Photo Credit: Snehargho Ghosh
contact: andrew.butler87 [at] gmail.com
instagram: @andyray87
Andy is an artist, writer and curator.
Andy's practice focuses on the ways societal structures of power shape cultural production. His writing on art and politics has been published to wide acclaim, including in frieze, The Saturday Paper, The Monthly and many more. He has appeared in many museum catalogues and artist monographs, as well as anthologised in essay collections.
As an artist, he works across painting, film, performance and installation. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at artist-led and public galleries, and has participated in key international residencies in the Philippines and Indonesia. His work is held in collections including the University of Melbourne Art Collection.
As a curator, he tackles questions of how predominantly white cultural institutions engage with the practices of those who have historically been underrepresented in public cultural discourse, and the slippages and contradictions we find ourselves in when those who hold power talk about social transformation and equity. HIs curatorial projects have been met with national acclaim. He was previously Curator and Director (Acting) at West Space.
Andy Sits on the boards of SEVENTH Gallery and Emerging Writers Festival.
Andy Butler
writer, curator, artist
b. Kalgoorlie, WA 1987. Lives and works in Naarm (Melbourne).
Education
2014 BA Philosophy and Literature (Hons, First Class), University of Melbourne
Curatorial Projects
2023 - UTS Gallery, “A Moment in Extended Crisis”, co-curated with Abhijan Toto, Sydney, NSW (Forthcoming)
2020 – West Space OFF-SITE, “Points of Connection”, Online
2019 – Bundoora Homestead Art Centre, “Those Monuments Don’t Know Us”, Melbourne, VIC
2017 – BLINDSIDE, “Always there and all a part”, Melbourne VIC
2017 – First Site Gallery, “Anthropocene”, co-curated with John Brooks and Josephine Briginshaw, Melbourne, VIC
Exhibitions
2022 - Old Quad Treasury Gallery, “Collective Unease”, University of Melbourne. Melbourne, VIC
2021 - Arts House, “Housewarming”, Melbourne, VIC
2019 – Bus Projects, “All-in-One Solution for Glowing Fairness” (Solo Exhibition), Melbourne, Vic
2019 – Firstdraft, “Before the Tonsils Stop”, curated by Jonno Revanche, Sydney, NSW
2019 – Footscray Community Art Centre, “Footscray Art Prize”, finalist, Melbourne, VIC
2018 – c3 contemporary art space, “TRAIN/ENNIAL”, Melbourne, VIC
2018 – The Substation, “Hyphenated”, curated by Phuong Ngo and Tammy Wong Hulbert, Melbourne, VIC
2017 – Footscray Community Art Centre, “Emerging Cultural Leader’s Showcase”, Melbourne, VIC
Collections
The University of Melbourne Art Collection
Selected Publications
2021 - frieze, “NGV Triennial”, review
2020 - The Saturday Paper, “James Nguyen & Victoria Pham”, artist profile
2020 - The Saturday Paper, “NIRIN: Biennale of Sydney 2020”, review
2020 - The Saturday Paper, “Adelaide Biennial 2020”, review
2020 - Art Guide, “Bhenji Ra”, artist profile
2020 - Adelaide // International 2020, exhibition at Samstag Museum of Art, catalogue essay on Brad Darkson
2019 - The Saturday Paper, “Cornelia Parker”, review
2019 – Art Guide, “Yhonnie Scarce”, artist profile
2019 – The Saturday Paper, “Haroon Mirza: The Construction of an Act”, review
2019 – The Saturday Paper, “this mob at West Space”, review
2019 – The Saturday Paper, “Tarrawarra International 2019: The Tangible Trace”, review
2019 – The Saturday Paper, “The National 2019: New Australian Art”, review
2019 - National Anthem, exhibition at Buxton Contemporary, catalogue essay “Enduring Histories”
2019 – Shapes of Knowledge, exhibition at Monash University Museum of Art, catalogue essay “Vicious Ingratitude”
2019 – Art Guide, “Hoda Afshar”, artist profile
2018 – The Monthly, “Primavera 2018: Young Australian Artists at the MCA”, review
2018 – Art Guide, “Phuong Ngo”, artist profile
2018 – The Saturday Paper, “The Big Uneasy: Patricia Piccinini & Joy Hester”, review
2018 – The Saturday Paper, “Public Display of Disaffection: Steven Rhall”, review
2018 – Daydreamer Wolf – Elyas Alavi solo exhibition, Next Wave Festival “Daydream Wolf” - catalogue essay
2017 – Always there and all a part, BLINDSIDE Gallery, “Always there and all a part” – catalogue essay
2017 – Runway, Issue #35 SPACE, “Safe White Spaces”, essay
2016 – Overland, “Beyond Diversity as Mere Representation”, essay
Awards, Grants, Residencies
2022 - Ian Potter Cultural Trust Travel Grant
2022 - Creative Victoria Arts Project Grant
2021 - Australia Council for the Arts Debra Porch Award - Residency with Artspace Aotearoa
2021 - City of Melbourne Annual Arts Grant recipient
2021- Creative Victoria Creators Fund Recipient
2020 - Creative Victoria VicArts Grant with Diego Ramirez
2020 - Arts House “Housewarming” Commission
2020 - City of Melbourne COVID-19 Recovery Grant
2019 - Australia Council, International Development Grant, to attend Dhaka Art Summit 2020
2019 – Asialink Residency, Green Papaya Art Projects, Manila, Philippines
2019 – Australia Council, Project Grant, through Bundoora Homestead Art Centre
2018 – Writers immersion and cultural exchange (WrICE), residency in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2018 – Creative Vic, VicArts grant, through Bundoora Homestead Art Centre
2018 – Police Point Shire Park residency, Portsea, VIC
2017 – Glenfern Writers Fellowship through Writers Victoria
Lectures, Panels, Readings
2020 - National Gallery of Victoria, panelist, “Pulishing and the Curatorial”
2020 - Express Media NEWS Conference, RMIT University, workshop presenter, “On Art Writing”
2019 – The University of Melbourne, Guest Lecturer, Australian Indigenous Studies, “Futuring the arts”
2019 – the Victorian College of the Arts, Guest Lecturer, BFA, “How do we bring the Outside In?”, Critical and Theoretical Studies
2019 – Green Papaya Art Projects, “Politically Malleable” – artist talk
2019 – West Space, speaker, “Working Curatorially” – Andy Butler & Pip Wallis in conversation
2019 – Buxton Contemporary, moderator, “Art, Politics and Agency”, panel
2019 – RMIT, Guest Lecturer, Master of Arts (Arts Management), Curating Contemporary Art
2019 – the Victorian College of the Arts, Guest Lecturer, Masters of Contemporary Art, Professional Practice
2019 – Castlemaine State Festival, moderator, “Writers Across Borders”
2019 – Next Wave x Deakin University, presenter, “Collaboration to Co-Sploitation”
2018 – Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Presenter and panellist, “Writing in the Expanded Field,”
2018 – City of Darebin, presenter, Arts Strategy Roundtable
2018 – Public Gallery Association of Victoria, presenter, Curatorial Professional Development Program, “Provocation on Diversity”
2018 - MPavilion, MRelays program, panellist “Beyond Diversity: Creating Global Cities”
2018 – Critical Animals, the Lock-Up Gallery, panellist, “The Full Circle Effect”, Newcastle, NSW
2018 – Melbourne Writers Festival, panellist, “Writers Across Borders”
2018 – Melbourne Writers Festival, reading, “Eulogy for My Career”, Melbourne, VIC
2018 - West Writers Forum, Footscray Community Art Centre, panellist, “Image: Power”
2018 – Jakarta Writers Series, reading, “WrICE Readings”, Jakarta, Indonesia
2018 – RMIT University x Multicultural Arts Victoria, panellist, “Hyphenated”
2018 – Emerging Writers Festival, reading, “Soapbox”
2018 – Emerging Writers Festival, performance lecture, “Program Launch: Not Another Slide Night”,
2017 – Emerging Writers Festival, reading, “Bad Writing”
Press, Media and Interviews
2019 - Un Magazine, “Felt Cute MIght Delete Never”, review of All-in-One Solution for Glowing Fairness
2019 – ABC RN Arts, “The Cost of Art”, interview
2019 – The Saturday Paper, “Those Monuments Don’t Know Us”, review
2019 – Art Guide “Conversations with Curators: Andy Butler”, interview
2019 – RRR, interview on SmartArts for “Those Monuments Don’t Know Us”
2018 – RRR, Interview on the Glasshouse about “National Young Writers Festival”
2017 – RRR, Interview on SmartArts about “Safe White Spaces”
2017 – PBSfm, interview on Art news about “Always there and all a part”
Professional Development
2019 – Next Wave Kickstart participant
2018 – Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Writing in the Expanded Field writing program
2018 – 4A Centre of Contemporary Asian Art, Curators Intensive
2018 – Malthouse Theatre, Vanguard Program
2017 – Footscray Community Art Centre, Emerging Cultural Leaders Program
2017 – BLINDSIDE Gallery, Emerging Curator Mentorship with Emily Cormack
2016 – Arts Access Victoria, ACTIVATE Professional Development Program
Professional Experience
2019 - Current, West Space, Program Curator
2019 – Current, Diversity Arts Australia, Fairplay mentor
2019 – Current, Emerging Writers Festival, Board Member
2018 – Current, SEVENTH Gallery, Board Member, Exhibition Liaison & Curatorial mentor
2017 – Current, Mailbox Art Space, Co-Director
2017 – 2019, Emerging Writers Festival, Program Advisory Committee Member
2017 – 2018, Melbourne Writers Festival, Program Coordinator & Festival Administrator
2016 – 2017, Chapter House Lane, Writer & Editor
2015 – 2017, National Gallery of Victoria, Public Programs Representative
Cargo Collective 2017 — Frogtown, Los Angeles