Our Program
Our Program
Beyond functioning as a lending library, Melbourne Art Library develops and presents events, installations and creative programs. These programs aim to further the appreciation and discussion of art and design in Naarm/Melbourne; provide opportunities for artist development; and promote critical thinking and engagement with libraries and information sharing.We believe that libraries are places for the exchange of skills and experience, as well as books and physical forms of information.Most of our programs are borne through collaboration with like-minded organisations. Get in touch if you have an idea you'd like to co-develop.A calendar of upcoming events and an archive of past events will soon be added to the website.
Creative Residencies
With thanks to the Besen Family Foundation, MAL began a Creative Residencies program in 2022.How do artists interact with an art library? What does creative and critical intervention into the library space actually look like? How does a young, public organisation realise de-colonised institutional practice and totally open dialogue?
Over the year, MAL will host four artists, researchers, curators, and cultural leaders at the library. Melbourne Art Library’s inaugural Creative Residency program engages diverse perspectives to prod, unravel, and provoke the foundational underpinnings and offerings of MAL’s collection. Each resident will share their findings and musings with the MAL community, with the residency culminating in a public sharing event.
As an organisation, we hope to learn from the experiences of the artists we engage with; and welcome critique, intervention, and suggestions for reassembly or altered practice. We want to ensure that artists play a key role in the development of the art library, and are keen to explore the role of libraries as a key resource (tangibly and intangibly) for creative practice.
Find out more about our previous Creative Residents
Over the year, MAL will host four artists, researchers, curators, and cultural leaders at the library. Melbourne Art Library’s inaugural Creative Residency program engages diverse perspectives to prod, unravel, and provoke the foundational underpinnings and offerings of MAL’s collection. Each resident will share their findings and musings with the MAL community, with the residency culminating in a public sharing event.
As an organisation, we hope to learn from the experiences of the artists we engage with; and welcome critique, intervention, and suggestions for reassembly or altered practice. We want to ensure that artists play a key role in the development of the art library, and are keen to explore the role of libraries as a key resource (tangibly and intangibly) for creative practice.
Find out more about our previous Creative Residents
Who's Afraid of Public Space - Reading Space: The Common Room
Listen: Distributuion Forum Series
From December 2021-March 2022 MAL collaborated with the designers Nicola Cortese, Lauren Crockett and Stephanie Pahnis on their commission Reading Space: The Common Room for the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art's (ACCA) summer exhibitionWho's Afraid of Public Space. Read more about the exhibition here.For this collaboration, MAL contributed resources to the library space and ran a series of three workshops and three forums.
Find out more and listen to the series here.
Craft Contemporary - Crafted Conversations
As part of the 2021 Craft Contemporary festival, MAL presented Crafted Conversations.
The month-long festival presented by Craft Victoria explored how contemporary ideas are being expressed by today’s makers with skill and creative innovation, whether using new technologies or centuries old techniques. To celebrate and showcase the handmade, MAL presented virtual tours and talks with craftspeople over Instagram live.
Watch the Crafted Conversations here.
The month-long festival presented by Craft Victoria explored how contemporary ideas are being expressed by today’s makers with skill and creative innovation, whether using new technologies or centuries old techniques. To celebrate and showcase the handmade, MAL presented virtual tours and talks with craftspeople over Instagram live.
Watch the Crafted Conversations here.