Taking its title from a recurring error message in film editing software Adobe Premiere Pro—null is not an object—this exhibition meditates on the physical materiality of analogue film, and the thresholds between presence and absence in cinematic experience.
At the centre of the show are a series of wall-based sculptures made from 35mm and 16mm film leader—the blank, flickering material that precedes a feature or trailer on a film reel. These works explore the cinematic pause: the waiting, the buildup, the peripheral frames that hold a sense of anticipation. Included in these sculptures are vintage 35mm cinema advertisements from intermissions and pre-show reels, continuing Valender’s investigation into the in-between zones of film culture—the liminal moments that bracket narrative.
Null is Not an Object extends Valender’s ongoing engagement with celluloid as both medium and metaphor, drawing on her background in moving image and projection art. The exhibition offers a material and conceptual reflection on failure, threshold states, and the ghostly architectures of cinema.
Jen Valender, Null is Not an Object
04 Sep.—02 Oct. 2025
Bio
Jen Valender is an Australasian artist based in Naarm/Melbourne whose work often draws on sensory and environmental experiences, merging sculptural forms with experimental film practice. She is a PhD candidate at the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne and a resident artist at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI).
Documentation