bio
Image by Rory Daniel
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 is the winner of the 2024 Victorian Museums and Galleries Awards Small Project of the Year (Gallery).
Recent Career Highlights
Between Two Sites, Co-curator with Madelynne Cornish 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 - 2022
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
2021-2022 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
Solo Exhibitions
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 Madelynne Cornish and Sarah Lynch for 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, 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
Publications
2024 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.