Jody Haines – Artist & Curator – Biography
Jody Haines (palawa) is a contemporary artist based in Naarm/Melbourne. She is known for her unique art practice that combines elements of social practice, photo media, and public art. Haines is particularly recognised for her large-scale public activations, which she calls her "big face in public space" work. Her approach is deeply rooted in Indigenous feminist new materialism and emphasises yarning, relationality, and standpoint, as a way to explore themes of identity, representation, and the female gaze.
Jody has collaborated with local communities across Australia on projects such as Women Dreaming, 2018 for Women of the World & Festival (Gold Coast Commonwealth Games), Our People Our Place 2019 for Horizon Festival, and BLAK 2022 commissioned by Arts Centre Melbourne. Haines has received commissions from organisations such as Creative Victoria (2018, 2021), Wyndham City Council (2018) amongst others.
Her work has been featured in key exhibitions such as Tell: Contemporary Indigenous Photography at Sydney Festival 2019, Eye to Eye Photo 2021, and Here I Am: Art by Great Women, 2020-21, with Ambush Gallery, a satellite project for Know My Name at the National Gallery of Australia. In 2022, Jody was awarded the First Nations Creators Grant, through Maribyrnong City Council to create a new immersive film and projection work exploring Aboriginal relationality. Her work is included in both public and private collections such as Wyndham City Council, Maribyrnong City Council, Arts Centre Melbourne, and Hume City Council.
Haines is also a PhD candidate at RMIT School of Art, a committee member of Arts West Alliance and a board member for Composite: Moving Image Agency & Media Bank.
Artist CV
EDUCATION
PhD Candidate, School of Art, RMIT, Current
Master of Arts (Art in Public Space), RMIT, 2018
Graduate Certificate Visual Arts, Griffith University, 2015
SOLO EXHIBITIONS & COMMISSIONS
2024
Flowing with the Future (Surviving Batman) Arts Meri-bek, Meri-bek City Council
2023
The awakening, Scott Ally Public Art Commission, Metro Tunnels & ACMI, Melbourne, Vic
Against the Wind, an immersive projection experience, Bluestone Church Arts Space, Footscray Vic.
2022
BLAK Short Film Commission, Arts Centre Melbourne
BLAKTIVISM Visual Content, including performances by Deline Briscoe and Emma Donovan, commissioned by Gaba Musik
Creative Sites of Resistance: imagined futures, PLACELAB, RMIT
2021
Arts Ready First Nation Short Film Commission, suite of 10 works commissioned by Creative Victoria
EYE to EYE, Jody Haines and Julie Millowick OA, PHOTO 2021, Roslyn Smorgan Gallery, FCAC, Melbourne
2020
Blue Echo, Public Art Commissioned by Collide, Hickory & City of Melbourne
Yet my mouth is bound silent with carbon and cloth, commissioned by West Projections
The Power that We have... five short films commission for RMIT, producers Vicki Couzens & Marnie Badham
#IAMWOMAN, Eye to Eye, Through sKIN we Breathe, Lightscapes Public Art light boxes, RMIT & Melbourne Central, Vic
Feminist Futures, public art paste up project, Footscray, Vic
EYE to EYE, Bakehouse Studios paste up, Richmond, Vic
2019
Through sKIN we breathe, Commissioned for Same But Different, Dance Massive 2019, Melbourne
Channels Festival 2019 Commissioned Artist, Melbourne
Our People Our Place, Projection& Audio Commission Horizon Festival, Sunshine Coast, QLD.
#IAMWOMAN: a social portrait project, Arts House, City of Melbourne, Vic
2018
Place Patterns, 7 short essay films, commissioned by Creative Victoria and Wyndham City Council, Vic
Flipping The Script commissioned by Creative Victoria and Wyndham City Council, Vic
Salt, 3 channel Video, commissioned by Wyndham City Council, Vic
Women Dreaming, Projection Commission, Women of The World and Festival 2018 Commonwealth Games, Brisbane
#IAMWOMAN: a social portrait project, Braybrook Community Hub, Vic
2017
This is not resolved, Gabriel Gallery, Footscray Community Arts Centre, Vic.
2016
Searching for Bon, Collection of Hume City Council, Vic
AWARDS, GRANTS & ACQUISITIONS
2023
Finalist, IRIS Awards, Perth Centre of Photography, WA
Finalist, Footscray Art Prize, Vic
Finalist, Wyndham Art Prize, Vic
2022
The Last Supper, 2021, purchased by Maribyrnong City Council
First Nations Creators Grant, Maribyrnong City Council
2020
Finalist, Wyndham Art Prize, Vic
Second Prize award, Picturing Footscray, Vic
City of Melbourne Quick Response Grant
National Assistance Program for the Arts Grant, Myer Foundation
2017
Emerging Artist Award, Immerse Public Arts Festival, Vic
Semi Finalist Iris Awards, Perth Centre of Photography, WA
Finalist, Footscray Art Prize, Vic
2016
Finalist (Highly Commended) Melt Portrait Prize, Brisbane Powerhouse, Qld
ARTIST RESIDENCIES
2022
Place LAB Artist residency, RMIT
Artist in Residence, Centre of Projection Art, Melbourne
Artist in Residence, PLATFORM LAB, Geelong
2019
Artist Residency, Arts House City of Melbourne, Portrait Residency with public outcome
Artist Residency, Horizon Festival, QLD
2018
Artist Residency, Carriage works, Sydney
2017
Saltwater Video Artist Residency, Wyndham City Council
Women of the World Festival, Portrait Residency, FCAC, Melbourne - with public outcome
Gertrude Street Projection Festival Masterclass laboratory, Testing Grounds, Melbourne
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
Hidden Footscray, Roslyn Smorgan Gallery, FCAC, Melbourne
2022
Scaffolding Cinema, for Channels Festival, Melbourne
Gertrude Street Projection Festival, Melbourne
Melbourne Art Fair, Centre of Projection Art, Collingwood Yards.
2021
Urban Screens & West Projections Festival co-presentation, Bunjil Place (VIC), Harmony Square (VIC), BeenleighTown Square (QLD) and Macquarie Mall Urban Screen (NSW) (Dec -April2021)
EYE to EYE (selected works) Old Treasury Building Projection, PHOTO 2021, Melbourne
2020
Here I Am: Art by Great Women, Ambush Gallery, Darlinghurst, Sydney, (in-conjunction with Know My Name (NGA))
Wyndham Art Prize
Picturing Footscray
West Projections Festival
2019
Billboards Public Art installation (seven billboards), Blak Dot Gallery, Melbourne
Digital Nation, Blak Dot Gallery, Melbourne
2018
Flipping the Script, Red Arcade, Wyndham City Council, Wyndham
All of us, Blind Side Gallery, Melbourne
SALT, West Projections Festival, Melbourne
#IAMWOMAN: a social portrait project, Come together, VU Metro, Melbourne
#IAMWOMAN: a social portrait project, Women of the World, 2018, Brisbane
Tell: Contemporary Indigenous Photography, Sydney Festival, UNSW, Sydney
2017
#IAMWOMAN: a social portrait project, Immerse Public Art Festival, Knox, Melbourne
#IAMWOMAN: a social portrait project, One night in Footscray, Public Art Festival, Melbourne
Tell: Contemporary Indigenous Photography, Ballarat International Foto Biennale, Ballarat
Future is NOW! RMIT Europe, Barcelona, Spain
Future is NOW! Gertrude Street Projection Festival, Fitzroy, Melbourne
2016
Proximity, 3 O’clock Gallery, South Bank, Melbourne
Space Between Light Festival, Richmond, Melbourne
2015
Labouring Under an Assumption, Brisbane
2014
Spirit Queen, Photography Factory, Sydney
Lethbridge Art Prize, (Finalist, Highly Commended)
2013
Museum of the Long weekend, C100 Canberra, Big hART
CURATORIAL ROLES
2022
Curator – BLAK a legacy of Destiny Deacon, Arts Centre Melbourne
2021
Curator – In her Name & The Meri project, Women of the World Australia, at Brisbane Powerhouse
2018
Curator – Women of the World 2018, Brisbane
2014
Co-Curator & Exhibition Coordinator – Australia Council for the Arts, Australian Performing Arts Market, proppaNOW
Curator – Walkley Foundation Nikon Walkley Projections, Brisbane
2013
Guest Curator & Workshop Presenter & Portfolio reviewer – Chobi Mela International Festival of Photography, Dhaka Bangladesh
Curator – Walkley Foundation Nikon Walkley Projections, Brisbane
Curator, Project & Production Manager – QLD Towns Documentary project, State Library of Queensland and Griffith University
2013 – 2007
Curator & Exhibitions Coordinator - Brisbane Powerhouse, delivering over 100 exhibitions
2012
Curator – Walkley Foundation Nikon Walkley Projections, Brisbane
2006
Exhibition Manager - MSF and VII AGENCY Photographic exhibition, Congo the Forgotten War, Australian tour.
2006 – 2004
Curator & Workshop Facilitator – Photography workshops for Hazara refugees with public exhibition outcomes. Brisbane City Council.
2003
Curator, Artist & Exhibitions Coordinator - Global Citizens, a response to Australia’s refugee crisis