Arini Byng is an artist who makes body-based work. Born on Gadigal land, she is of Lenape, African American and Anglo-Celtic descent. Arini works with the affective qualities of materials, gestures and settings — undertaking exercises in image, movement and form to negotiate political scenes. Arini’s performances and videos are complex, intimate studies in gesture and action. Her work has been exhibited nationally including Blak Dot Gallery, Watch This Space, Neon Parc project space, MPavilion, c3 Contemporary Art Space, Blindside, Bus Projects, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, The Australian Centre For Contemporary Art, and The Centre for Contemporary Photography; selected works published by Perimeter Editions, Higher Arc, Le Roy and Photofile; and with work held in publication collections of V&A, MoMA, MOCA and Tate Modern. Arini lives and works in Naarm (Melbourne) on the unceded sovereign lands and waterways of the Boon Wurrung and Woi Wurrung (Wurundjeri) people of the Kulin Nation.
Forthcoming
- 2021
Notions of Care, Bus Projects, curated by Kathryn Genevieve Honey and Nina Mulhall, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2021
Means of Production, Public Office
- 2021
Remember what you heard when you weren't even listening, TCB, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2021
We will all eventually return to the earth, Art Gallery of Ballarat, curated by Talia Smith
- 2022
Solo Exhibition, CAVES, Naarm (Melbourne)
Selected Solo/Collaborative Exhibitions and Performances
- 2020
(indistinct chatter), Centre for Contemporary Photography, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2020
I thought you might have needed the space, SEVENTH, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2020
Sinkhole IX, with Jess Gall & Rebecca Jensen, MPavilion, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2019
Remember what you heard when you weren’t even listening, Watch This Space, Mparntwe (Alice Springs)
- 2019
Live Work, with Aaron Christopher Rees, Blindside, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2019
Live Work, with Aaron Christopher Rees, Kings Ari, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2019
Before Taking any Action, National Gallery of Victoria MEL&NYC program with c3 Contemporary Artspace, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2019
Talking to the back of your head, Bus Projects, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2019
Sinkhole VII, with Jess Gall & Rebecca Jensen, RMIT Design Hub, curated by Liquid Architecture, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2018
Sinkhole V, with Jess Gall & Rebecca Jensen, 215 Albion/Neon Parc, curated by Shelley Lasica and Zoe Theodore, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2018
Sinkhole, with Jess Gall and Rebecca Jensen, Irene Rose, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2017
Before Taking any Action, Hobiennale, Nipaluna (Hobart)
- 2017
The sound in the form of a word, c3 Contemporary Artspace, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2015
it’s a fountain, Bus Projects, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2014
Adult Contemporary, with Georgia Hutchison, Edmund Pearce, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2013
Product Placement II, with Georgia Hutchison, Ryan Renshaw, Miguntyun (Melbourne)
- 2013
Moved Objects, with Georgia Hutchison, Perimeter, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2012
Under Value, with Georgia Hutchison, Perimeter, Naarm (Melbourne)
Selected Group Exhibitions and Performances
- 2019
Connecting in the grey zone, curated by Anador Walsh, mentor Mark Feery, Blindside, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2019
Film on Film: Multi-Realities on Screen and Beyond, curated by Milda Valiulytė in association with Next Wave, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2018
A sinking feeling (The politics of Risk), curated by Bella Hone-Saunders, Blak Dot Gallery, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2016
Paper Movies, curated by Melissa Catanese and Ed Panar, Joseloff Gallery, University of Hartford, CT, USA
- 2015
The Object as Score, curated by Nathan Gray, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2015
Lit from the top: Sculpture Through Photography , curated by Sarah Wall & Laura Lantieri, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2014
4 x 10, curated by Helen Hughes & Joel Stern, Slopes, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2014
Bus Projects Fundraiser, Bus Projects, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2014
Brunswick Lake, curated by Isadora Vaughan & Jahnne Pasco-White, Brunswick Lake, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2014
Moved Objects, Printed Matter, The Geffen Contemporary, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- 2013
Product Placement, Seventh, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2012
Under Value, New York Art Book Fair, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA PS1), Long Island, NY, USA
- 2012
Under Value, Tokyo Art Book Fair, Tokyo
- 2011
New Low, Goodtimes Studios, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2011
One of the Ones, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (external), Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2011
Paper Planes, The Paper Mill, Warrang (Sydney)
- 2010
Everything’s Alright, Sufi choir ensemble Hossein Ghaemi, Roslyn Oxley 9, Warrang (Sydney)
Publications and Commissions
Photofile issue 96, Warrang (Sydney)
Le Roy issue 1, DDMMYY, Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Adult Contemporary, Higher Arc issue 4, Naarm (Melbourne)
Try Hard Magazine, Warrang (Sydney)
Moved Objects, Perimeter Editions, Naarm (Melbourne)
Awards, Collections, Residencies and Grants
- 2020
Australia Council for the Arts Resilience Grant
- 2020
Creative Victoria Sustaining Creative Workers Grant
- 2019
Yarra Small Projects Grant
- 2019
Yarra Room To Create Residency
- 2016
V&A Museum British Art Library collection
- 2016
Tate Modern Publication collection
- 2016
MoMa Library collection
- 2016
MOCA Publication collection
- 2015
Nava Australian Artist’s Grant
- 2014
Moved Objects, Emmaho (Most Interesting Australian Photobook 2013)
- 2014
Creative Victoria VicArts Grant
- 2013
Asia-Pacific Photobook Archive
- 2010
Joel Corrigan Memorial Prize for Photography
Academic Details
- 2013
Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours), Victorian College of Arts, Naarm (Melbourne)
- 2010
Bachelor of Fine Art, National Art School, Warrang (Sydney)
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