An Australian arts leader known for developing and delivering innovative artistic programs of significant scale and impact.
Kelli Alred has over two decades of experience within the museum, gallery and festival sectors. She has presented exhibitions, commissions and events across Europe, the USA, Asia and Australia. Kelli has led research projects, served on advisory boards and contributed to the development of acquisition strategies for museums and private collectors. With broad knowledge of contemporary and post war, twentieth century art, Kelli’s curatorial, creative producing and program management practice demonstrates specialist expertise in installation, sculpture and public art, conceptual art and performance, photography, moving-image, sound art and digital art. Professional Appointments Currently based in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia, Kelli was most recently Creative Producer for Experimenta 2022-23, managing their triennial exhibition tour Experimenta: Life Forms and programming a series of discussions. In 2023 Kelli also co-curated and creatively produced the Now or Never Art Trail and the Active Interfaces Arts Lab in collaboration with the City of Melbourne. Previously, Kelli was engaged as Associate Curator to deliver an exhibition of temporary public art at the Abbotsford Convent 2021-22. She was appointed as Artistic Director of Channels Festival: International Biennial of Video Art 2018-19, and was Visual Art Associate and Producer for Melbourne International Arts Festival 2017 and 2019. She held the position of Executive Producer for SITUATE throughout 2015, and was Program Manager, Digital Arts at Arts Centre Melbourne 2012-13. While based in the UK, Kelli worked across Tate Modern and Tate Britain as Curator, Intermedia Art 2006-11 and as Curator, Webcasting and Internet Art 2003-06. She also co-curated and co-produced The Long Weekend festival at Tate Modern from 2006-09. She was Commissioning Producer for Active Ingredient 2002-03, as well as Studios and Special Projects Manager (including co-curating and producing a two-week, city-wide festival of live art) for Site Gallery from 2000-02. Independent Curatorial Projects and Advisory Roles In addition to these professional appointments, Kelli has curated a range of independent projects, undertaken residencies, overseen governance and consulted for organisations within Australia and internationally. Kelli curated and produced the exhibition Temporal Proximities in Melbourne’s heritage-listed Magdalen Laundry 2017-19. She was Guest Curator exhibiting a selection of work from The Netherlands Media Arts Institute collection 2008, Associate Curator for the exhibition Synthetic Times at the National Art Museum of China 2008, and worked in residence at the Montevideo Art Lab throughout 2003, among a range of other projects. Between 2008-12, Kelli advised on the development of acquisition strategies and accessioning procedures for Tate, MoMA, the Kramlich Collection, Zabludowicz Collection, and Arts Council England. She has served as President, Vice-President and General Member on the Board of Directors for arts organisations such as Liquid Architecture, the Live Art Development Agency, Furtherfield, and the Node London festival. Public Speaking and Academic Engagements Kelli has delivered presentations, chaired discussions and contributed to industry forums at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, National Gallery of Victoria, Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Tate Modern, SF MoMA, Pallazzo delle Arti, the National Art Museum of China and others. She has led research projects, convened symposia, presented lectures and tutored students for RMIT University, Victorian College of the Arts, Goldsmiths College University of London, Manchester University, Amsterdam Maastricht University, University of Florida, Ohio State University and others. Kelli is in the final stages of a PhD in contemporary art and philosophy at the University of Melbourne, Faculty of VCA and MCM, working toward the completion of a thesis titled Curating Time. Prior to transferring into the PhD, Kelli completed a number subjects in exhibition planning and art history as part of an Executive Master of Arts, Cultural Leadership at the University of Melbourne. In the mid 90s Kelli completed a BA in Theatre Directing, specialising in post-modern performance and interdisciplinary practice. This website is currently in development. |
Selected Curatorial Projects
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Presented in Australia
Co-curated and co-produced the Now or Never Art Trail, spanning a 1.2km promenade alongside Docklands Harbour. This outdoor, after dark exhibition included three commissions and four site-specific displays by Michaela Gleave, Jon McCormack, Jarra Karalina Steel, Universal Everything, Justine Emard and others Curated the exhibition Interspecies and Other Others presenting thirteen temporary public art works across four acres of heritage-listed architectural and garden landscapes, including commissions by Abdul Abdullah, Megan Cope, Atlanta Eke and Lyndal Jones, as well as video art and site-specific installations by Tony Albert, Zanny Begg, Marianna Simnett, Karrabing Film Collective and others. Curated the exhibition Untimely Geographies, presenting work by Reko Rennie, Almagul Menlibayeva, Noor Afshan Mirza and Brad Butler as part of Channels Festival: International Biennial of Video Art Curated a program of historical video art and lecture performances by Mike Parr, Diana Baker Smith (Barbara Cleveland), Bruce Nauman, VALIE EXPORT, Ken Unsworth, Jill Scott, Peter Kennedy, Marina Abramović, Letícia Parente and others at the National Gallery of Victoria Commissioned a new work by David Rosetzky exhibited in conjunction with a suite of sculptural objects by Sean Meilak and a live performance choreographed by Jo Lloyd as part of Channels Festival: International Biennial of Video Art Curated the exhibition Temporal Proximities, including work by Angelica Mesiti, Jill Orr, Bridie Lunney, S.J. Norman, Helen Grogan and others in the heritage listed North and South Magdalen Laundry Curated Identity, Proximity and Place, an episodic exhibition that unfolded in five chapters, presenting work by Candice Breitz, Shaun Gladwell, Lauren Brincat, Oliver Beer, Daniel Crooks, Chiharu Shiota and others, in partnership with Anna Schwartz Gallery Executively Produced temporary public art commissions for presentation at Dark Mofo and Vrystaat Arts Festival (South Africa), as part of the SITUATE Arts Lab program Curated a solo exhibition titled Hidden Spaces, Ready Stages involving five newly commissioned works by Gabriela Mangano and Silvana Mangano, which were produced in the underground tunnels and machine rooms beneath Arts Centre Melbourne Presented the Australian premier of The Exhibition of a Film, directed by Mathieu Copeland at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, as part of Melbourne International Arts Festival, including work by Lawrence Weiner, Cosi Fanni Tutti, Meredith Monk, Tim Etchells (Forced Entertainment), Nick Cave and others. |
Presented Internationally
Commissioned a new work by Raqs Media Collective for the Art Now program at Tate Britain Curated large-scale, audio-visual works by Ryoji Ikeda, Carsten Nicolia and Monolake presented in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall Contributed as curatorial consultant and commissioned new work for the exhibition Synthetic Times at the National Art Museum of China, as part of the Beijing Olympics cultural program Worked in dialogue with curator Nicolas Bourriaud to commission new work for the Tate Triennial: Altermodern Co-curated an ephemeral public art installation by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer presented in Trafalgar Square in partnership with Tate Modern, The National Portrait Gallery, and the Institute of Contemporary Art Co-curated a large-scale installation by Mathieu Briand presented in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall Part of the curatorial team staging historical re-enactments by Fluxus artists George Maciunas, Alison Knowles, John Cage, Gustav Metzger and others at Tate Modern Presented AV performances by Ryoichi Kurokawa, Toshimaru Nakamura and Sachiko M in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall Commissioned and executively produced video works and documentaries with Mark Leckey, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Lynn Hershman Leeson and others Curated an exhibition of video art from the 1970s at the Netherlands Media Arts Institute, including work by Joan Jonas, Marina Abramovic, Vito Acconci, Allan Kaprow and others Co-curated a two-week festival of live art including exhibitions, screenings and performances presented across five venues and other site-specific locations, including the UK premier of work by Tehching Hsieh Co-curated and commissioned new work for three group exhibitions, and contributed to the development of solo shows by Breda Beban, Hugo Glendenning, Susan Collins, Lindsey Adams and George Chakravathi at Site Gallery |
Selected Public Speaking |
Programmed and hosted a series of discussions addressing artificial intelligence, urban design, language and cosmology with artists Michaela Gleave, Jon McCormack and Georgie Pinn, landscape architect Jock Gilbert and Boon Wurrung Elder Aunty Carolyn Briggs Australian Centre for the Moving Image and Library at the Dock, as part of the Now or Never festival, Melbourne, Australia 2023 Programmed and hosted a series of conversations with artists Tony Albert, Lyndal Jones, Abdul Abdullah and David Charles Collins Panel Chair hosting a discussion with choreographer Atlanta Eke, architect Tim Birnie and composer Daniel Jenatsch Programmed and hosted Longitudes, Latitudes and Legacies including discussions and lecture performances with artists Mike Parr, Jill Orr, Archie Barry, Panel Chair hosting a discussion with artists Reko Rennie, Almagul Menlibayeva and Noor Afshan Mirza Programmed a screening and hosted a conversation with French curator and auteur Mathieu Copland Presentation and panel discussion Emerging Trends in Digital Art Paper presentation Rhythm and Simultaneity in Exhibition Practice, with reference to Marina Abramović: In Residence presented by Kaldor Public Art Projects Paper presentation and panel discussion Art Institutions as Agents of Change Paper presentation and poster session Accessioning and Cataloguing Time-based and Networked Art Programmed a screening and hosted a conversation with video art pioneers Steina and Woody Vasulka Paper presentation and panel discussion The Role of Museums in the Digital Age Presentation on social, participatory and process-based art practices The Fabric of Social Processes Contributed to an international industry forum on the presentation of media art within museums Presentation Histories of Intermedia Art Presentation on audience participation and interactivity within performance and media art practice Panel Chair Mind Shift/Tool Shift: New Architectures for Learning and Collaboration Presentation Sites and Para/sites: Art Beyond the Museum Programmed and hosted Common Ground: Collective Practice and Intellectual Property with artists Cheryl L’Hirondelle and the Raqs Media Collective, Guest Lecture Future Histories: Curating the Archive Presentation and poster session on creative development and co-presenting across physical and virtual venues Presentation and panel discussion Collaborating Across Networks |
I respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners and sovereign custodians of the lands upon which I live and work, the Boon Wurrung and Woiwurrung (Wurundjeri) peoples of the Kulin Nation. I pay respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging, and to all First Nations peoples.