Luke George (he/they) is a multidisciplinary artist creating work that spans performance, installation, craft and curation. Born in lutruwita/Tasmania and based in Naarm/Melbourne, Luke pays his deepest respects to the traditional owners and custodians of the lands which he resides and creates, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and the Boon Wurrung Bunurong peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation.
Luke’s work is informed by queer politics, whereby people are neither singular nor isolated; bodies of difference can intersect, practice mutual listening, take responsibility for themselves and one another. Luke’s works explore risk and intimacy and employ daring and at times, unorthodox methods, to create further possibilities for artist and audience to encounter each other.
Luke sees dance and performance less as spectacle than as reflexive practice, in which people examine themselves and their values through movement and interaction. He is concerned with relational politics, examining the dynamics of intimacy and collectivity to create ‘safe spaces’ that allow for care as well as risk. Whether as a performer or spectator, performance for Luke takes place in an active-reflective space where we witness not only our own way of being, but also that of others, to truly consider someone other than ourselves, and how we coexist.
Luke creates and performs work through experimental processes with collaborating artists and the public both locally and internationally/culturally. In particular his 8-year collaboration with Singapore based artist Daniel Kok has resulted in the creation of 3 performance works that have travelled extensively, as well as developing translocal collaborations and partnerships across the region between themselves, partner institutions and independent artists.
Working across Australia, Asia, Europe and North America, Luke has had notable presentations with the Venice Biennale, National Galleries of Melbourne and Singapore, RISING, Dance Massive, Liveworks Festival, Rencontres chorégraphiques de Seine-Saint-Denis, Time Based Art Festival and many more.
Recipient of multiple Green Room Awards for his performances and works, Luke’s work has been regularly supported by the Australia Council for the Arts, Creative Victoria and through many commissions and residencies. Luke has been recipient of 4 fellowships across his career to date; 2022 Chloe Munroe Fellowship, 2021 PlayKing Foundation Renewal Fellowship, 2019 Australia Council for the Arts Fellowship (Dance), 2007 Russell Page Fellowship for Contemporary Dance. In 2020 Luke was appointed the inaugural Artistic Associate of Temperance Hall and to Co-Design Consultation for a reimagined dance biennial for Melbourne.
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