Natalie King


Natalie King is an Australian curator and writer working in Melbourne, Australia. She specializes in Australian and international programs for contemporary art and visual culture. This includes exhibitions, publications, workshops, lectures and cultural partnerships across contemporary art and indigenous culture.
King was formerly Chief Curator of Melbourne Biennial Lab, the Creative Associate of MPavilion and curator of Tracey Moffatt for the Australian Pavilion at the 57th International Art Exhibition, Venice Biennale 2017.
As from 2017, she is a senior research fellow at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne, Australia and was recently appointed to the role of enterprise professor at the VCA. In that role she was named in The Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence awards for Arts, Culture and Sport in October 2018. In September 2019, King was appointed as curator of the first Pacific and transgender artist, Yuki Kihara, to represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the 59th Venice Biennale 2021.

Early life

Natalie King grew up in North Balwyn, Melbourne Victoria, in a conventional Jewish household. From a young age she had an interest in the indigenous history of the city, including the work of Aboriginal artist Destiny Deacon and long-time collaborator Virginia Fraser.

Career

Venice Biennale

Natalie King curated Tracey Moffatt for the Australian pavilion at the 57th International Art Exhibition, Venice Biennale 2017.

Other institutions and projects

Her previous roles include Chief Curator of Melbourne Biennial Lab, City of Melbourne; senior research fellow, Victorian College of the Arts, The University of Melbourne and Creative Associate of MPavilion.

Achievements

In 2018, Natalie King was selected as a finalist for the Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence. The award was established to recognize the achievements of Australian women across a broad range of professions and disciplines.
In the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours, King was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for "service to the contemporary visual arts".

Education

King completed a Master of Arts, Visual Arts & Museum Studies at Monash University in Victoria Australia, between 1991 and 1993.

Publications

Natalie King is co-editor of the anthology Art in the Asia Pacific: Intimate Publics, Routledge, 2014. She is also editor/curator of Up Close: Carol Jerrems with Larry Clark, Nan Goldin and William Yang, Heide Museum of Modern Art. King also co-edited a publication on biennial curator Hou Hanru. She is widely published in arts media including LEAP, Photofile and Flash Art.
She is also a member of the International Association of Art Critics, Paris.
Natalie King has conducted a number of public lectures and published interviews with leading international artists and curators including: