TONY GARIFALAKIS CV + BIO
Tony Garifalakis
Born 1964 in Melbourne, Victoria where he currently lives and works.
Tony Garifalakis’ practice over the past two decades has constituted an examination of social relations and the semiotics of power. His work particularly engages the ways in which the meaning of signs, symbols and images might be ascribed, conveyed or transformed through culture, and how conventional notions of hierarchy and status might be undermined or subverted. Garifalakis interrogates social, political, artistic and religious systems of belief – as well as the institutions that uphold them – through a range of strategies that include amplification of the signifiers utilised by those institutions themselves; subversive juxtaposition of image and text; and the deployment of dark, incongruous humour. Previously, Garifalakis has utilised the imagery from various of his own subcultural interests to consider the ways in which such iconography infiltrates popular culture.
These concerns have manifest in works such as Affirmations, a body of work that explores belief systems underpinning both New Age movements and gun culture groups; Anti-Christs, an ongoing project examining various conspiracy theories, specifically the attempts made to identify and name the Anti-Christ; and Mob Rule, in which portraits of powerful figures such as heads of state, royalty and military leaders are obscured with black paint. These works are reflective of the artist’s broader concerns around the signification of authority and the legitimacy of those who wield it. They are also both humorous and politically charged – a deft combination that continues to underscore Gariflalakis’ work to powerful effect.
EDUCATION
1999 – 2000 Masters in Fine Art (Painting), RMIT University, Melbourne
1983 – 1985 Diploma in Graphic Design, Victoria College, Melbourne
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 DUMMKOPF (with Matthew Ware) Caves Gallery, Melbourne"
Future History, Hugo Michell Gallery, Adelaide
2021 Scum Suite, Hugo Michell Gallery, Adelaide
2018 Information Discharge Systems, Sarah Scout Presents, Melbourne
Bloodline, Darren Knight Gallery, Sydney
2016 Repertoires of Contention (with Joaquin Segura), curated by Ivan Muniz Reed, Gertrude Contemporary, Melbourne
Bloodline, Sarah Scout Presents, Auckland Art Fair, New Zealand
2015 Ant-Christs, Chalk Horse Gallery, Sydney
Affirmations, Hugo Michell Gallery, Adelaide
2014 Shock and Awe, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Mob Rule, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Angels of the Bottomless Pit, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
2013 Angels of the Bottomless Pit, Hugo Michell Gallery, Adelaide
2012 Department of Misanthropic Affairs, db Projects, Sydney
Affirmations, Daine Singer Gallery, Melbourne
Denimism (with Tully Moore), Westspace, Melbourne
Tony Garifalakis and Richard Lewer, Hugo Michell Gallery, Adelaide
2011 OK Moses! (with Lane Cormick), Bus Projects, Melbourne
Mutually Assured Destruction, Ryan Renshaw Gallery, Brisbane
The Misery of Philosophy, Curro Y Poncho, Guadalajara, Mexico
The Philosophy of Misery, Yautepec, Mexico City, Mexico
2010 Bad Scene, Uplands Gallery, Melbourne
2008 Cover Ups, Uplands Gallery, Melbourne
New Work, ISCP, New York
Infinity Land, Hell Gallery, Melbourne
2006 Paradise Slaves, Uplands Gallery, Melbourne
Detritus, Dudespace Gallery, Melbourne
No Fun, The Cage, Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne
2004 The Other Hell, MIR 11, Melbourne
2003 The Spectre Smitten, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
Dirt, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces
F.T.W, 24 Seven, Melbourne
2002 Le Grand Grimoire, TCB Art Inc, Melbourne
Graveyard Boys and Cemetery Girls, Penthouse and Pavement, Melbourne
2001 Demonaz Doom Occulta, First Floor Artists and Writers Space, Melbourne
Thirteen, Linden Art Centre, Melbourne
2000 Metal Theory (with Guy Benfield), First Floor Artist and Writers Space, Melbourne
Bad blood, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021 Wall Drawings, curated by Danny Lacy and Ellinor Pelz
Black & Gold, Warrnambool Art Gallery
Spring Group Show, Sarah Scout Presents, Melbourne
Conners Conners Fundraiser, Conners Conners, Melbourne
Ligature, VCA Editions, Megalo Print Studio, Canberra
2020 Plan B, Hugo Michell Gallery
2019 Gorrillas in our midst, curated by Pippa Mott, Jane Clark and Nicole Durling in consultation
with Christoper Chabris and Daniel Simons, Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart
Hope Dies Last: Art at the End of Optimism, curated by Mark Feary, Gertrude Contemporary
and Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Melbourne
The National: New Australian Art, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney
Museum of Platitudes and Aphorisms, curated by Phil Edwards, C3 Gallery, Melbourne
National Anthem, Buxton Contemporary, Melbourne
2018 Decade, Hugo Michell Gallery, Adelaide
WORD, Hugo Michell Gallery, Adelaide
The Shape of Things to Come, Buxton Contemporary, Melbourne
Group Show, Spring 1883, Sarah Scout Presents, Windsor Hotel, Melbourne
2017 The Sunshine Suite, curated by Jon Campbell, Darren Knight Gallery, Sydney
9X5 NOW, curated by Elizabeth Gower, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Melbourne
As Long as the Night is Dark, curated by Simon Pericich, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery, NSW
Group Show, Spring 1883, Sarah Scout Presents, Establishment Hotel, Sydney
2016 Authenticity…? curated by Peter Hill and Richard Ennis, Incinerator Gallery, Melbourne
The Museum of Doubt, curated by Peter Hill, Despard Gallery, Hobart
A Billion Bucks, curated by Justin Hinder, The Honeymoon Suite, Melbourne
Erewhon, curated by Vikki McInnes, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Melbourne
Negative Approach, curated by Dan Price and Shae Nagorcka, Gertrude Glasshouse, Melbourne
Group Show, Spring 1883, Sarah Scout Presents, Windsor Hotel, Melbourne
Flashback, Stalke Galleri, Kirke Sonnerup, Denmark
2015 Pleasure and Reality, curated by Jane Devery and Serena Bentley, National Gallery of Victoria at Federation Square, Melbourne
Grey Matter, curated by Mark Feary, Artbank, Sydney
Hiding in Plain Sight, Bendigo Art Gallery, Bendigo
Neverwhere, Gaia Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
Sydney Contemporary Art Fair with Hugo Michell Gallery, Carriageworks, Sydney
Activate, animate, complicate, grow. curated by Vincent Alessi, The Ian Potter Museum of Art, Melbourne
2014 Fin, curated by Melissa Loughnan, Utopian Slumps, Melbourne
The Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art The Dark Heart, The Art Gallery of South Australia
Don’t hide the hate, curated by Christopher Sciuto & Patrice Sharkey, Slopes, Melbourne
Dear Masato, all at once, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Melbourne
Liminal Narratives, curated by Frances Lindsay, The Gallery at BACC, Brighton
Whisper in my Mask: TarraWarra Biennial 2014, TarraWarra Museum of Art, Healesville
2013 Melboune Now, National Gallery of Victoria
Theatre of the World, curated by Jean-Hubert Martin, La Maison Rouge, Paris
Decline, curated by Harriet Morgan, Top Shelf Gallery, Melbourne
Pigeon Auction, curated by Toni Bailey, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Sydney
A Million Bucks, curated by Justin Hinder, Utopian Slumps, Melbourne
Pivotal, curated by Drew Pettifer, Bus Projects, Melbourne
2012 Negotiating This World: Contemporary Australian Art, National Gallery of Victoria at
Federation Square, Melbourne
A Postcard From Afar, curated by Mark Feary, Apex Art. New York
Theatre of the World, curated by Jean-Hubert Martin, Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart
Things Fall Apart, curated by Blair French & Mark Feary, Artspace, Sydney
Crisis Complex, curated by Sumugan Sivanesan and Laura McLean, Tin Sheds Gallery, Sydney
History of the Universe Pt 2: The End, curated by C Reeves, Museum Gallery/Gallery Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Dodecahedron, curated by Adam Cruickshank, Platform, Melbourne Like, curated by Toni Bailey, Casula Powerhouse Art Centre, Sydney
Yonder, curated by Jasmine Stephens, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Perth
This Is Not A Love Song, Anna Pappas Gallery, Melbourne
2011 Trust Me, curated by Olivia Poloni, Galerie Charlotte Desaga, Cologne, Germany
Hollywood Forever, curated by James Marshall, Feltspace, Adelaide
The Devil Had A Daughter, curated by Kirrily Hammond, Monash University Museum of Art
Detours Through Abstraction, curated by Alex Baker, Arts Project Australia
Endism, 24 HR Art, Darwin, Northern Territory
Monanism, The Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania
2010 Print Resolution, Centre of Contemporary Photography Booth, Melbourne Art Fair
Bela Lugosi’s Dead, Death be kind, Melbourne
Omega, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Melbourne
Autumn Masterpieces, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
2009 Welcome to the Death Show, Parramatta Artists Studios, New South Wales
Problem Solving : Espress Yourself, Uplands Gallery, Melbourne
Bad Moon Rising 4, Galerie Sans Titre, Brussels, Belgium
Uncle Chop Chop, EMBASSY, Edinburgh, UK
+/-, Monash Faculty Gallery, curated by Danny Lacy, Monash University Faculty Gallery, Caulfield
Hell is other people, Inflight, Hobart, Tasmania
Dark Liaisons, curated by Ashley Crawford, 24 hr Art, Darwin
Enviroments, Project Space/Spare Room Gallery, RMIT, Melbourne
The Last Session, De Brakke Grond, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Cock and Bull, Curators: Vikki McInnes & Kate Daw, Margaret Lawrence Gallery, Melbourne
Bad Moon Rising 3, Curator: Jan Van Woensel & Jessica Silverman, Boots Contemporary, St Louis, MA, USA
2008 Life Death Afterlife, Curator: Mark Feary, Silvershot Gallery, Melbourne
Bad Moon Rising (special), Curator: Jan Van Woensel, ISCP, New York
Neo Goth – Back in Black, Curator: Alison Kubler, University of Queensland Art Museum, Brisbane
Revolving Doors, Curators: Jarrod & Tara Rawlins, Uplands Gallery, Melbourne
2007 Relentless Optimism, curated by Mark Feary, Carlton Hotel, Melbourne
Lane Cormick & Tony Garifalakis, Occular Lab, Melbourne
2006 Zoo Art Fair 2006, Bureau Gallery, London, UK
Silenzi, Curators: Natalie King & Giovanna Zabotti, Palazzo delle Prigioni, Venice, Italy
printROOM, Curator: Karin de Jong, Bureau Gallery, Manchester, UK
Family first, Curator, Mark Feary, The Physics Room, Christchurch, New Zealand
2005 Family first, Curator: Mark Feary, VCA Gallery, Melbourne
The Beast with three Backs, RMIT Project space, Melbourne
Six orbits around the blue moon, Curator: Nadine Christensen, Ramp Gallery, Hamilton, New Zealand
Drops in the ocean, Curator: Ewoud Van Rjin, Het Wilde Weten (ROOM), Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Magic, Curator: Andrea Gilbert, Vamiali’s gallery, Athens, Greece
Merde on the dancefloor, Curator: Mathew Griffin. MIR 11, Melbourne
Portable model of, Curator, Tristian Koenig, Plimsoll Gallery, Hobart, Tasmania
2004 Frequent See, Bus Gallery, Melbourne
2003 Wall candy, Curator: Greg Deftereos, Conical Gallery, Melbourne
Posted, MOP Gallery, Sydney
2002 1st Floor final exhibition, Curator David Rozetsky, 1st Floor, Melbourne
Dredder than dredd, Citylights, Hosier lane, Melbourne
La peau parle, Musee de la Civilisation, Quebec City, Canada
Only the Lonely, Curator: Clare Firth Smith, BLOCK, Sydney
2001 Group show, Tobey Fine Art, NYC, New York, USA
2000 Spooky, Curator: David O Hallaran, Glen Eira City Gallery, Melbourne
1999 SKIN, Curator: Andrea Gilbert, Deste Centre for Contemporary Art, Athens, Greece
The Order of Things, Artspace, Sydney, Australia
Flatliners, Curator: Natasha Johns Messenger, Level 11, Melbourne
1996 X3 (In Parenthesis) Gallery Odyssea Elytis, Athens
Aerphost, Australian International Art Survey, The Debtor's Prison, Dublin
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2021 Mark Dustin, Ligature VCA Editions exhibition catalogue
Damiano Bertoli, The Sweetest Scum, exhibition flyer
2019 Robert Nelson, Far from the bright side, The Age, October 10, 2019
Andrew Stephens, Hope and fear collide in art for the end days, The Age, October 4, 2019
Christopher Chabris, Daniel Simons, Jane Clark, Gorillas in our Midst, Exhibition catalogue
2018 Mutual Assured Destruction, Artist monograph with texts by Nikos Papastergiadis,
Mark Feary and Daniel Garza Usabiaga, Surpllus
Melissa Keys, The shape of things to come. Exhibition catalogue
Andrew Stephens, A history of the Michael Buxton collection, Buxton Contemporary
2017 Mark Feary, The Art of the Deal, the Deal of the Art: Setting a Pictorial Mise-en-scene, Art + Australia, Issue One
Ivan Muniz Reed, Repertoires of Contention, exhibition flyer
2016 Lisa Radford, Aesthetic nonsense makes commonsense X, Surpllus
Melissa Loughnan, Australiana to Zeitgeist: An A-Z of Australian Contemporary Art,
Thames and Hudson
Karen Walker, Alien Effigy, Ubris no. 93
Toby Fehily, Tony Garifalakis: Mob Rule, Neue Luxury no. 6
Mefistofele. Program for the opera Mefistofele at Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich
Vikki McInnes Dark Pasts, Dark Presents, exhibition catalogue, Erewhon
Molly McPhee Stigmata: the work of the Straightener., exhibition catalogue, Erewhon
Ramona Barry and Rebecca Jobson, The Craft Companion, Thames and Hudson
2015 Mark Feary, Grey Matter, Sturgeon, Issue 4
Samantha Comte, Hiding in Plain Sight: A selection of works from the Michael Buxton Collection. Exhibition catalogue essay
Dr Peter Hill, Tony Garifalakis; To Hell and Back, Gallery, NGV Magazine, Sept/Oct
Carrie Miller, The Eyes Have It, Art Collector Magazine, Special Sydney Contemporary Editions
2014 Macushla Robinson, Tony Garifalakis: Hysterical Glory, ARTAND, Issue no 52.1
Ivan Muniz Reed, Defacing Power, exhibition catalogue
Frances Lindsay, Liminal_Narratives, exhibition catalogue
Harriet K Morgan, Acting Natural in a Slave State, exhibition flyer
Mark Feary, 2014 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Dark Heart, Exhibition catalogue
Ashley Crawford, The Multiverse of Tony Garifalakis. Vault, November, Issue 8
2013 Anna Madeleine, Tony Garifalakis, Artist Profile, Issue25
Various writers, Melbourne Now, Exhibition Catalogue
Mark Feary, Prophet and Loss: Tony Garifalakis’ Angels of the bottomless pit, exhibition catalogue
James Arvanitakis, The complexity of living together, Pigeon Auction exhibition catalogue
2012 Kelly Gellatly (Ed), 101 Contemporary Artists, NGV Publication
Jean-Hubert Martin, Theatre of the World, Exhibition Catalogue
Rebecca Coates, Uncertain Times, Exhibition Catalogue
Mark Feary, Nothing that is shall last forever, Column, Issue 10
Priscilla Frank, A Postcard from Afar: North Korea from a distance, Huffington Post, 13,01/12
Chinnie Ding, A Postcard from Afar: North Korea from a distance, Artforum.com, 17/02/12
2011 Benjamin Bianciotto, Do you remember the time? Clark Magazine, Issue 51, November/December
Kirily Hammond, The Devil Had a Daughter, Exhibition Catalogue
Alex Baker, Detours Through Abstraction, Exhibition Catalogue
Elizabeth Mead, Monanisms, Exhibition Catalogue
Joaquin Segura, Random Reflections on the Plausibility of a Supreme Truth: Tony
Garifalakis in Guadalajara, Text for exhibition brochure
2010 Ashley Crawford, Doomsday Prophet, Australian Art Collector Issue 52
Olivia Poloni, Omega, UN Magazine Issue 4.1
Fayen Devie, Blackout, Bad Scene – exhibition Text
Fayen Devie, End Times, Omega exhibition catalogue
2009 Mark Feary, Cover Ups – Tony Garifalakis, Art World Issue 7, Feb - March
Vikki McInnes (Ed), Bureau, University of Melbourne Press
2008 Matthew Ladd, Bad Moon Rising, White Hot Magazine
Penny Modra, Infinity Land, Preview, The Age, February 24 2008
Alison Kubler, Ed, Neo Goth – Back in Black, Exhibition Catalogue
Rosemary Sorensen, How death becomes you, The Australian, September 1st 2008
Ashley Crawford, Gothic Candour, Art Monthly Australia, #216, 2008
Jo Higgins, 50 Most Collectible Artists, Australian Art Collector Issue 43
2007 Vikki McInnes, Near Death Happiness, Relentless Optimism catalogue
Ashley Crawford,Tony Garifalakis, Eyeline Contemporary Visual Arts # 65, 2007
Edward Colless, Smart Art – Tony Garifalakis, Australian Art Collector, Issue 41
2006 Rachel Howe, The Endtimes Are Always Near, Paradise Slaves flyer, December.
Ashley Crawford, Lost in Translation, Art Monthly, August 2006
Irene Gerogianni, Magic, Contemporary visual arts, Issue # 78, UK
Brent Plate, Blasphemy: art that offends, Black Dog Publications, UK
John Russel, Ed, Frozen Tears III, ARTicle Press, UK
Lisa Benson, Is it possible to think straight while orbiting?, Natural Selection # 5
2005 Tristian Koenig, Family First, Eyeline contemporary visual arts #58
Lyndal Walker, Exhibiting a death wish, Is Not Magazine Issue# 4
Mark Feary, As I am so thou shalt be, catalogue essay
Ted Gott, Catalogue essay, The Beast with three backs
Phip Murray, We are all going to die, UN magazine Issue# 5
Charlotte Day, A short ride in a fast machine: Gertrude contemporary art spaces
Ashley Crawford, Long live the tent embassy, The Age, July 30
Brigid Magner, Merde on the dance floor, Natural Selection, Issue#4
Tristian Koenig, A Portable Model of, Exhibition catalogue
Din Heagney, Family First, Diary of an Art Pimp, June
Bianca Hester, Beast with Three Backs, SPEECH (Internet Publication) August
Tony Garifalakis, Ruin of Empires, Artist Book,
Bela Lugosi’s Dead, The Art Life, (Internet Publication) June
2004 Ashley Crawford, Tony Garifalakis, The Other Hell, The Age, October10
Chris Lee, Death becomes them, Black Book magazine, No 34, Fall, NY, USA
2003 Ted Gott, Dirt, Exhibition catalogue
2001 Greg Deftereos, Death culture, Exhibition catalogue
Tony Garifalakis, Thirteen, Exhibition catalogue
1999 Andrea Gilbert, Tabula Nuda, Exhibition catalogue SKIN
Tony Garifalakis & Irene Hanenbergh, R.I.P. Artistbook
1997 Annie Mulroney, mnemosyne, or do humans dream in negative strips?
Eyeline contemporary visual arts, # 37
Tony Garifalakis, Glue # 6
Suzanne Spunner, Dumped by the next wave and still standing, Art monthly, July
1996 Marianne Lovett, Aerphost, CIRCA Art Magazine, #78
Greg Pryor, Sensorium, dialogue, No.5
GRANTS AND AWARDS
2011 Studio Residency, SOMA, Mexico City, Mexico
2010 International Export and Touring grant, Arts Victoria
2008 Studio Residency, ISCP, New York, Australia Council for the Arts
2007 Studio Residency, The Cage, Victorian college of the Arts, Melbourne
Studio Residency, Passenger at Bus Gallery, Melbourne
2006 Studio Residency, Chiesa di San Leone XI, Venice, Italy
2004 International Export and Touring grant, Arts Victoria
2000 Pat Corrigan Artist Grant, NAVA.
Arts 21 International Touring Grant, State Government of Victoria.
1996 Arts 21 International Touring Grant, State Government of Victoria.
1995 Artist Grant, Australian High Commission.
COLLECTIONS
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Art Gallery of South Australia
Maitland Regional Art Gallery
Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne
Museum of Old and New (MONA), Tasmania
UQ Art Museum, Queensland
Artbank
Private collections in Australia, Asia, Europe, UK, Mexico and USA.