bio

Sarah Lynch is based in Naarm (Melbourne) and works primarily in digital and analogue photography, video, and installation. Lynch’s most recent work examines the diversity of the botanical world and the relationship between plants, people, and the ecosystems they inhabit.

Sarah has exhibited nationally and internationally at Artist-run initiatives and public institutions. Sarah holds a BFA (Honours) at the VCA and recently completed her Master of Photography at RMIT.

In 2022, as part of the solo exhibition Survival at Rubicon ARI, Sarah produced a series of online public programs, interviewing an eco writer and ecologist on spontaneous plants, supported by Regional Victoria and Creative Victoria. Additionally, she developed workshops for the Soft Meadow art collective at Collingwood Yards, including ‘Spontaneous Plants Dérive, pop up library and zine’, supported by the City of Yarra Council.

In 2023, Sarah co-curated her first major exhibition, Between Two Sites, with Madelynne Cornish for the Bogong Centre for Sound Culture at Burrinja Cultural Centre. Between Two Sites won the 2024 Victorian Museums and Galleries Awards Small Project of the Year (Gallery).

Recent Career Highlights

• Winner of the Small Project of the Year (Gallery) at the 2024 Victorian Museums and Galleries Awards for the Between Two Sites exhibition

• Co-curator with Madelynne Cornish of the exhibition Between Two Sites, on behalf of Bogong Centre for Sound Culture, 2023

• Solo Exhibition Survival, Rubicon ARI, Melbourne, 2022

• Natura Urbana by Matthew Gandy film screening and panel discussion, in partnership with Daniella Ruffino and Bookshop Uro, Composite, 2022

• Supported Residency, Bogong Centre for Sound Culture, 2021

Education

2019-2020 Master of Photography, RMIT

2014-2015         Diploma of Photo Imaging, Melbourne Polytechnic

2004               Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours), Victorian College of the Arts, The University of Melbourne

2002 Bachelor of Fine Arts, Victorian College of the Arts, The University of Melbourne

Residencies

2024 Supported Residency, The Plant Salon by Soft Meadow Collective, Smith + Gertrude Gallery

2023-2024 Room to Create Residency, Soft Meadow Collective, Yarra City Arts

2021-2023 Studio 15, Collingwood Yards

2021 Supported Residency, Bogong Centre for Sound Culture

2010                       The Feminist Salon, The Envelope, The West Wing, West Space Gallery Project Site, Melbourne Central

Collaborative Projects/workshops/events

2024 Weed Dérive: Drawing edition Issue #2 Zine Launch, Smith + Gertrude Gallery

Spontaneous Plants Drop by Drawing workshop, Soft Meadow Collective, Smith + Gertrude Gallery

Spontaneous Plants Drawing workshop, in collaboration with Urban Campfire NJC, BANH and Collingwood Yards

2023 It’s in My Nature by Soft Meadow Collective, Bakehouse Billboards, Bakehouse Studios

Spontaneous Plants Dérive, Pop-up Library and Zine, Soft Meadow Collective, Collingwood Yards

2022 Spontaneous Plants of Richmond, Soft Meadow Collective, Food, Climartes Gallery, Richmond

Spontaneous Plants of Abbotsford, Soft Meadow Collective, Extraordinary Times Require Extraordinary Art, Yarra City Council

Natura Urbana by Matthew Gandy film screening and panel discussion, in partnership with Daniella Ruffino and Bookshop Uro, Composite

Spontaneous Plants of Collingwood, Soft Meadow Collective, Garden State Festival

Botanical workshop, Soft Meadow Collective, Garden State Festival

2008-2011 Gives Collective, Sarah Lynch and Shannon Holopainen, Creative dissent and art interventions captured on a blog

2004 Third Degree Collective live art performances, Bar Open

Solo Exhibitions

2025 Upcoming: Above the Snow Line, B—CSC Gallery, Bogong Village

2022 Survival, Rubicon ARI, Melbourne

2006 September, Film Studio, Berlin

2005                        Personal Development, KINGS ARI, Melbourne

Waiting for…, Conical Inc, Melbourne

2004                         Sweetiepie, George Paton Gallery, Melbourne

Pissing the yellow Peril, Slide Box, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces

Group Exhibitions - Photography, Video and Live Art

2023 Between Two Sites, Curated by Sarah Lynch and Madelynne Cornish on behalf of the Bogong Centre for Sound Culture, Burrinja Cultural Centre

2022 Unpredictable Typologies, Studio 15, Melbourne Art Fair Precinct Night, Collingwood Yards

2020 RMIT Graduation Show, RMIT University
2019 Transitions, Curated by Shane Hulbert and Rebecca Najdowski, Pingyao International Photography Festival, China

2018                  On a Clear Day, Neon Parlour, Melbourne

2017        CCP Salon, CCP, Melbourne

2015                      Melbourne Polytechnic Graduation Show, Inner Space Gallery, Melbourne

                               Anterior, Federation University, Ballarat International Foto Biennale

2014                       Anthology, B Space Gallery

2013                       Video Lounge, Curated by Clare Rae, Margaret Lawrence Gallery

2010                       The Feminist Salon, The Envelope, The West Wing, West Space Project site

The Lodge, Bus Gallery, Melbourne

2009                       Once More With Feeling, Curated by Meredith Turnbull, Fiona and Sidney Myer Gallery, VCA

2007                       PerformIT Experimental Live Art, Historic y, Arizona, USA

2006                 The Side Show, Downtown Dayton, Ohio, USA

Feminist Actions, Curated by Veronica Tello, Spacement, Melbourne

2005                       Jianghu 3 Video Festival, Kunming, China

                                 Self Made Man, Curated by Kerri-Dee Johns, Spacement, Melbourne

2004                       Videola, Curated by Brendan Lee, ACP, Sydney

Blood Bunnies live art performance with Daniel O’Brien, Un Magazine launch, Conical Gallery

Third Degree Collective live art performances, Bar Open

2003              Be Mine 69, Curated by Sarah Lynch, 69 Smith St Gallery, Melbourne

2002                       Neo Noir, Curated by Mark Feary, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces

Awards & Grants

2024 Winner of the Small Project of the Year (Gallery) at the 2024 Victorian Museums and Galleries Awards for the Between Two Sites exhibition

2023 Recipient of Climate Action Small Grant, Yarra City Council for Soft Meadow Collective, Spontaneous Plants Dérive, Pop up Library and Zine

2022 Recipient of Yarra Ranges Council Arts Grant and Creative Victoria Grant for Between Two Sites exhibition on behalf of B–CSC

2022 Recipient of Small Projects Grant, Natura Urbana film screening, in partnership with Daniella Ruffino and Bookshop Uro Composite, Yarra City Arts

2022 Recipient of Garden State Festival Grants, City of Yarra, Spontaneous Plants of Collingwood and Botanical Drawing workshop, Soft Meadow Collective

2021 Recipient of the Sustaining Creative Workers Initiative Grant for Survival Solo Exhibition, Creative Victoria and Regional Arts Victoria

2020 Recipient of Dean’s Award for Photographic Excellence, RMIT Graduation Exhibition

2020 Recipient of National Assistance Program for the Arts Grant, The Myer Foundation

2017                         Recipient of CCP Salon Marion Boyce Costume Design People’s Choice Award

2015                         Recipient of the Folio Excellence Award, Melbourne Polytechnic Graduation Show

2006                        Recipient of Australia Council for the Arts RUN-WAY Travel Grant                                  

2005                        Recipient of NAVA Visual and Craft Artists’ Grant for Personal Development exhibition

2002                        Recipients of George Hicks Award, VCA Grad Show

1999                         Recipient of The Age NIKON Photography Award

Panel Discussions/interviews/Internships/ Artist Talks

2023 Radio interview for Between Two Sites exhibition and audio description, Vision Australia

Artist Round Table, Between Two Sites exhibition, Burrinja Cultural Centre

2022-23 Curator Mentorship with Bogong Centre for Sound Culture

2022 Natura Urbana panel discussion with Matthew Gandy, Alistair Kirkpatrick and Maitiú Ward, Composite, Collingwood Yards

Encounters with the Vegetal World, in conversation with Dr Prudence Gibson, Survival exhibition public programs

Terrain Vague: Spontaneous Plants in the City, in conversation with Ecologist Dean Schrieke, Survival exhibition public programs

2020                       Internship with the Curatorial and Education team, Museum of Australian Photography

2019                         Urban Landscape Artist Talk, Photography Department, RMIT University

2004 Artist Talk, Sweetiepie exhibition, George Paton Gallery

Publications

2024 Pheobe Morgan, ‘Bogong Centre wins state accolades for exhibition’, Alpine Observer, Oct 23 2024, pg 13.

Shamsiya Hussainpoor, ‘Burrinja and Bogong Centre for Sound Culture celebrate award for innovative environmental exhibition’,

Star Mail, Oct 8 2024, pg 1.

Weed Dérive: Drawing edition, Issue #2, Soft Meadow Collective

2023 Prudence Gibson, ‘Between Two Sites’ exhibition catalogue

Weed Dérive: A Handbook, Issue #1, Soft Meadow Collective

2022 Prudence Gibson, ‘Survival’ exhibition catalogue

2016                         un Anthology, un Magazine

2015                         FRAGILE, Unapologetic Girls Collective

2005                        Edward Colless, ‘Thinking inside the box’, Weekend Australian, May 28 – 29 2005, pg. 18 – 19.

Carl Williams, ‘A Self Made Man’, un Magazine, issue 4, 2005, pg. 38-39.

2004                       Lucinda Strahan, ‘Sweetiepie’ un Magazine, issue 2, 2004.

‘All things must pass’, Melbourne Times, issue 25, June 30 2004, pg. 26.

2002                      Larissa Hjorth, ‘neology (and other new words)’ Broadsheet, vol 31, no. 3, 2002.