba
Awards | Grants | Residencies | Scholarships
2023 City of Stonnington Arts and Culture Grants (Das Kapital)
2022 LA Underground Film Forum, Los Angeles, Honourable Mention
2021 Berlin Flash Film Festival Outstanding Achievement Award
2019 TNUA Taipei Residency, with Kuandu Museum of Fine Art (KdMoFA) / RMIT University
2018 AAIA Contemporary Creative Residency, Athens Greece (University of Sydney)
2015 - 2019 Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) PhD Scholarship
2013 AIR Artist in Residence, Krems Austria (RMIT University)
2007 Australia Council Los Angeles Studio, 18th Street Arts Center
2006 Australia Council New Work Grant
2006 La Trobe University Visual Arts Centre Residency / Arts Victoria Grant
2001 Pat Corrigan Artist Grant, N.A.V.A.
1994 Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris France, Moya Dyring Studio (AGNSW)
Solo Projects
2021 Play Misty for Me, Siri [MARS] Gallery Lockdown #6 Online Portal
2019 You say Phonetic, I say Fanatic with Brie Trenerry, Kuandu Museum of Fine Art (KdMoFA) Taipei
2018 Conflicted 102.7 FM Triple RRR Radio Rear Entry Lane way
2016 Double Blind with Brie Trenerry, RMIT University
2014 Camoufleurs [MARS] Black Box, Melbourne
2013 Jestertag [MARS] Melbourne
2012 I tell you most solemnly West Space, Melbourne
2011 When you're in love with a beautiful woman BUS Projects Melbourne
2011 Run it by me First Spare Room/Project Space RMIT University
2011 Run it by me First MFA Show Monash University
2009 You Carnt Kings ARI Melbourne
2008 tonyB: the overlook re-mix Rise and Fall, Curtain House Melbourne
2008 Face Radio Live, Los Angeles 18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica
2006 Face Radio Live, Bendigo La Trobe University Art Institute (LAI) Bendigo
2006 Living next door to A.L.I.C.E. Assin, L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival
2001 Bolakier Platform Spencer Street Station, Melbourne
1999 Screen Test Talk Artists Initiative, Melbourne
1998 Face Radio Talk Artists Initiative, Melbourne
1994 Magazine Space, Eagle Street Pier, Brisbane
Selected Group Exhibitions | Screenings
2023 Das Kapital Cecil Place Precinct, Banco Group. Melbourne
2023 Radio Insomnia: InSomnolence UQAM Tiohtià:ke/Montréal Canada+Nightshift Symposium, Buxton Contemporary
2023 Melbourne Comedy Festival ChinChin Projections, Melbourne c. Kat Clarke
2022 Screamfest BFFF Berlin, Germany
2022 Obskuur Ghent Film Festival, Alfred Sküll Art Gallery, Belgium
2021 A Hidden Whisper KdMoFA Taipei, Taiwan
2021 Berlin Flash Film Festival, Germany
2018 Deep Fake SAB Theatre c. Ian Haig
2018 Artland RMIT University, Brunswick Campus c. Liss Fenwick
2017 First Site 21st Birthday RMIT University c. Simon Pericich
2017 Very Unco Torrance Art Museum, Los Angeles c. Ian Haig
2017 Something's trying to tell us some things Five Walls Projects, Footscray (+curator)
2017 Sublime/ Internal/ Subliminal NeMe Arts Centre, Limassol Cyprus c. Shaun Wilson
2016 Drawing to an End [MARS] Gallery, Melbourne
2016 Inaugural Melbourne Central Art Loop c. Andy Dinan
2015 Re: Location The Lock-Up, Newcastle c .Critical Animals for This is Not Art
2015 [MARS] Gallery Black Box @ Cinema NOVA Melbourne c. Brie Trenerry
2015 700s Arts Festival Swanston Library RMIT University
2015 Non-Sites in the city NO-GO Vienna, Austria c. Stefanie Proksch-Weilguni
2015 Conflicted: Adversaries in Art THG, Hawthorn c. Mardi Nowak & Kent Wilson
2014 Wallflower Photomedia Gallery, Mildura c. Kristian Haggblom & Paul Batt
2014 Nervous Tensions CareOf, Milan Italy c. Anabelle LaCroix
2014 One Hour Glass Five Walls Projects, Footscray (+curator)
2014 Make believe its nothing [MARS] Melbourne (+co-curator)
2014 Whistling in the dark Trocadero Artspace c. Michael Vale
2013 DOK Niederösterreich NÖ DOK für Moderne Kunst St. Pölten, Austria
2013 Epilogue: LongPlay Cinema & Bar, Melbourne c. Anabelle LaCroix
2013 This is beautiful Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne c. Anabelle LaCroix
2013 West Space 20th Anniversary (1993-2013) West Space, Melbourne
2013 120 Seconds Federation Square Melbourne c. Alex Gibson
2013 Chinchin Wall of Art / Flinders lane, Melbourne c. Kat Clarke
2013 I'll pop your eyes like busted eggs North Melbourne
2012 NotFair 2012: Primal Mutation 1000 Pound Bend, Melbourne
2012 Cinesonika Simon Fraser University, Vancouver Canada
2011 Beautiful Volcanoes Monash University Faculty Gallery c. Michael Vale
2011 Loop Video Festival Barcelona Spain
2010 Your Choice Yarra Sculpture Gallery, Melbourne c. Geoffrey Carran
2010 We now pause for Technical Difficulties Sunshine & Grease, Melbourne (+curator)
2010 Like No Place Known 1st International Drawing Out Festival, RMIT University
2010 Silent Nights Light Projects, Northcote c. Leslie Eastman & Tamsin Green
2007 Dobell Drawing Prize Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
2007 Polar Mark with Jennifer Mills / Julia Powles, RMIT Project Space
2006 International Portable Film Festival (Mobile Device Content)
2005 Lost Puppy (film featuring James Morrison), Silvershot Gallery, Melbourne
2004 Woolybutt (film featuring James Morrison), Darren Knight Gallery, Sydney
2004 Periodical Costume #2 (with Material By Product) The Space Between, PICA Perth
2003 Periodical Costume #1 (with Material By Product) Governor's House, Q.U.T. Brisbane
Publications | Bibliography | Interviews
« Listening for the Unspoken » by Andrew Tetzlaff, Nitro / DDCA 13.4.2017
« Sublime/Internal/Subliminal » [Exhibition Essay] by Shaun Wilson, NeMe Arts Centre, Limassol Cyprus
« GZ » [Catalogue text] for Brie Trenerry: Australian Experimental Art Foundation, Adelaide 2015
« Conflicted: Adversaries in Art » [Live Radio Interview] with Richard Watts, Triple R Melbourne 23.4.2015
« Conflicted: Adversaries in Art » [Catalogue] Mardi Nowak, THG, Hawthorn Arts Centre 2015
« Camoufleurs » [Exhibition Essay] by Ashley Crawford, [MARS] Gallery 2014
« Tapping the heart of Glass » [Review/Image] Penny Webb, The Melbourne Age Friday 20.06.2014
« DOK Niederösterreich » [Catalogue] Alexandra Hennig, NÖ DOK für Moderne Kunst 2013
« The Soundtrack » [Journal text] Edited by Estella Tincknell, University of the West of England, Vol 5 Issue 1 2013
« Primal Mutation » [Catalogue] Ashley Crawford, NotFair 2012
« Beautiful Volcanoes » [Catalogue] Michael Vale, Monash Faculty Gallery 2011
« Like No Place Known » [Catalogue] Katarina Frank and Peter Westwood, RMIT University 2010
« You Carnt » [Exhibition Essay] by Adam Browne, Kings ARI 2009
« tonyB: the overlook re-mix » [Review] Penny Modra, The Melbourne Age Sunday 30.08.2008
« Face Radio Live, Los Angeles » [Live Radio Interviews: Demolisten, Stray Pop] KXLU Los Angeles 8.2.2008
« Face Radio Live, Los Angeles » [Exhibition Essay] Darrin Little, 18th Street Arts Centre, Santa Monica 2008
« Polar Mark » [Catalogue] Jon Luker, RMIT Project Space 2007
« Face Radio Live » [Radio Interview] with Jo Printz, ABC Victoria / La Trobe University Visual Arts Centre 25.7.06
« Artist draws on air waves » [Text/Image] Sue Turpie, Bendigo Weekly 14.7.06
« Alice » [Image reproductions] Poster Magazine (pages 41, 56) No. 11 Autumn 2006
« Tassie Devil » Dominique Angeloro, Sydney Morning Herald 23.4.2004
« Scene » [Interview] Stephen Honegger and Anthony Hunt Interview, Talk Artists initiative 1999
« Face Radio » [Catalogue Text] Talk Artists initiative 1998
Collections | Archives
Art Gallery of New South Wales
CareOf Video Archive, Milan Italy
Print Council of Australia
State Library of Victoria