Still from Untitled (bundle) 2018. Filmed in Tokushima, Japan.

I travelled to Japan in September this year and filmed a new work, Untitled (bundle). It is another absurdist work, this time examining the things we carry around, literally, metaphorically, unthinkingly......... unwittingly? I wonder if it's a personal prayer or meditation, slow down, stop running, drop it. I wasn't sure about the word bundle, and fossicked around for something else, including the origins of the word bundle (believed to be byndelle, meaning "binding"), which was even more apt for my thinking, but then circled back to bundle, because it's coarse and punchy and that's more me, really. I will be exhibiting it in 2019 and will be posting stills over on my instagram.

Image: Untitled (heel) at Byron School of Art, 2018. Courtesy of Byron School of Art.

Let Her Rip was an exhibition curated by Natalie Bull and Zoe Robinson- Kennedy. The exhibition featured works by artists Natalie Baxter, Natalie Bull and Zoe Robinson- Kennedy, Karla Dickens, Corrie Furner, Abbey McCulloch, Raphaela Rosella, Kimberly Rowe, moi and Amber Wallis. Unfortunately I was unable to travel to Byron Bay for the exhibition but will happily do so if the opportunity arises again! Thanks to Natalie and Zoe for a seamless process and congrats on the exhibition to all involved. More info here. 

I was recently part of a group exhibition entitled, 'Out front' at a temporary venue in Collingwood. It was one of those canny ideas by curator Marielle Soni, to nab a piece of real estate awaiting a long term lease, put a lick of paint on it, snaffle a wine sponsor and voila! A gallery! It was great to be shown alongside a stellar line up of artists (who happened to be women...) You can still pop over to the website  (​hereweseegallerythere.com/portfolio-item/tania-smith/) to purchase my works even though the physical exhibition is now over....

Here is a little screenshot to let you know my Untitled (walking) video is now screening as part of the Centre for Contemporary Photography (CCP) 's Night Projection Window. As a long time fan of the CCP it is such an honour to be able to present my work there. Untitled (walking) is showing until 31 January 2018, more details here.

My Untitled (home) series has just been featured on the curated Asia-pacific website Photodust. How thrilling to see this series continuing to resonate a few years on, some works seem to develop their own lives, independent of their maker or circumstances. Please pop over and take a look at the Photodust website if you have a moment.

Performance at True Estate Gallery, Saturday 2 September, 2017. Documentation by Kubota Fumikazu.

A great new gallery has opened Upstairs from the Alderman in Brunswick East, called 'True Estate'. It's real estate/true crime themed- so I couldn't resist giving 'Helen' another outing during their recent 'Open House' exhibition. Thanks so much to Elvis Richardson and the True Estate family for having me.

Photos by Pimpisa Tinalit, Jess Lilley and Nth ARI.

Nth ARI (pronounced "North" Artist Run Initiative) was a short-lived gallery in Melbourne's inner city. After six months the gallery was given its marching orders due to, well, gentrification basically, and in the spirit of the times, I decided to perform a character that could be the focus of the collective resignation and/or rage. And thus Helen, 'your friendly property manager', was born. Poor Helen suffered some mysterious incident and spent the 90 odd minute exhibition opening as a cathartic figure for the audience, the audience swapping tales of real estate misfortune in our precarious housing histories (and sadly reality).

My video work Untitled (refrain) was recently exhibited as part of BLINDSIDE ARI's contribution to 'An Act of Showing' - a great research project and survey of the region's artist run initiatives by Maria Miranda. The exhibition component of the project was held at Testing Grounds and has unfortunately finished but there will be an upcoming publication and launch later in the year. Take a look at the project website for more info: ​www.act-of-showing.net/ 

I am thrilled to be presenting the work of six artists from the Philippines in an exhibition entitled Proximity. Proximity opens on Wednesday 8 March at c3 Contemporary Artspace, Abbotsford Convent and includes an artist talk on Saturday 11 March at 2.00 pm. Please help me in welcoming Ivy Marie Apa, Nice Buenaventura, Alfred Marasigan, Nomar Bayog Miano and Soika Vomiter to Melbourne and come and see the exciting work of these artists in an exhibition exploring place in what geographers have termed the 'new mobilities paradigm'. The exhibition runs until 2 April. 

Kubota Fumikazu and myself have just returned from three weeks in the Philippines, lecturing, performing, skills-sharing, exhibiting, performing, making and talking. It was so exciting to meet so many fabulous local artists, students, university staff, gallerists, makers and thinkers. I am so grateful to the Copyright Agency Australia, the University of San Carlos, Cebu, Ateneo de Manila University and of course Alfred Marasigan and the wonderful Nomar Miano for their kindness and generosity to us as hosts. Strong alliances were formed and I look forward to more collaborations in future.