One of Australia’s true creative originals…Pledger has generally made the world a smaller, and far more exciting, place.
A History of the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards, 2016, Michael Shmith
David Pledger is one of the most exciting, ambitious and prolific artists of his generation.
Steven Richardson, producer, programmer
Pledger is a leading creator, producer, writer and thinker on the value of artists to society.
Platform Papers #63, On the Lessons of History, Katharine Brisbane, 2021
David Pledger is a conceptual, media and performance artist, and a curator, writer and futurist who operates at the intersection of art, technology and science, and explores their relationships to society and culture.
He creates artworks and public events of scale with multiple intentions including the valorisation of artistic practice and the mobilization of granular, progressive social change.
His artistic interests include the body, the politics of power, public space, climate change, social justice, the digital realm and collective futuring which align with his research interests – orientalism in intercultural theatre practice and the neo-liberalisation of western democracies.
From his initial practice, live performance, he has developed a unique dramaturgy engaging artists across artforms with experts from social, scientific and academic fields.
His award-winning work is notable for engaging publics in productive and provocative ways in live performance, interactive artworks, digital art, ideas and discursive events.
