ART+FILM: Jen Valender

Enter the wild sonic landscapes of Aotearoa New Zealand-born, Naarm-based artist Jen Valender.

Filmed during a 2024 winter residency at Police Point on the Mornington Peninsula, Stormborne explores Australia’s climate history through the lens of intensifying coastal storms. At its centre are sculptural drums – built from recycled local materials and an antique weather map – designed to be played by the rain and wind. Activated during wild weather, these sculptures translate atmospheric forces into sound, creating an immersive auditory experience that speaks to fragile coastal ecologies and the impact of a warming climate.

Also screening is Clearfell, originally commissioned for the Lorne Sculpture Biennale. Shot on a digital cine camera and transferred to 16mm, Clearfell transforms an antique ABC TV satellite tripod into an Aeolian harp – an instrument played by the wind. Positioned on a former clearfell logging tramway, the sculpture references the layered histories of the Otways through salvaged materials, brass, horsehair, and steel. Harpist Genevieve Fry performs both on a traditional harp and the sculptural strings of the wind-driven form, blurring the lines between broadcast, performance, and transmission.

Following the screenings, Valender will be joined by Associate Professor Simone Slee, Head of the School of Art at the Victorian College of the Arts, for a discussion about performing for film, performance art, and the act of performing with sculptural objects.

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Stormborne, running 30 May – 30 June 2025 at Alpha60 Chapter House, Level 2, 195 Flinders Ln, Melbourne.

About Art+Film
ACMI's ART+FILM program showcases short and feature-length films by leading Australian and international artists. With a focus on single-channel works that harness the unique conventions of cinema, the program comprises internationally significant works from the ever-expanding field of artist films.