Jen Valender

jen valender is an artist and writer whose practice-led research explores the relationship between moving image, sound and psyche. Influenced by her experience of living with cross-dominance, she applies the sonic and psychological concept of cognitive dissonance to examine self-discrepancies through intrasectionality.

With a Žižekian approach, Valender investigates embodied states of unease, relational ethics and ambivalence through witnessing the self/selves as opposing forces between action and conscience. She uses cinematic devices, performance lectures and reflexive writing methods to translate the poetics of abandon, voyeurism and moral dilemmas that are surfacing in her practice.

She holds a BA (Sociology) from Victoria University of Wellington, NZ and a BFA (Hons) from Monash University and the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. She is a recipient of the Next Wave Precinct Art Prize and the Ian Potter Museum of Art Miegunyah Research Project Award.

Supervisors: Dr Lou Hubbard & Dr Simone Slee

Research Areas

Cross-dissonance, lecture performance, relational ethics, moving image, dark peculiarities, practice-led research, materiality

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