Fiona Hillary

Fiona Hillary is the Program Manager of the Master of Arts - Art in Public Space and Research Lead in the School of Art research group CAST (Contemporary Art and Social Transformation).

Fiona Hillary is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Art. As a Melbourne based artist working in the public realm, Fiona's passion lies in site-specific practices and the human/non-human/more-than-human relationships that reveal themselves across time. Working at the intersection of art, science and technology, her work explores scale through publicly shared moments of awe and wonder to more personal and intimate encounters, she asks us to consider who and what we are in the process of becoming? Working with site, neon, sound, human and non-human kin, her work focuses on temporary, fleeting encounters in and of the everyday. Fiona is entangled in posthuman, feminist, new materialist thinking.

Fiona has made and curated permanent, temporary, collaborative, performative works for a range of commissioning organizations. Her recent work 'Reverberating Futures' a 360 degree film and sound work was presented for Treatment III, Public Art Commission, WesternTreatment Plant, Werribee, Victoria 2022; ANAT SpectraLive State Library Victoria 2022; + Molecule Belconnen Art Centre, Canberra, ACT, Australia 2021; Confluence The Algae Society BioArt Design Lab, Cameron Museum, Wilmington, NC, United States 2021; Deakin University's 360 degree Cinema, the Nyall 2021. Other works include: We are all made from exploding stars, The Children's Sensorium – The Big Anxiety Festival, Design Hub, RMIT Design Hub Gallery, RMIT University, Melbourne 2022. Cyber Static, Skypelab: 1000 Pixels, Landesvertretung Baden-Wüttemberg, Berlin, Germany 2019. Fieldwork, Entanglements, COP25 – UN Climate Change Conference, Madrid, Spain 2019; 37°57'02.5"S 144°38'02.0"E, Treatment 2017: Flightlines, Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, Victoria. Curatorial projects include Posthuman PUBLICS, RMIT Intersect: Project Space, Melbourne, Australia 2020 and Unfurling Futures: Gertrude Street Projection Festival 10th Anniversary Commissioned by Centre for Projection Art 2017.


Public engagements:
Conference Presentations:
- Jennifer Parker, Fiona Hillary, Ellen Marie Sæthre-McGirk 2023 'Sensing the Wrack' 5th International Conference, Digital Culture and Audio Visual Challenges: Interdisciplinary Creativity in Arts and Technology, DCAC, Corfu, Greece.
- Hillary F, Parker J, Sæthre-McGuirk EM, 2022 Rising Waters and Rhythm of the Tides: Coastlines as Sites for Practice-Based Arts Research and Speculative Futures with Seaweed and Kelp' ASANOR Conference 2022 'Appalling Ocean, Verdant Land: America & the Sea' Nord University, Bodø, Norway.
- Professor David Cross (Deakin University), Dr Katie Lee (Deakin University), Dr Fiona Hillary (RMIT), Associate Professor Cameron Bishop (Deakin University) 2021 Beyond Competition Theory: A Speculative Model for Consortia Development in Visual Art Education ACUADS, School of Art RMIT.
Felice, G. Parker, J. Velasco, J. Harrower, J. Hillary, F. Harris, D. and Ribeaux, T. 2020
- The Algae Society Bio Art Design Lab presents: Entanglements ISEA2020: 26th International Symposium on Electronic Art, Montreal, Quebec Canada.
- Hillary, F. 2018 'Traces': Aesthetics, Politics and Histories: The Social Context of Art AAANZ Conference December 5-7, 2018, School of Art, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

Public Lectures and Presentations:
- Aleksic, J., Da Silva Faustino,A., Guerra, N. Hillary, F., Lacey, J., Olive, R., Quigley, K., Rousell, D., Steele, W., Wise, K. 2023 Ocean Undercurrents: Human-Water Entanglements in Nairm, NGV Melbourne Design Week, Port Phillips Ferries, Platform Arts, Geelong, Victoria.
- Carlin, D. Da Silva Faustino, A. Fenaughty, L. Guerra, N. Hillary, F., Iampolski, R. Lacey, J. Reed, A. Steele, W. 2022 Urban Undercurrents NGV Melbourne Design Week, Collingwood Yards, Victoria. 2021 Urban Undercurrents: The Hidden Infrastructure of Wild Cities Festival of Urbanism, Henry Halloran Trust and Monash Urban Planning and Design, the University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning.
- McCormick, M. & Hillary, F. 2021 Shaping Resilience through Art and Activism in Public Space Shaping resilient Communities: Global perspectives towards implementation of the New Urban Agenda, 17th International Architecture Bienale, Venice, Italy.
- McCormick, M. & Hillary, F. 2021 Master of Arts – Art in Public Space: Methodologies and Networks RMIT University 2020 International Institute of Public Art Researchers Conference and International Award for Public Art. Organised by the Shanghai Academy of Fine Art, China.

Industry experience:
- Ocean LAB, Platform Art Space, Geelong, Victoria.
- Curator Artist Labs for Rosi Braidotti's Posthuman Summer School, Utrecht University
- Co-founder International Master of Art in Public Space Alliance - RMIT University, Fontys University (NL), London Metropolitan University (UK).
CBRE/ISPT Spring Place Public Art Project
- The Algae Society BioArt Design Lab http://algaesociety.org/
- Co-editor The Journal of Public Space Art & Activism Editions https://www.journalpublicspace.org/index.php/jps/issue/view/77
- Scientific Committee, City Space Architecture, Bologna, Italy.
- Centre for Projection Art Curatorial Committee
- 2013-2018 Board Member, The Gertrude Projection Association – the Centre for Projection Art