Open Practice Studio

Open Practice Studio (OPS) offers specialised advice and services to develop, actualise and document performance, time-based art practices, and ephemeral cultural materials.

OPS is committed to supporting the nuances and complexities of contemporary practice. Currently, we support choreographers, artists, curators, composers, sound art organisations, contemporary art spaces, and performance preservation initiatives.

We work directly with artists and institutions, across a range of cultural and commercial contexts.

FOCUSED APPROACH

Focusing on practice-responsive methods, we create tailored solutions to integrate practical, strategic, and artistic considerations efficiently. Our services encompass:

Adaptable documentation strategies

Collection strategy and archive development initiatives

Preservation methods accommodating ephemeral, relational, and contextual aspects

Project-specific installation and acquisition documentation

Concept development and project scaffolding for individual professional artists

Dramaturgy and conceptual advice for performance, installation, exhibition, and online outcomes

Documents to articulate and present complex practices, including written and visual materials

Administrative and operational support to deliver time-based art projects in the gallery, library, archive, and museum (GLAM)

SUSTAINING PRACTICE & COLLECTIONS

Open Practice Studio can also provide support for heritage materials that are ephemeral, audio-visual, variable, complex and community-focused. In this capacity, OPS extends its services to any collection or community seeking solutions for variable heritage materials.

SECTOR EXPERTISE

Our expertise lies in the process, production, and documentation of performance, dance, installation, live and sonic arts. We draw on 20 years experience spanning Australia, Europe and USA, within the visual art and performing art sectors.

TEAM OPS

Open Practice Studio draws on a network of individuals with specialised knowledge, skills and techniques, facilitated by Helen Grogan. Currently based in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia, OPS works internationally in-person and online. We are experienced in adapting methods to meet diverse access requirements, including neurodiversity.

Helen Grogan holds formal qualifications in dance, philosophy, and visual art. She is an alumnus of University of Melbourne, Amsterdam University of the Arts, City University of New York, and Deakin University.

Her experience in performance archives, exhibition archives and time-based art documentation includes work with Liquid Architecture (Naarm/Melbourne), Performance Review (Naarm/Melbourne), The Kitchen (New York City), Performance Space New York (New York City), Gertrude Contemporary (Naarm/Melbourne), c3 Contemporary Art Space (Naarm/Melbourne), Movement Research (New York City), Specific In-Between at Australian Center for Contemporary Art (Naarm/Melbourne), Open Archive (Naarm/Melbourne) co-directed by Jared Davis & Helen Grogan, and Hannah Mathews’ exhibition project Action/Response (Naarm/ Melbourne).

As a practicing artist, Grogan’s installation and performance works have been exhibited in Australia, Japan, Mexico, USA, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Sweden and online with institutions including: Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (Naarm/Melbourne); National Gallery of Victoria (Naarm/Melbourne); Art Gallery of New South Wales (Eora/Sydney); Samstag Museum (Tarntanya/Adelaide); Stadtpark Gallery (Krems); Rijksakaemie (Amsterdam); Omniversal Hum (Naarm/Melbourne): Kontext Festival (Berlin); Chunky Move (Naarm/Melbourne); Ian Potter Museum of Art (Naarm/Melbourne); HAU Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin); KNULP (Eora/Sydney).

Grogan is an experienced University Lecturer and practice-lead research supervisor. In 2019 her practice-based research was awarded the Jennifer Bowskill Photography Award.

OPEN PRACTICE STUDIO