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.

Thank you to the University of San Carlos, Cebu City, for a wonderful time. I am pictured here with the faculty staff of the Department of Fine Arts, Design and Architecture, after presenting my lecture, Funny and Feminist: Performing the Comic Anti-hero. It was one of many great days with staff and students, and I would like to additionally thank the Copyright Agency of Australia for also enabling my visit.

Thanks to Gallery Orange, Bacolod, Philippines for hosting the excellent Regional Art Forum in tandem with the Concurrents exhibition- a group exhibition of artists from various regions of the Philippines and Australia. Congratulations to Nomar Bayog Miano for thoughtfully curating, organising and driving the project, and of course to the University of San Carlos for supporting the initiative.

I had the pleasure of presenting my work in an artist talk on Friday 30 September at the Ateneo Art Gallery, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines. The students were very considerate and generous and we had some excellent discussions regarding the validity of humour in art as a strategy for social change. Thanks so much for having me!

I premiered a new video, Untitled (walking) (2016) at the PIC Fair, a new initiative by the OK Collective to bring performance, interactive and participatory art to a broader audience. Unfortunately I was away for the event in Melbourne on Saturday 15 October but check out my page on their  website and navigate through for more info here.

Untitled (white) 01 (2016) is a finalist in the 2016 M Collection Award, an initiative which I love because a group of women started it as an investment/art collecting group, which then turned into an acquisitive art prize for unrepresented artists. We need more of these savvy art-lovers. The opening night is on Thursday 25 August at Gallery Smith, 170- 174 Abbotsford St, North Melbourne. More info at the gallery's website or the M Collection website.