David Chesworth
David Chesworth was born in Stoke, United Kingdom, in 1958. He lives and works in Melbourne. Chesworth works across sound art, experimental music, video and installation practice, examining the diverse ways we sense the world and how our understandings align through art, philosophy and the non-human. Chesworth’s collaborative practice with artist Sonia Leber is known for its distinctive video, sound and architecture-based installations that are audible as much as visible.
From 1978 until 1982 Chesworth coordinated the Clifton Hill Community Music Centre in Melbourne, and formed the post-punk bands Essendon Airport and Whadya Want? and later The David Chesworth Ensemble. Since 1996 he has maintained a collaborative practice with audio-visual artist Sonia Leber, undertaking site-specific projects that respond to their architectural, social, and technological settings. Chesworth and Leber have an extensive performance and exhibition history, including the 56th Biennale of Venice: All the world’s futures (2015); and the 19th Biennale of Sydney: You imagine what you desire (2014). Their survey exhibition Architecture makes us: Cinematic visions of Sonia Leber and David Chesworth was held at the Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne in 2018 and toured to UNSW Galleries, Sydney and Griffith University Art Museum, Brisbane the following year.
David Chesworth works across sound art, experimental music, video and installation practice, examining the diverse ways we sense the world and how our understandings align through art, philosophy and the non-human. Chesworth’s collaborative practice with artist Sonia Leber is known for its distinctive video, sound and architecture-based installations that are audible as much as visible.
From 1978 until 1982 Chesworth coordinated the Clifton Hill Community Music Centre in Melbourne, and formed the post-punk bands Essendon Airport and Whadya Want? and later The David Chesworth Ensemble. Since 1996 he has maintained a separate collaborative practice with audiovisual artist Sonia Leber, undertaking site-specific and research-based projects responding to architectural, social, and technological settings. Chesworth and Leber have an extensive exhibition history, including the 56th Biennale of Venice, 2015; the 19th Biennale of Sydney, 2014; and major solo exhibitions Architecture Makes Us: Cinematic Visions of Sonia Leber and David Chesworth, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne, 2018, UNSW Galleries, Sydney, 2019, and Griffith University Art Museum, Brisbane 2019; Zaum Tractor, Fehily Contemporary, Melbourne, 2014, and Gridchinhall, Moscow, 2013; Space-Shifter, Detached/MONA FOMA, Hobart, 2012; and Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, 2011.
