Sophie Durand (born Boorloo / Perth, Australia, based in Vilnius, Lithuania) is an artist and researcher. Sophie’s multi-disciplinary practice extends from the intersection of sculpture and performance art, and draws from anecdotal histories and archives of landscape for subject matter. As an artist, Sophie works between scales from discrete gestures and actions to larger networked bodies of work, as well as programming, collaborations, and pedagogy, all of which are instances of a practice-led relationality. The artistic outcomes of these practices are most commonly installations, exhibitions, and happenings. Currently Sophie is thinking through ideas of the ocean existing as many times all at once, and how an artist might move beyond evidencing ecological entanglement in their artworks, to embody the interaction between object, individual, context, and connections through transforming the processes employed by creative practice.
Sophie is a current doctoral candidate, tutor, and researcher at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, and co-founder of the Landing. Sophie holds a Master’s in Contemporary Art from the Estonian Academy of Arts and a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts (Hons) from Curtin University. Sophie is Resident Artist at Užupio Meno Inkubatorius, her studio is currently open to the public as a micro-cultural centre under the project care of …..
Contact: sldurand@bigpond.com
Education
2022- current: Doctor of Arts candidate at Vilnius Academy of Arts
2020-2022 Masters of Contemporary Art at the Estonian Academy of Arts (cum laude)
2015- BA Fine Art Honours (First Class) at Curtin University
2012 – 2014 Bachelor of Fine Art/ Art and Design at Curtin University
2013-2014 Visiting Scholar to L'École Nationale Supérieure d'Art de Dijon, France
Solo Exhibitions
2026
Lookfar, Retrito Smarsas Gallery, Vilnius, Lithuania
2025
inlet : įvadas at the Uzupis Art Incubator Gallery- this exhibition included a curated
program of public events
2023
looking for / stumbling across, Associate Gallery, Reykjavik, Iceland
a rainbow all around, Pig Melon Gallery, Boorloo / Perth, Australia
2022
Lookfar, Gallery Showcase, Tallinn Estonia (on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the project)
washed up on the shore / an egg is a single cell, Uus Rada (Raja Galleri), Tallinn, Estonia
2021
Certain Somethings Arrive, Naked Island, Tallinn, Estonia
2019
Two Postcards, Flæði Gallerý, Reykjavik, Iceland
there’s no other news + BBQ, Exhibition as part of the series ‘Networking and Chilling’, Harbinger Project Space, Reykjavik, Iceland
2016
Where Two Oceans Meet: Selected Histories of Flinders Bay, SEVENTH Gallery, Fitzroy, Australia
Group Exhibitions
2025
Compo(s)t and Detritus, Vilnius Art Academy Exhibition Hall Titanikas, Vilnius, Lithuania, with Adomas Žudys, Artūras Mitinas, Eglė Kliučinskaitė, Gailė Griciūtė and Miki Ambrózy, Gediminas Viliūnas, Gerda Liudvinavičiūtė, Ieva Butkutė, Ieva Rižė, Ieva Šlaičiūnaitė, Indrė Liškauskaitė, Justė Tarvydė, Justina Semčenkaitė, Justinas Dūdėnas, Kipras Dubauskas, Marija Nemčenko, Neringa Poškutė-Jukumienė, Nina Nowak, Renata Mockutė, Sophie Durand
Idiorrhythmic Imaginaries, Kuva/Tila gallery, Helsinki, Finland. Curated by Henk Slager with contributions from Amanda Beech (Resident keynote), Jaime Belmonte & Paola Fernanda (Uniarts Helsinki), Kerry Guinan (Valand Academy, Gothenburg), Heidi Hänninen (Uniarts Helsinki), Marleena Huuhka (Tampere University), Joanna Kalm (Estonian Academy of Arts), Noora Karjalainen (Uniarts Helsinki), Kristiina Koskinen (University of Lapland), Veli Lehtovaara (Uniarts Helsinki), Christian Nyampeta (Resident keynote), Dominik Schlienger (Uniarts Helsinki), Kerstin Schroedinger & Angela Melitopoulos (Uniarts Helsinki), Whyte & Zettergren: Rut Karin Zettergren & Orlando Whyte (Uniarts Helsinki)
2024
Future Casting, Vilniaus fotografijos galerija, Vilnius, Lithuania with Miki Ambrózy, Šalnė Balčiūnaitė, Delta and Delfina, Kipras Dubauskas, Sophie Durand, Mattias Hellberg, Indre Liškauskaitė, Ingrid Helena Pajo, Adomas Žudys
2023
The Art of Adapting, Kadriorg Palace, Estonian Art Museum, Tallinn, Estonia, curated by Madli Ehasalu and Triin Metsla, other participating artists are Elo-Reet Järv, Sandra Kosorotova, Kärt Ojavee, Uku Sepsivart, Denisa Štefanigová, Paco Ulman and Kristina Õllek
Mind Readers, Atletika Gallery, Vilnius, Lithuania curated by Aistė Marija Stankevičiūtė other articipating artists Anton Karyuk, George Finlay Ramsay, Ieva Rižė, Jogintas Čepulis, Marija Šnipaitė
2022
Soft Manouvers, The Youth Exhibition of 18th Tallinn Print Triennial, EKKM, Tallinn, Estonia curated by Riin Maide and Brit Kikas with works by Rodion Furs, Saara Liis Jõerand, Maria Izabella Lehtsaar, Merilyn Lempu, Ella-Mai Matsina, Jose Aldemar Muños, Ingrid Helena Pajo, Lily Marleen Verilaskja
Noor Skulptori Preemia (Young Sculptor Award) 2022, hosted by the Sculpture Department of the Estonian Academy of Arts at Ars Project Space, Tallinn, Estonia
2021
Wet Hearts of Everyday Thoughts, Gallery Mihhail, Estonia, curated by Brigit Arop with Anna Mari Liivrand, Heli Haav, Junny Yeung, Maryliis Teinfeldt-Grins
2020
only mountains never meet, with Ariadna Garriga Ballarin (ESP), Shannon Calcott (AU/DE), Patricia Carolina (MX/IS), and Þorúnn Dís Halldorsdóttir (IS), Í kring 07 X RÝMD - Session 3/3, Reykjavik Roasters, Reykjavik, Iceland
2019
CHRONOS, RÝMD, Breiðholt, Iceland with: Bergþóra Kristbergsdóttir, Dana Savić, Elísabet Birta Sveinsdóttir, Gylfi Freeland Sigurðsson, Justine Grillet, Joe Keys, Lisette Lepik, Renate Feizaka, Oscar Gränse, Philipp Orsini-Rosenberg, Rakel Andrésdóttir, Sturla Sigurðarson, Tóta, Þorsteinn Eyfjörð. Curated by Katerina Spathi and Kristrún Ásta Arnfinnsdóttir
Folding Together, Cool Change Contemporary, Perth, Australia,
2018
Maybe it’s the weather, (With Brontë Jones and Natasha Lall) Cool Change Contemporary, Perth, Australia
2017
Placing the Periphery, Zig Zag Gallery, Kalamunda, Perth, Australia
Songe éternel d'un esprit endormi with C.O.S.M.I.C. collective, La FaRM, Neuilly-Plaisance Ville, France
2016
The Light and the Heavy, with Magali Rifflart-Villeneuve, D'Clinic Studio, Zalaegerszeg, Hungary
All Seeing Eyes by the Beige Garden Bed (With Lyle Branson, Jacobus Capone, Teelah George), Pet Projects, Bayswater, Australia
2015
Curtin University Degree Show, Bentley, Australia
2014
Curtin University Degree Show, Bentley, Australia
2014
Dison Dijon, Entrepot 9, Dijon, France
2013
25 Under 25 curated by Feast Your Eyes Gallery at the Moores Contemporary Art Gallery, Fremantle, Australia
2013
Gomboc Sculpture Survey, Gomboc Sculpture Park, Middle Swan, Australia
Awards
2015
Curtin University Studio Prize
Member Vice Chancellors List, Curtin University
Residencies
2020
CCA Andratx Studio Program, CCA Andratx, Andratx, Mallorca, Spain
2019
only mountains never meet, (self initiated/curated program) Tatra Mountain Region, Poland with Ariadna Garriga Ballarin (ESP), Shannon Calcott (AU/DE), Patricia Carolina (MX/IS), Maríanna Eva Dúfa Sævarsdóttir (IS) and Þorúnn Dís Halldorsdóttir (IS)
2017
Studio Residency at Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Perth, Australia
Interlude Gallery Writers Program, Interlude Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2016
MiXER Residency at D'Clinic Studios, Zalaegerszeg, Hungary
Artist in Residence at Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle, Australia
Scholarships
2013
Helen Hyslop Art Award for a St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School Old Girl in their second year of an Arts Related Degree.
2010
Recipient of The National Gallery of Australia’s National Summer Art Scholarship
Curatorial:
2023
Exchange? Meet = One Meets Another + Another Meets Initial Other, for Cool Change Contemporary x FORM Gallery
2022
Garden of Eve, a solo exhibition by Lisette Lepik at Uus Rada, Tallinn, Estonia
2021
Double Time, Uus Rada, Tallinn, Estonia
Chicken exhibition, Uus Rada, Tallinn, Estonia
Walking Mass, a public performance by NUUM Collective, Vent Space, Tallinn, Estonia
VENT Space Salon, Vent Space. Tallinn, Estonia
2019
only mountains never meet, (self-initiated/curated program) Tatra Mountain Region, Poland with Ariadna Garriga Ballarin (ESP), Shannon Calcott (AU/DE), Patricia Carolina (MX/IS), Maríanna Eva Dúfa Sævarsdóttir (IS) and Thorúnn Dís Halldorsdóttir (IS), featured as part of the off-venue program of the Sequences Art Festival, Reykjavik, Iceland
2018
Maybe it’s the weather, exhibition at Cool Change Contemporary, Perth, Australia. Publication curated in collaboration with Ana Victoria Bruno and Bronte Jones: publication launches at Cool Change Contemporary, Good Press, Glasgow, Scotland and OPEN, Reykjavik, Iceland and exhibition at Kosminen Art Space, Helsinki, Finland
Klappastigur 12, Reykjavik, Iceland (in collaboration with students from Listahaskoli Islands, and Haskoli Islands)
Collections
CCA Andratx