Drone selfie bags $10,000 Agendo Art Prize

Jessica Coldrey, the 2021 Victorian Government John Monash Scholar, has been awarded the non-acquisitive Agendo Art Prize for 2021 for her striking drone selfie 'Pet Drone #1'.

Agendo is a highly regarded national event sponsored by the Crone family, and showcases the finest selection of emerging art by young artists across Australia.

Jessica's eye-catching image was created during her time as the inaugural artist in residence at Yarra Ranges Tech School (YRTS), and marks the first time a photograph has won the Agendo prize in its 14-year history.

The self-portrait depicts Jessica dressed in a futuristic silver dress with a sky-hive beehive, absurdly taking a small drone for a stroll on a leash. She says her project "Fused 60's space-age futurism with modern machines to question people’s fears, ecstasies, and mythologies about technology."

“In my artworks,” she says, “I create experiments, moving between coding, 3D printing and electronics". Jessica sees herself as a creative technologist who combines technologies to further conceptual ideas and test out futuristic propositions about society.

Paul Hicks, the Headmaster of Camberwell Grammar School who hosts the biennial competition, said that the Agendo Art Competition was conceived to support artists in a practical and meaningful way.

"The commitment to ‘be an artist’ is one which requires courage and determination and persistence.”

"I believe that one of the most important things about being an artist is the opportunity to share your work with people. For me, art is about helping people reflect on issues that shape the thinking of the future." Jessica said.

“I’m humbled and grateful to receive the Agendo Art Prize. It means I can continue making art and sparking conversations for new audiences.”

You can see previous winners of the award on the Agendo website.