Patrice Sharkey
PhD
Art History
Patrice Sharkey is a curator, writer and researcher whose work sits at the intersection of curatorial practice, cultural institutions and Australian art history. Interested in commissioning as a curatorial methodology, her research examines how artists, institutions and audiences negotiate questions of history, identity and representation through contemporary art, exhibitions and public discourse.
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Thesis
Controversy, Censorship and National Identity: Australian Artists at the Venice Biennale, 1980–2026
This project examines how controversy, censorship and political debate have shaped Australia’s participation at the Venice Biennale between 1980 and 2026. Through case studies of Tony Coleing (1980), Richard Bell (2019) and Khaled Sabsabi (2026), the research investigates how artists, institutions, governments and the media negotiate questions of national identity through international exhibition-making.
Research interests
- Contemporary art
- Curatorial practice and exhibition-making
- Australian art history