Bon Mott

Engaged & Public Arts/Social Practice, Film/Video, Furniture Design, Illustration, Interactive/Digital Media, Interdisciplinary, Non-Disciplinary, Performance, Photography, Sculpture/Installation, Sound Art
Hybrid mentor (in-person and online)

Biography
They/them

Dr Bon Mott _/\_ (_/\_ pronounced "Bon") is a Queer, non-binary, neurodiverse artist, curator, and educator based in Naarm (Melbourne), Australia, on Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung land. Learning from Indigenous Knowledge and developing trust through collaboration as foundational principles, their internationally recognised, transformative, and process-driven transdisciplinary practice spans installation, performance art, film, and sculpture. _/\_’s work interrogates and challenges conventional art paradigms by centering neurodivergent disability perspectives, non-binary identity, and the reuse of materials, and bronze casting to create immersive ceiling installations. With a doctorate in performance art from the University of Melbourne, _/\_ advocates Indigenous collaboration, activism, Queer transfeminism and, and the intersection of art and astronomy through their practice. Identifying as lightning and the ghost of Bon Scott, _/\_ employs humor and the playful strategies of the trickster to foster inclusive social change. As gallery director of Second Space Projects and adjunct in Creative Entrepreneurship at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, _/\_ is committed to supporting marginalized curators and artists through innovative, community-focused initiatives, informed by a 30-year art and design practice and their company Plusceate.

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is grounded in learning from Indigenous Knowledge and developing trust through reciprocal collaboration, recognizing these as foundational to transformative and inclusive education. I approach teaching as a critically process-driven, transdisciplinary practice that values experimentation, dialogue, and the co-production of knowledge across diverse identities and perspectives. Drawing on my lived experience as a Queer, nonbinary, neurodiverse artist and educator, I center neurodivergent and nonbinary perspectives, and foster environments where students are encouraged to challenge conventional paradigms, embrace creative risk-taking, and repurpose materials in inventive ways. I believe that humor, play, and the strategies of the trickster can open space for critical inquiry and social change, and I strive to nurture students’ confidence, curiosity, and sense of belonging within both academic and community contexts. Through collaborative projects, community engagement, and interdisciplinary exploration-including intersections with art, science, and activism-I aim to empower students to become agents of positive change, supporting marginalized voices and fostering equity in creative practice.