Mel O'Callaghan facts for kids

Mel O'Callaghan (born 1975) is an artist from Australia. She creates art using video, live performances, sculptures, installations, and paintings. Her artworks have been shown all over the world. She has also won many awards for her art. Her pieces are kept in art collections in Australia and France.

Early Life and Education

Mel O'Callaghan was born in Sydney, Australia, in 1975. She studied at the University of Sydney. There, she earned a degree in Visual Arts. She also studied at the University of New South Wales. She completed a Master's degree in Fine Arts there.

What Kind of Art Does She Make?

Mel O'Callaghan is very interested in how people behave. She explores human feelings and experiences. Her art often looks at rituals and how people change. She wants her art to be an experience for those who see it.

O'Callaghan lives and works in two cities. She spends time in Paris, France, and Sydney, Australia. In 2013, she and her husband, Clemens Habicht, started an art gallery. It is called Galerie Allen and is located in Paris.

Major Art Shows

Mel O'Callaghan's art has been shown in many places. She has had her own shows and been part of group exhibitions. She has also won several awards for her artistic work.

Centre of the Centre

Centre of the Centre was a very big art show for O'Callaghan. It was her first large exhibition in an Australian public museum. The show included a huge video, sculptures, and live performances. It explored ideas about where life comes from.

The video was made with help from different experts. One expert was Daniel Fornari from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The video is 20 minutes long and was shown on a screen 7 meters wide. It features amazing underwater shots. You can see thermal vents from the Pacific Ocean and a special creature called a coco worm.

The live performances involved people going into a trance. They used their breath to do this. These performances happened around glass and metal sculptures. Centre of the Centre was first shown in France in 2019. It then traveled to Australia.

Solo Exhibitions

Mel O'Callaghan has had many solo art shows. These are exhibitions where only her art is displayed. Her shows have been in Australia, France, and other countries.

• 2019: Centre of the Centre, Artspace Visual Arts Centre, Sydney, Australia
• 2018: Primary/Secondary Score, Barangaroo and Carriageworks, Sydney, Australia
• 2017: Mel O'Callaghan: Ensemble, National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Melbourne, Australia
• 2017: Dangerous on-the-way, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France
• 2004: The Fall, Cité internationale des arts, Paris, France
• 2003: In the Half Light, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney, Australia
• 2002: The Fly and the Mountain, Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW), Sydney, Australia

Group Exhibitions

Mel O'Callaghan has also been part of many group art shows. In these shows, her art is displayed alongside other artists' work. These exhibitions have taken place all over the world.

• 2019: Yo-Chang Art Museum, National Taiwan University of Arts
• 2018: 200 Videos, Museo D'Art Contemporanea di Roma, Italy
• 2018: International Film Festival Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• 2016: The Art of Revolt, Centre Pompidou, Malaga, Spain
• 2015: Nature/Revelation, The Ian Potter Museum, Melbourne, Australia
• 2014: 19th Biennale of Sydney, You Imagine What You Desire, Sydney, Australia
• 2010: Dying in Spite of the Miraculous, Melbourne International Arts Festival, Australia
• 2010: The Digital Hand, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan
• 2006: Videoformes, Clermont Ferrand, France
• 2005: National Sculpture Prize, National Gallery of Australia (NGA), Australia
• 2005: Videobrasil 05, International Video Art Biennale, São Paulo, Brazil
• 2003: Printroom, Gertrude Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne, Australia
• 2001: Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Award, Artspace, Sydney, Australia

Awards and Residencies

Mel O'Callaghan has received many important awards. She has also been invited to artist residencies. These are places where artists can live and work for a period of time.

• 2019: Aide de Projet, FNAGP (a French arts foundation)
• 2017: Finalist, Prix Meurice for Contemporary Art, France
• 2017: Artist Studio, FNAGP, France
• 2017: Artist Residency, Cité internationale des arts, Paris, France
• 2016: Artist Residency, Cité internationale des arts, Paris, France
• 2015: Winner, Prix SAM for Contemporary Art, France
• 2014: Nominated for the Bernd Lohaus Prize, Belgium
• 2014: Finalist, Kaldor Public Arts Projects, Sydney, Australia
• 2011: Artist Residency, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France
• 2007: Artist Residency, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France
• 2005: Artist Residency, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France
• 2005: Finalist, National Sculpture Prize, National Gallery of Australia (NGA), Australia
• 2005: Australian Film Commission, Australia
• 2004: Artist Residency, Cité International des Arts, Paris, France
• 2001: Artist Residency, Centre for Contemporary Art, Prague, Czech Republic
• 2001: Finalist, Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Award

Where Her Art Is Kept

Mel O'Callaghan's art is part of several important collections. These collections are in Australia and France.

• Ensemble (2013) is at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
• Framework (2014) is at FRAC Bretagne, Rennes, France.
• Monash University Museum of Modern Art (MUMA), Australia.
• Artbank, Australian Government Art Collection, Australia.
• Attorney General's Department, Australian Government.
• Musee National d'Art Moderne/Centre Pompidou, Paris, France.