Michaela Davies is an Australian artist, musician and psychologist, and fuses these multiple disciplines in her work. Her work investigates sonic possibilities, human limits, and the nature of agency, using electric muscle stimulation and other methods to both obstruct and extend human capabilities. Over the last decade Michaela has amassed a catalogue of work around these themes, presented worldwide at galleries and festivals including the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Berlin Institute for Cultural Inquiry, London V&A, Beijing Media Art Biennale, Experimental Intermedia New York, Currents International New Media Festival, ISEA, Mona Foma Festival Hobart, and Sonica Festival UK where she was 2013 Artist in Residence.
Michaela holds a Doctorate in Psychology from the University of Sydney, and is an Australian Music Centre represented artist. She has received a Creative Australia Fellowship from the Australia Council for the Arts, and in 2015 her work was awarded an Honorary Mention in Prix Ars Electronica (Austria) for Digital Musics & Sound Art. She has received grants from the Australia Council, Arts NSW, and National Science Week. Michaela’s creative practice is informed by an interest in the role of agency in creative processes, and the liminal space between didactic execution and free interpretation inherent both in musical performance and beyond. In addition to exploring sound in installation & performance, Michaela plays electric bass in numerous projects.
EDUCATION
2005 Doctor of Philosophy, University of Sydney
1996 Master of Arts, University of Sydney
1995 Bachelor of Arts with Honors I, University of Sydney
SOLO EXHIBITIONS / PERFORMANCES
2016 Sound Politics. Boston Athenaeum (Massachusetts)
2016 Yawning Room. tAd Gallery (Texas)
2015 Yawning Room. Firstdraft Gallery (Sydney)
2013 Game On. Damien Minton Gallery (Sydney)
2013 Compositions for Involuntary Strings. Tramway (Glasgow)
2010 Subsoma. Powerhouse Museum (Sydney), CSIRO (Canberra)
CURATED PROGRAMS / SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2019 Edge of the Present. The Big Anxiety Festival. UNSW Galleries (Sydney). Collaboration with lead artist Alex Davies
2019 Obstructed Recital. Kupka’s Piano: Sonic Objects. Ian Hanger Recital Hall, Queensland Conservatorium
2018 Duty. Performance Contemporary, Sydney Contemporary, Carriage Works (Sydney)
2018 A New Musical Masochism. Post-Life, BMAB. Chao Art Centre (Beijing)
2018 Unintended Consequences. Beijing Media Art Biennale, CAFA Museum (Beijing). Collaboration with Boris Bagattini
2018 These Hand I thought Were Mine. Woman Between Arts, Arnhold Hall Glass Box Theatre (New York)
2018 A New Musical Masochism, Dr Rosenberg’s Wunderkammer, performance series, Delmar Gallery (Sydney)
2017 ‘Untitled’ for Cyborg String Quartet + Canon Disrupted, SPHERE International Symposium, City Recital Hall (Sydney)
2017 Goldfish Variations for two performers, After Julia, Monash University Music Auditorium, Melbourne.
2017 Goldfish Variations for two performers, After Julia, Sue Benner Theatre, Metro Arts, as Part of the Queensland Music Festival.
2017 Involuntary Cello and Feedback, The Ort Festival, Sydney Non Objective (Sydney)
2017 Limb Control Fundamentals, Vivid New Music at the Con: Michaela Davies and Veronique Serret, Sydney Conservatorium of Music
2017 Attention is a Scarce Resource, Festival of Other Arts: Art That Moves, Workshop Arts Centre (Sydney)
2016 Duty + ‘Untitled’ for Cyborg String Quartet, Engineering the Future– V&A Digital Design Week, Victoria and Albert Museum (London)
2016 Duty, CURRENTS: Santa Fe International New Media Festival, El Museo Culural de Santa Fe (New Mexico)
2016 Involuntary Cello, STATIC + SILENCE, The Lock-Up (Newcastle)
2016 Involuntary Cello & feedback, Festival Of Other Arts: Art That Moves, Workshop Arts Centre (Sydney)
2016 Involuntary Cello & feedback, Art Month Sydney: Art at Night, Galerie pompom (Sydney)
2016 EMS Cello & feedback, The NOW now Festival, 107 Projects (Sydney)
2015 A New Musical Masochism, Electrified Data, Loewe Theatre (New York)
2015 Yawn, Zepplin: Dures pedres precioses, Center of Contemporary Culture (Barcelona)
2015 Conducting The Amplified Body. with Pedro Lopes & Robert Lindenberg, Acud Macht Neu (Berlin)
2015 Yawning Room, Immerse, Beams Arts Festival (Sydney)
2015 A New Musical Masochism, Vivid Music: Musify+Gamify, Seymour Centre (Sydney)
2015 Down Down Baby, Musify+Gamify, Seymour Centre (Sydney)
2015 Involuntary Duet for violin and contrabass, Mesmerism Festival, Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts (Brisbane)
2015 Goldfish Variations for two performers, After Julia, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA), Perth.
2014 Duty, Sonic Social, Museum of Contemporary Art (Sydney)
2014 Das Menschen Klavier, Maas Lates: Design Futures, Powerhouse Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (Sydney)
2014 Involuntary Duet for violin and contrabass, MCA ArtBar, Museum of Contemporary Art (Sydney)
2014 Involuntary Duet for violin and contrabass, Musical Alaska, Alaska Projects (Sydney)
2014 Involuntary Duet for violin and contrabass, Melbourne Now, National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne)
2014 Involuntary Duet for violin and contrabass, Sound Ideas, Conduit Arts (Melbourne)
2014 Goldfish Variations for two performers, After Julia, Eugene Goosens Hall ABC Studios (Sydney)
2014 Attention is a Scarce Resource, Electroscape, Art Gallery of NSW Contempo (Sydney)
2014 Obstructed Carols, Performance Month, Art Space (Sydney)
2014 Attention is a Scarce Resource, Black Eye Gallery First Anniversary, (Sydney)
2013 Involuntary Duet for violin and contrabass, When The Room Goes Dark, ICI Berlin Institute for Cultural Inquiry (Berlin)
2013 Involuntary Duet for violin and contrabass, Liebig 12 (Berlin)
2013 Involuntary Duet for violin and contrabass, Associated Gallery (New York)
2013 EMS and Solo Piano, Power Concert Series, MSM (New York)
2013 Obstructed Recitals, Experimental Intermedia (New York)
2013 Attention is a Scarce Resource, Dis.sentience, Tin Sheds Gallery (Sydney)
2013 Game On, Underbelly Arts Festival, Cockatoo Island (Sydney)
2013 Compositions for Involuntary Strings, Polysonics, ISEA, ABC Studios (Sydney)
2013 Game On, FBI Turns 10, Carriage Works (Sydney)
2013 Involuntary Duet for violin and contrabass, Performance Month, First Draft depot (Sydney)
2013 Attention is a Scarce Resource, SEAM Symposium, Critical Path (Sydney)
2012 While Rome Burns, Power Concert Series, MSM (New York)
2012 While Rome Burns, Diamond Mouth Surprise, La Sala (New York)
2012 Involuntary Duet for violin and contrabass, Dimanche Rouge, Tape Projects (Melbourne)
2012 Involuntary Strings, Music Circus, John Cage Centenary, Sydney Opera House
2012 Involuntary Strings, Vivid Festival/Places & Spaces (Sydney)
2012 While Rome Burns, Mona Foma Festival, (Hobart)
2012 Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. with In Stitches collective. Eastern Bloc Gallery (Sydney)
2011 In the Night Garden, with Charlotte Haywood & Edward Horne. Tortuga Gallery (Sydney)
2009 Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef. with In Stitches collective. Powerhouse Museum (Sydney)
2009 Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef, Knewlodge, with In Stitches collective. Serial Space (Sydney)
2009 Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef, This is Not Art. with In Stitches collective. This is Not Art Festival (Newcastle)
2009 Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef. with In Stitches collective. Viva la Gong (Wollongong)
2008 Bowels of the Earth, with Damian Martin, Claire Conroy, Gustavo Boke & Sumugen Sivanesan, Underbelly Arts Festival, Carriage Works (Sydney)
COMPOSITION
Limb Control Fundamentals (2017) for contrabass with electric muscle stimulation. Performed at the Conservatorium of Music (Sydney)
Faithful Allowance (2016) soundtrack for 2 Beaches. Dario Vacirca and Boris Bagattini. OSCA
A New Musical Masochism (2015) for solo double bass with electric muscle stimulation. Performed at Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre (Sydney), Loewe Theatre (New York). Commissioned by Oliver Bown & Lian Loke for Vivid Music:Musify+Gamify
Involuntary Duet (2015) for contrabass with electric muscle stimulation. Performed at Acud Macht Neu (Berlin), Temporary Agency (New York) and Torus Porta (New York)
Involuntary Strings (2015) for bass and violin with electric muscle stimulation. Performed at Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Art (Brisbane). Podcast on ABC classic FM
Yawn (2015). 6 channel audio created for Zepplin: Dures pedres precioses, Center of Contemporary Culture (Barcelona)
Duty (2014) for Melodee Bells with electric muscle stimulation. Commissioned by Performance Space. Performed at Museum of Contemporary Art (Sydney)
Goldfish Variations (2014) for two instruments or voice. Performed by Decibel Ensemble at Eugene Goosens Hall, ABC Studios; Monash University Music Auditorium, Melbourne; Sue Benner Theatre, Metro Arts, Queensland; and Perth Institute of Contemporary Art. Commissioned by Decibel new music ensemble. Broadcast live on ABC classic FM
Involuntary Duet II (2013) for bass and violin. Performed at MCA ArtBar, Museum of Contemporary Art (Sydney), Musical Alaska (Sydney), Melbourne Now, National Gallery of Victoria
Post Human Blues #2 (2013) for string quartet with electric muscle stimulation. Commissioned by Cryptic Glasgow. Performed Sonica Festival, Tramway (UK). Development funded by Australia Council for the Arts Music Board
Post Human Blues #1 (2013) for string quartet with electric muscle stimulation. Performed at Polysonics, ISEA13, ABC Studios (Sydney), Broadcast live on Radio National
‘Untitled’ for Cyborg String Quartet for string quartet with electric muscle stimulation. Davies/Sanna (2013). Performed at Sonica Festival (Glasgow), Polysonics, ISEA13, ABC Studios (Sydney), Broadcast live on Radio National
FM-2030 for violin cello and Involuntary String Quartet. Davies/Sclavunos (2013). Performed at Sonica Festival (Glasgow). Development funded by Australia Council for the Arts Music Board
Allegretto meccanico. Davies/Sclavunos (2012). Performed at Polysonics, ISEA13, ABC Studios (Sydney). Broadcast live on Radio National
Electric Muscle Stimulation for Solo Piano. Davies/McKay (2013). Performed at Power Concert Series, MSM (New York).
Structured Improvisation with EMS (2013) for bass and violin. Performed at Liebig 12 (Berlin), ICI Berlin Institute for Cultural Inquiry (Berlin)
Involuntary Duet I (2013) for bass and violin. Performed at First Draft Depot (Sydney), Dimanche Rouge, Tape Projects (Melbourne) La Sala (New York), Emet (New York)
Involuntary Duet (2013) for Violin & Viola. Performed at Associated Gallery (New York)
Sucker Punch (2013). Arrangement & manipulation of Clare de Lune, pre-recorded piano and electronic sound. Sound for Game On installation, Damien Minton Gallery (Sydney)
Glitch Dining (2013). Arrangement & manipulation of Gnossienne No. 1, pre-recorded piano and electronic sound. Sound for Attention is a Scarce Resource performance at AGNSW, Contempo (2013), SEAM, Critical Path (2013), Dis.sesntience, Tin Sheds Gallery (2013)
‘Untitled in Gm’ for Involuntary Quartet (2012) for string quartet and electric muscle stimulation. Performed at Musicircus, John Cage Centenary Celebration, Sydney Opera House (Sydney)
While Rome Burns (2012) for string quartet with electric muscle stimulation and sonified seismic data. Performed at Power Concert Series, MSM (New York), Diamond Mouth Surprise, La Sala (New York), Vivid Festival/Places & Spaces (Sydney), Mona Foma Festival (Hobart, Tasmania). Touring funded by Arts NSW
Subsoma (2010). sonified seismic data. Sound for hybrid art performance. Presented at Powerhouse Museum (Sydney), National Science Week, CSIRO (Canberra). Development funded by National Science week
Escalator (2009). electronic sound for In the Night Garden kinetic sculpture
GRANTS AND AWARDS
2018 Australia Council for the Arts, Projects Grant
2016 Australia Council for the Arts, Projects Grant
2015 Prix Ars Electronica, Honorary Mention, Digital Musics and Sound Art
2014 Australia Council for the Arts, Creative Australia Fellowship
2014 Australia Council for the Arts, Visual Arts, New Work Grant
2013 Australia Council for the Arts, Sonica Initiative
2012 Arts NSW Quick Response Project Funding
2012 Australia Council for the Arts, Visual Arts, New Work Grant
2012 Australia Council for the Arts, Music, New Work Grant
2011 Australia Council for the Arts, Visual Arts, New Work Grant
2010 Australian National Science Week Grant
RESIDENCIES
2015 Conducting the Amplified Body, workshop/residency (Acud Macht Neu, Berlin)
2013 Sonica Residency (Glasgow, UK)
2013 Underbelly Arts Residency (Cockatoo Island, Sydney)
2012 Critical Path Research Residency (Critical Path, Sydney)
2009 Arthur Boyd Trust Residency (Bundanon, NSW) with In Stitches collective
2008 Underbelly Arts Residency (Carriage Works, Sydney) with Damian Martin, Claire Conroy, Gustavo Boke & Sumugen Sivanesan.
COMMISSIONS
2015 A New Musical Masochism, commissioned by Oliver Bown & Lian Loke for Musify+Gamify
2015 You Fight Like a Girl, commissioned by the Aids Council of NSW for iloveclaude.com
2014 Duty, commissioned by Performance Space for Sonic Social2014 Goldfish Variations, commissioned by Decibel new music ensemble for After Julia
2013 Compositions for Involuntary Strings, Commissioned by Cryptic for Sonica festival
PUBLICATIONS
Davies, M. (2017). Game On: A creative enquiry into agency and the nature of cognition in distributed systems. Fibreculture Journal, 28.
Davies, M. (2014). Staging Hypotheses: Game On. Sensoria: a Journal of Mind Brain & Culture, 57-63.
Davies, M., Stankov, L., & Roberts, R. D. (2004). Emotional Intelligence: In search of an elusive construct. In
G. J. Boyle & D. H. Saklofske (Eds.), Psychology of individual differences, Volume III (Cognition, emotion, and conation). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Davies, M., Stankov, L., & Roberts, R. D. (1998). Emotional Intelligence: In search of an elusive construct. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 989-1015.
Stankov, L., Davies, M., & Roberts, R. D. (1998). Emotional Intelligence: Separating the facts from the (best-selling) fiction. Australian Journal of Psychology, 50, 63.