Berlin Residency
In 2019, Michelle Hyland undertook a research residency in Germany through the Takt Academy, Berlin, supported by a grant from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC), Western Australia.
The residency began in Berlin with participation in the Global Branding Conference, engaging with international researchers and practitioners in discussions surrounding creativity, digital culture, branding, and contemporary visual communication. During this period, Hyland also undertook an intensive digital collage workshop with artist Marcos Morales, further developing approaches to image construction and fragmented visual systems.
Following the Berlin program, Hyland relocated to Leipzig to undertake a period of studio-based research and production in preparation for a group exhibition at Takt Gallery, Berlin.
The residency marked an important development in her practice, expanding investigations into surveillance, cyber borders, privacy, and data collection through painting and digital image processes. Working in relative isolation in Leipzig allowed for concentrated experimentation with metaphor, fragmentation, and spatial relationships within painting.
The resulting works explored the tension between visibility and concealment within contemporary digital culture, translating themes of information systems and technological anxiety into layered visual compositions.
Selected works developed during the residency were exhibited in a group exhibition at Takt Gallery, Berlin, in June 2019.