Incinerator Art Award 2024 shortlist announced
The City of Moonee Valley’s flagship visual arts venue, Incinerator Gallery, has announced a shortlist of 27 projects for the 10th Incinerator Art Award.
The Incinerator Art Award is the annual premier art award for the City of Moonee Valley, featuring works by artists inspired by the theme of ‘art for social change’.
The inner-Melbourne local government area of Moonee Valley comprises 15 suburbs including Moonee Ponds, Essendon, Keilor East and Aberfeldie.
With a total prize pool of $12,000, the prestigious award offers three categories: the $10,000 Incinerator Art Award, the $1000 Moonee Valley Mayoral Award, and the $1000 People’s Choice Award.
The Incinerator Art Award pays homage to the architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony, whose offices were the designers of the original 1929 Essendon Incinerator, now home to the gallery.
Burley Griffin and Mahony believed that art and architecture were ethical enterprises that should aim to bring about positive social change. In the context of the Incinerator Art Award, it refers to using art as a tool for intentional action to transform societal structures, promoting inclusion, equity, fairness and justice.
This year’s award attracted more than 260 applications from all over Australia, with key themes to emerge including:
- Indigenous knowledge and care for country
- queer visibility and liberation
- climate change and environmental stewardship
- diaspora, migration, and archive.
Incinerator Art Award 2024 shortlisted artists
Ali Tahayori | Annette Wagner | Ari Angkasa | Autumn Tansey |Ayman Kaake | Carla Zimbler | Cecilia Sordi Campos | Chiara Zeta | Elyas Alavi | Jacqui Gordon | Jahkarli Romanis | James Hazel | jemi gale with skramzwife, Fleur, Luyuan Zhang, Jess Tan, Marlo Mogensen, Matilda Davis, mararara, Gigi De Lacy and Rumer Elisabetta Guario | Jincheng Deng | Jo Chew | Justyne Allen | Kieran Butler | Miream Salameh | Niki Koutouzi | Noah Spivak | Sam Petersen | Sarah Ujmaia | Shelley Watters | Steven Bellosguardo | Tay Haggarty | Yandell Walton | Zena Cumpston.
Incinerator Art Award 2024 judges
Bec Cole
Bec is the Executive Director & Co-CEO of Footscray Community Arts, the Chair of NETS Victoria and a board member of Next Wave and RANT Arts (Tasmania). The Director of Latrobe Regional Gallery from 2020-2022, Bec is proudly palawa.
Nikki Lam
Nikki Lam is a Naarm/Melbourne-based artist-curator and filmmaker, and co-director of Hyphenated Projects and Biennial. Her work has been shown across Australia and internationally, most recently as part of Primavera: Australian Young Artists 2023 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.
Sebastian Henry-Jones
Sebastian Henry-Jones is the Curator at West Space, Melbourne, and was previously Curatorial Assistant for the 22nd and 23rd editions of the Biennale of Sydney, NIRIN and Rivus. His curatorial approach is informed by DIY thinking.
City of Moonee Valley Mayor, Cr Pierce Tyson, said the award had grown to become one of the most prestigious art prizes not only in Melbourne, but nationally.
“The incredible quality and quantity of submissions we receive shows that Incinerator Gallery is a space that artists want to be associated with, and show their work in,” Mayor Tyson said. “Choosing a Mayoral Award winner last year was a tough assignment, but I’m honoured for the opportunity to do it again this year. The shortlist is truly outstanding.”
Announcement of winners and opening night
The winners of the Incinerator Art Award and the Moonee Valley Mayoral Award will be announced on opening night, Friday 13 September.
The People’s Choice Award will be voted on by gallery visitors and announced after the exhibition’s conclusion on Thursday 28 November.
Details
Incinerator Art Award 2024 Opening Night
Friday, 13 September 2024, 6pm-8pm
Incinerator Gallery, 180 Holmes Road, Aberfeldie 3040.
For more information, visit the Incinerator Gallery website.
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