| Education 2022 Doctor of Philosophy, Monash University, Department of Fine Art, Melbourne. |
2012 Master of Fine Art, University of Melbourne, Victorian College of the Arts. |
2010 Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours), Sculpture and Spatial Practice, Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne. |
2009 Bachelor of Fine Art, Sculpture and Spatial Practice, Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne. |
2014-2021 Teacher in Sculpture and Studio Practice, Latrobe College of Art and Design, Collingwood. |
SELECTED SOLO WORKS 2023 Benthic Community Flutes Sketch 2 (Snapping and Sandy Ghost Shrimp, Swamp Scrub, Mussel) as part of Figuring Ground curated by Abbra Kotlarcyzk, Grafton Regional Art Gallery, NSW. |
2022 Little and Many Intensities, in Mega-phone Mono-Poly organised by Debris Facility Pty. Ltd., Liquid Architecture, Collingwood Yards. |
| Forming Resonant Situations: Engaging the Interval in Performance and Installation, PhD exhibition, Monash University MADA Gallery, Caulfield. |
2021 Benthic community flutes Sketch 1 (Sandy Ghost Shrimp), Study Space, Brunswick. |
2020 Leaves, Hope for Resonance, Youkobo Art Space, Tokyo Japan, 22-26 January. |
2018 Beeswax Flutes 2, in 'Why Listen to Plants?' presented by Liquid Architecture/RMIT Design Hub, curated by Danni Zuvela. |
Beeswax Flutes in Groundwork, curated by Matthew Davis, Living Museum of the West/Melbourne Fringe, Maribyrnong River, September. 2016 |
| Shaking Sculptures in Rooms with a View curated by Emma Collard, The Substation, Newport. |
2015 widen, subtract, warm, cool, observe out, Incinerator Gallery, Garden Space, Moonee Ponds. |
that which enables and constrains what can and cannot be done or said, West Space, Melbourne. |
dispersing without fragmenting, Library at the Docks, Docklands. |
2014 exfoliated by the world, Fort Delta, Melbourne. |
2013 goop, turn, sponge, cut, stretch, berry, rain, in Does it Matter? Kings ARI 10-year exhibition curated by Anabelle Lacroix, Kings Artist Run Initiative. |
enfolding outward, Outward Projects, Launceston. |
… salt left by the waves, c3 Contemporary Art Space, Abbotsford. 2012 |
| becoming becoming open all-around, VCA Master of Fine Art Graduate Exhibition. |
open blankets, City of Melbourne Art Program, Young Artist Grant. |
processual rhythms, The Substation, Newport. |
| Unimposing Form, essay book (forthcoming) Uvulah, hybrid research paper/sonic work for Queer Contexts Conference RMIT November 6-7 (forthcoming) |
Excerpts from Wetland Lovers: Found Chance Text Works for Pipemakers Park, research paper/artist pages for Queeries Journal |
2022 Forming Resonant Situations: Engaging the Interval in Performance and Installation (PhD publication), Monash University Department of Art. 2016 |
| Intimacy’s Spaces and Times: Bergson’s Spirit in Sculptural Processes, research paper, presented in Philosophy and Creative Practice stream at Australian Continental Philosophical Society annual conference, Deakin University. |
2015 Artist Book: Sweet Potato (West Space, 2015) ISBN 978-0-9756242-0-3 Designed and self-published by Benjamin Woods Printed by Impact Digital Sweet Potato is a 109 page book of relevant documentation imagery drawn from Benjamin Woods' practice memory (2009-2015). The picture book acted as a documentation image-based score informing the installation and performance project that which enables and constrains what can and cannot be done or said, at West Space, Melbourne, August-September 2015. That which enables and constrains… was presented across multiple modes of encountering movement and (in)visibility, including publication, installation, action, object, question/discussion and excursion (sets of materials to be borrowed, unfurled elsewhere, re-packed and returned by visitors wishing to take part). This publication and project engages the style of an oeuvre-work as a grounding strategy: a practice turning over its materials/intensities in an iterative, open and non-linear fashion. |
haecceities, diary entry, Dancehouse Diary Issue 8: Dance and Ethics, Dancehouse. |
Website text for Feeling Material (exhibition), c3 Contemporary Art Space. |
2013 Feeling Material, research paper, presented in New Materialism panel convened by Barbara Bolt, AAANZ Annual Conference, VCA. 2012 |
| Becoming Becoming Open All-Around (MFA), VCA University of Melbourne. |
| Lèlè 2 乐乐 2 (Yongping Ren and Ben Woods), Sound and Sculptural Installation, group show Chinese Museum Arts Collective, Testing Grounds, Melbourne. |
Lèlè 乐乐 (Yongping Ren and Ben Woods), Performance as part of Temporary Position program, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, May 11. |
Tributaries (with Geoff Robinson, Ying-Lan Dann, Saskia Schut), Open Natures and Open House Melbourne/City of Melbourne Arts Program, and at Run Artist Run. 2022 |
| Tributary Project, with Geoff Robinson, Ying-Lan Dann, Saskia Schut, Composite Moving Image/BUS, Melbourne. 2014 |
| Better. Faster. Stronger. Melbourne Art Fair Project Space with Sarah crowEST, curated by c3 Contemporary Art Space. |
| Sonic response for Anatol Pitt’s exhibition All These Eyes Were Mine at Incinerator Gallery, June 22. Recordings made into EP called Benthic Flutes (Live) |
2023 Bubble improvisation as part of Jessie Bullivant’s ATTACHED 1st birthday party and book launch, Flippy’s Bar. 2022 |
| Glass flutes performance as part of Durational Situation / Monmar (Geoff Robinson) Front Beach Back Beach (November), Point Nepean. |
2021 Beeswax flutes performance in Abbra Kotlarczyk’s exhibition a sonorous draft; a lexicon of windjamming, BLINDSIDE, June-August. |
2014 feeling material (second iteration)/A(n) as a way of viewing in SPECIFIC IN-BETWEEN (the choreographic negotiated in six parts) by Helen Grogan, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art. |
2013 Artist talk, Critical Animals symposium, with KINGS ARI. |
| Hi Spirit, Hi Matter, group show at Watch This Space ARI, Mparntwe, curated by Beth Sometimes. |
| Figuring Ground curated by Abbra Kotlarcyzk, Grafton Regional Art Gallery, NSW. 2022 |
| Candles and Sticks, curated by Manon van Kouswijk and Allona Goren, 93 George St, Fitzroy. |
2021 Darebin Art Prize (finalist), Bundoora Homestead. |
2019 You Are Here (with Sarah Bunting), curated by Matthew Davis, Living Museum of the West, November. |
What does wearing something do? with Meredith Turnbull, as part of All The Jewellery, RMIT Design Hub, April. |
Queer Economies (as Behn Woods), curated by Abbra Kotlarczyk and Madé Spencer-Castle, Bus Projects/CCP, Jan/Feb. |
2017 Visitors, curated by Meredith Turnbull and Manon Van Kouswijk for Radiant Pavilion, at Sarah Scout Presents, August/September. |
2015 Form and Flex, curated by Meredith Turnbull, Pieces of Eight. |
2014 Dummy, Mailbox ARI, curated by Made Spencer Castle and Alice Mathieu, Melbourne. |
2013 Interpreting variable arrangements, curated by Jessie Bullivant and Isadora Vaughan, Stockholm, Sweden. |
| Run Artist Run, Organiser (co-founded with Yongping Ren) 2015 |
| Feeling Material (exhibition), c3 Contemporary art Space, Melbourne. |
| SELECTED RESIDENCIES & MASTERCLASSES/WORKSHOPS 2021 Study Space Residency, Brunswick. Residency, BLINDSIDE Artist Run. 2019-2020 Artist in Residence, Youkobo Art Space Residency, Japan. 2018 Melbourne's Living Museum of the West residency. Diffracting Different and Identity: Masterclass with Karen Barad, hosted by AusSTS. 2017 Performing Arts Forum residency, France. Testing Grounds residency, Melbourne. |
2023 City of Melbourne Presentation Grant (Tributaries) |
2021-22 City of Melbourne Creative Development Grant (Tributaries) 2021 |
| Darebin Art Prize (Finalist) |
2018-2022 Postgraduate Research Stipend (PhD) |
2015 Creative Victoria - Presentation and Promotion (for c3 Contemporary Art Space) |
| Australia Council for the Arts – ArtStart Grant |
| NAVA Australian Artists’ Grant |
| Incinerator Gallery Solo Project Commission |
2012 City of Melbourne Arts Grant - Young Artist |
| Friends of the VCA Award 2011-12 |
| Australian Postgraduate Award (MFA) |
2010 Harry Curtis Prize |
2008 Perrin Sculpture Foundry Award |