Sara Retallick is an artist and researcher based in Naarm who critically engages with multi-sensory listening in sound-based media.
Working across sound art, electronic music composition, and audio production, she creates tactile sonic experiences using sound and object-based installations, multichannel sound systems, and live performance. Recently, Sara’s work has focused on underwater listening, composing electroacoustic works specifically designed for submerged audiences.
Sara holds a Master of Fine Arts (research) from the University of UNSW, where she developed the practice-led research project titled Listening Tank. This works explores how touch, sight, and hearing can unite to expand the possibilities of listening through the creation of an underwater amplified sound installation, which immerses the body and ears of a solo audience member in a bath-like object to access a multisensory experience of sound.
Active in the Melbourne music community since 2004, when Sara relocated from regional Victoria to study sound production. Through various roles as an artist, musician, producer, songwriter, live sound engineer, recording assistant, location sound recordist, music photographer, lecturer, and rehearsal studio coordinator, she possesses a visible commitment to Melbourne’s music community and holds a firm place within it. Sara produces music under the name Golden Syrup, using exploratory electronics, bass guitar and voice to bring together a range of sonic approaches traversing bass-driven rhythms, sound collage, pop and folk. Retallick’s practice also encompasses collaboration having recently worked with artists such as Maria Moles, Jannah Quill and post-punk trio Mod Con.
Through her cross-disciplinary practice she has presented installations and performances nationally and internationally including commissions and performances with, Cashmere Radio Berlin (2024), Now or Never Festival (2023); Shepparton Art Museum (2022); RISING Melbourne (2021); Melbourne Music Week (2021); Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, Spain (2020); CAMP Mountain Music Festival, France (2019); BLINDSIDE (2019); UNSW Gallery, Sydney (2019); I.S.E.A. Durban, South Africa (2018); Bus Projects (2017); Dark MOFO, Hobart (2016). She has attended multiple artist residencies, including Environment and Synthesis with Mark Fell, Rian Treanor and CM Von Hausswolf at Camp France (2024), artist in residence at Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio (2022), Eco-Acoustics with Annea Lockwood / Leah Barclay at CAMP France (2019), and Sonic Mmabolela with Francisco Lopez / Barbara Ellison in South Africa (2018).
Scholarships, awards and prizes include the Graduate Research Scholarship UNSW (2021-24), Melbourne Polytechnic Excellence in Higher Education Teaching award (2023), RMIT Honours Travelling Scholarship for excellence (2019), the NAVA Travelling Scholarship for Emerging Artists (2017). Sara has also received nominations for the Australian Music Prize, and The Music Victoria awards multiple times. Her creative practice has been supported through extensive funding avenues such as Australia Council, Melbourne City Council, Creative Victoria, Yarra City Arts, UNSW, and more.
Sara has been a lecturer with the Bachelor of Songwriting and Music Production since 2019, teaching across all four streams within the course. In her classes, she synthesises a range of learning styles centred around experimentation, play, listening, critical analysis, theory, research, interactive tutorials, peer-led feedback, and collaboration. With a background in learning and practicing in a fine art context, Sara considers critical theory and philosophical approaches as fundamental cornerstones to contemporary creative practice.