Dr Helen Hughes

Helen Hughes is a writer, editor, publisher and sometimes-curator.

She co-founded and co-edits the Melbourne contemporary art journal, Discipline, is a co-editor of the peer-reviewed art history journal, EMAJ, and is Research Curator at Monash University Museum of Art. Since 2013, Helen has organised the Gertrude Contemporary–Discipline Contemporary Art Lecture series, which has featured lectures by Rex Butler, Justin Clemens, Helen Johnson, Jan Bryant, Douglas Kahn, Branden W. Joseph, Terry Smith, Adrian Martin, amongst many more.

Her research focuses on Australian art history and international contemporary art. In particular, Helen is interested in theories of contemporary art – how this moment may differ from the modern and postmodern periods. Helen has written for journals such as CACSA Broadsheet, Art & Australia, EMAJ, Eyeline, Artlink, Discipline and frieze. Recent edited publications include Three Reflections on Contemporary Art History (2014, with Nicholas Croggon), Making Worlds: Art and Science Fiction (2013, with Amelia Barikin), and Impresario: Paul Taylor (2013, with Nicholas Croggon).

Helen has also worked as a curator at Gertrude Contemporary, where she presented exhibitions Marrnyula Mununggurr: Ganybu in 2015, and, co-curated with Spiros Panigirakis, If People Powered Radio: 40 Years of 3CR in 2016. Helen is currently working on the 2016 TarraWarra Biennial, which is co-curated by Discipline and TarraWarra Museum director, Victoria Lynn.

She received her PhD in Art History at the University of Melbourne in 2015.