Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) is thrilled to announce the 2023–24 Hatched Curatorial Fellow, Brent Harrison (WA).

The Boorloo (Perth) based emerging artist and curator joins PICA as the new Hatched Curatorial Fellow to deliver the country’s only national graduate exhibition, the Hatched: National Graduate Show.

With a more than 30-year legacy, Hatched brings together emerging artists from across Australia to form a definitive showcase of the next voices in contemporary art.

Since 2020, PICA has been pleased to expand its support for early-career arts practitioners with a two-year curatorial fellowship, made possible by the generous support of the Minderoo Foundation.

Incoming Fellow Brent Harrison has worked in different capacities with the Art Gallery of WA, PICA and Goolugatup Heathcote. Harrison has also undergone professional development with Ballarat International Foto Biennale, Perth Centre for Photography and the Australia Council’s Professional Development Program at the 2019 Venice Biennale.

He curated his first major show HERE&NOW20: Perfectly Queer at Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery in 2020 and is currently curating Goolugatup Heathcote’s 2023 Tilt program.

On joining PICA, Harrison said: “I’m excited to take on the role of Hatched Curatorial Fellow and to work with the next generation of artists as they begin their careers.”

“Hatched provides an unparalleled opportunity for recent graduates to exhibit at a major institution and contributes directly to their professional development. So many significant Australian artists began their careers in Hatched, and I look forward to following the careers of our 2023 and 2024 artists as they join this substantial alumnus.”

PICA Acting Director Georgia Malone said: “We’re really excited to have Brent join the exhibitions team to deliver the 2023 and 2024 Hatched National Graduate Show. The Fellowship has been invaluable for PICA, building capacity not only for the organisation but developing the skills of the previous Curatorial Fellow Miranda Johnson, who has become an integral member of the team.”

“The Minderoo Foundation has been instrumental in creating this role, which has elevated Hatched over the past three years. We look forward to continuing to support the artists graduating in 2022 from art schools across the country.”

Minderoo Foundation Director of Arts & Culture Ella McNeill said: “We are proud to be continuing our partnership with PICA, investing in an important career pathway for emerging curators here in WA. We know that establishing a career in the arts can be challenging, so we look for meaningful ways to help emerging artists and arts workers gain professional experience.”

“The Minderoo team congratulate Brent on his appointment, and we look forward to experiencing his work on Hatched! We also want to congratulate the inaugural Fellow, Miranda Johnson, for her exceptional work on Hatched over the last three years.”

The nationally renowned exhibition features $50,000 in prize money with the Schenberg Art Fellowship awards, presented in partnership with the University of Western Australia. The awards mark a career-defining boost for the chosen recipients and include the largest emerging arts prize in the nation.

Working with PICA’s Curator Sarah Wall and incoming CEO Hannah Mathews, Harrison will support the planning, administration, and delivery of Hatched. The Hatched 2023 artists will be announced on Monday 27 February 2023.

Media Enquiries

For all media enquiries, please contact:

Sam Leung
Communications Manager
sam.leung@pica.org.au
08 9228 6307

Biography

Partners

Hatched Curatorial Fellowship

Hatched is made possible by the generosity of Major Exhibition Partner the Minderoo Foundation.

Schenberg Art Fellowship

The Schenberg Art Fellowship is supported by the University of Western Australia.