Melinda Rackham
Encyclopedia
Melinda Rackham is an Australian Networked Media Artist, Writer and Curator, and founder and producer the influential -empyre- online media arts forum, which she initiated as part of her Doctoral thesis on Art and Identity in Virtual Reality Environments.
Rackham studied sculpture and performance at the College of Fine Arts
in Sydney, graduating in 1989 with the Sculpture and Alumni prizes. It was here she was first involved in Australian artist-run initiatives
, initially as Co-Director in 1987 (with Adrienne Doig) of ArtHaus laneway gallery in Darlinghurst, then as a member of Ultimo Project Studio Collective in Ultimo and Glebe in Sydney.
In 1995 Rackham became one of the earliest Australian curators of Internet Art whist completing a Master of Arts in Womens Studies. Working with Louise Manner, Ali Smith and Sandy Indlekofer-O’Sullivan, they jointly produced the 1995 exhibition WWWO : Wollongong Worlds Women Online - a national Australian online women's group exhibition, featuring the first or early digital works from 30 Australian women including Francis Dyson and Mez Breeze
.
As an artist and commentator on identity, locality and sexuality in networked, 3d multi-user, game and mobile environments her artworks were widely exhibited during the first wave of internet art (1995–2003) in exhibitions such as Art Entertainment Network, Beyond Interface, Arco Electronico, File, ISEA
, European Media Art Festival, transmediale
, lab3D. She was included in Perspecta99, la Biennale de Montreal 2000, and Biennial of Buenos Aires 02. -empyre- featured in events at NTT InterCommunication Center
Tokyo
, and documenta
in the Documenta 12 magazines
project (2006).
In 2003 Rackham was employed as the Curator of Networked Media at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image
(ACMI) in Melbourne
. This allowed her to bring the diversity of internet art to a wider audience in the major 2004: Australian Culture Now exhibition.
As Director of the Australian Network for Art and Technology
from 2005 until 2009 she forged significant industry partnerships and elevated public engagement and critique of research and practice in art, science and new technologies. She specifically fostered the development of wearable technologies - producing the seminal re:Skin Masterclass, and curating Coded Cloth exhibition of wearable technology at Samstag Museum in 2008.
Currently Adjunct Professor at RMIT University
, Dr Rackham is continuing to curate and write on the emerging art and cultures manifesting across networked, responsive, biological, wearable and distributed practices and environments. In 2010 she has curated Dream Worlds: Australian Moving Image, where artists utilize the 27 meter long public screen in Beijing's exclusive Sanlitun Village to present their work in China.
Rackham studied sculpture and performance at the College of Fine Arts
College of Fine Arts
The College of Fine Arts is the creative arts faculty of the University of New South Wales and is located on Oxford Street, Paddington, Sydney, Australia.- History :...
in Sydney, graduating in 1989 with the Sculpture and Alumni prizes. It was here she was first involved in Australian artist-run initiatives
Australian artist-run initiatives
Australian artist-run initiatives and galleries are found throughout the country. A few key spaces include Firstdraft, MOP , KINGS ARI, TCB , Clubs Project inc, West Space, Seventh Gallery, Platform artists group , Blindside, , Breadbox ARI and FELTspace...
, initially as Co-Director in 1987 (with Adrienne Doig) of ArtHaus laneway gallery in Darlinghurst, then as a member of Ultimo Project Studio Collective in Ultimo and Glebe in Sydney.
In 1995 Rackham became one of the earliest Australian curators of Internet Art whist completing a Master of Arts in Womens Studies. Working with Louise Manner, Ali Smith and Sandy Indlekofer-O’Sullivan, they jointly produced the 1995 exhibition WWWO : Wollongong Worlds Women Online - a national Australian online women's group exhibition, featuring the first or early digital works from 30 Australian women including Francis Dyson and Mez Breeze
Mez Breeze
Mez Breeze is an Australian-based artist who works with net.art. Born Mary-Anne Breeze she uses a number of avatar nicknames. She received degrees in both Applied Social Science [Psychology] at the Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, Australia in 1991 and Creative Arts at the Wollongong...
.
As an artist and commentator on identity, locality and sexuality in networked, 3d multi-user, game and mobile environments her artworks were widely exhibited during the first wave of internet art (1995–2003) in exhibitions such as Art Entertainment Network, Beyond Interface, Arco Electronico, File, ISEA
ISEA
ISEA, or Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts is "an international non-profit organization fostering interdisciplinary academic discourse and exchange among culturally diverse organizations and individuals working with art, science and emerging technologies." ISEA was founded in the Netherlands...
, European Media Art Festival, transmediale
Transmediale
transmediale is an annual festival for media art and digital culture taking place for one week in February in Berlin, Germany. The festival engages in reflective, aesthetic and speculative positions in between art, technology and culture...
, lab3D. She was included in Perspecta99, la Biennale de Montreal 2000, and Biennial of Buenos Aires 02. -empyre- featured in events at NTT InterCommunication Center
NTT InterCommunication Center
NTT InterCommunication Center is a media art gallery in Tokyo Opera City Tower in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. It was established by NTT to commemorate the 100th anniversary of telephone service in Japan and opened in 1997...
Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and documenta
Documenta
documenta is an exhibition of modern and contemporary art which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. It was founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgartenschau which took place in Kassel at that time...
in the Documenta 12 magazines
Documenta 12 magazines
Documenta 12 magazines was a central project of the 12th edition of the documenta exhibition, similar in dimensions and world outreach to the "platforms" of the previous edition...
project (2006).
In 2003 Rackham was employed as the Curator of Networked Media at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image
Australian Centre for the Moving Image
The Australian Centre for the Moving Image, or ACMI, is dedicated to the moving image in all its forms. It is located in Federation Square, in Melbourne, Australia, across four levels of the Alfred Deakin Building...
(ACMI) in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. This allowed her to bring the diversity of internet art to a wider audience in the major 2004: Australian Culture Now exhibition.
As Director of the Australian Network for Art and Technology
Australian network for art and technology
Australian Network for Art and Technology * bridging art, science & technology* enriching culture & industry* generating new creativities...
from 2005 until 2009 she forged significant industry partnerships and elevated public engagement and critique of research and practice in art, science and new technologies. She specifically fostered the development of wearable technologies - producing the seminal re:Skin Masterclass, and curating Coded Cloth exhibition of wearable technology at Samstag Museum in 2008.
Currently Adjunct Professor at RMIT University
RMIT University
RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
, Dr Rackham is continuing to curate and write on the emerging art and cultures manifesting across networked, responsive, biological, wearable and distributed practices and environments. In 2010 she has curated Dream Worlds: Australian Moving Image, where artists utilize the 27 meter long public screen in Beijing's exclusive Sanlitun Village to present their work in China.