Eugenia Lim is an Australian artist of Chinese-Singaporean descent working across video, sculpture, photography, performance and installation. Using a critical but humorous approach, her practice examines how national identities cut, divide and bond our globalised world. Often a performer within her own works, Lim invents personas to explore the tensions of the individual within society – the alienation and belonging in a globalised world. Her work imagines a world in which pluralism and solidarity are the common ground, a place where people are curious about each other instead of afraid. An ongoing strand of her practice considers work, labour, technology and ethics – and the tension between art and economics in late capitalism.
Lim has exhibited, screened or performed at the Tate Modern, London; LOOP, Barcelona; FIVA, Buenos Aires; Recontemporary, Turin; Kassel Dokfest, Kassel; Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, Dark MOFO, Hobart; Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne; Melbourne Festival, Melbourne; Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Melbourne; FACT, Liverpool; and EXiS, Seoul. She has been artist-in-residence with the Experimental Television Centre, New York; Bundanon Trust, Melbourne; the Robin Boyd Foundation, Melbourne; and 4A Beijing Studio, Sydney. She was a Gertrude Contemporary studio artist (2018–20) and between 2019 and 2021, co-director (with Lara Thoms and Mish Grigor) of 26-year-old artistic company APHIDS. Lim co-founded temporal art collective Tape Projects, CHANNELS Festival and co-wrote/hosted Video Becomes Us, an artist-made TV show for ABC iView. Lim was the winner of the prestigious Charlottenborg Spring’s Deep Forest Art Land Award (2022) and was a finalist in the 67th Blake Prize (2022).
Sleep no more (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii)
2021
aluminium, steel, smelted Red Bull cans, Ritalin
200.0 x 60.0 x 60.0 cm
24/7
2021
installation view
Artificial Islands
2017
Installation view
Artificial Islands
2017
Installation and performance
ON DEMAND
2019
video still
ON DEMAND
2019
video still
The Ambassador suit
2015
custom gold lamé, textile
160.0 x 50.0 x 5.0 cm
Work Wear
2021
Poplin, reflective vinyl, thread
145.0 x 75.0 x 5.0 cm
Leisure Wear
2021
Poplin, reflective vinyl, thread, embroidered patches, polyester
145.0 x 75.0 x 5.0 cm
Olfactory
2021
Plastic, Red Bull, water, Amazon ‘Sleep Aid’ tablets
42.0 x 40.0 x 9.0 cm
Diurnal Nocturnal
2021
Two LED lights purchased off Amazon.com
22.0 x 9.0 x 10.0 cm
New Australians (Yellow Peril, 1980/2015); New Australians (Welcome Stranger 1869/2015)
2015
Screen print on mylar emergency blanket
210.0 x 160.0 cm
24/7
2021
installation view
24/7
2021
installation view
24/7
2021
installation view
24/7
2021
installation view
24/7
2021
installation view
24/7
2021
installation view
Sleep no more (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii)
2021
aluminium steel smelted Red Bull cans Ritalin
200.0 x 60.0 x 60.0 cm, detail
On Demand
2019
Installation view
On Demand
2019
Installation view
Leisure Wear
2021
Poplin reflective vinyl thread embroidered patches polyester
145.0 x 75.0 x 5.0 cm, detail
The Australian Ugliness (the leg)
2018
Digital C-type print
39.5 x 59.5 cm
The Australian Ugliness (selfie steps)
2018
Digital C-type print
39.5 x 59.5 cm
The Australian Ugliness (adhan)
2018
Digital C-type print
39.5 x 59.5 cm
The Australian Ugliness (Bondi sunbather)
2018
Digital C-type print
39.5 x 59.5 cm
The Australian Ugliness
2019
Installation view
Olfactory
2021
Plastic Red Bull water Amazon Sleep Aid tablets
42.0 x 40.0 x 9.0 cm
Leisure Wear
2021
Poplin reflective vinyl thread embroidered patches polyester
145.0 x 75.0 x 5.0 cm, detail
The Australian Ugliness
2018
Three-channel high-definition video, 33:58 mins
Women's Work
2017
Installation view
Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne
ON DEMAND
2019
single-channel video
14 mins
ON DEMAND
2019
single-channel video
14 mins