Selma Selman (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Peter Lee (USA) | Nika Rukavina (Croatia)
Lectures organized by Marina Grzinic, Studio for Conceptual Art (Post-conceptual Art Practices).
The presentation is possible thanks to the Artists-in-Residence program of the Austrian Federal Chancellery and KulturKontakt Austria.
Selma Selman / Peter Lee
Superpositional Art & Politics
About two and a half years ago, the first working quantum computer proved the principle of physical superposition. This theoretical principle, and now empirical phenomena, operates on the fact that all physical matter exists in all states at once. What are the implications of this fact for art first, and inevitably politics? Selma Selman and Peter Lee have made works that play with this fact at different realms and scales, including performance art, technology, research and organizing.
CV: Selma Selman / Peter Lee have formed over the past 3 years a fluid collaboration that weaves together both of our individual and collective practices and research trajectories. The common thread anchoring us is the use of research, technology, media and aesthetics to produce new functional artworks. We have an umbrella project titled The Museum of Travelling Dreams that is comprised of multiple parts including: 1. Superpositional Performance ‒ use of performance and pop culture to interrupt the logics of violence; 2. No Space ‒ use of technology to question the use of space; 3. The Children's Intelligence Agency ‒ use of conceptual art games that can educate through social media; 4. The Fuck Collection ‒ an anti-fascist conceptual fashion collection.
Their work, Children’s Intelligence Agency was presented at EMSUB, a military academy of Colombia (2018), Superposition 3 – Attacking the Attack , Rijeka, Croatia (2018). I wish I had German Passport, Regensburg, Germany (2017). Happy Birthday , Washington, D.C. (2018). Guest Lecturer at George Mason University (2018). Upside Down World , Washington, D.C. (2018)
Nika Rukavina
Who are we, why do we act in certain ways?
Within my performance work I deal with the question of the manifestation and influence of present political and economic frameworks on a individual, its way of perceiving and acting.
The time when civil liberties are violated, is the time when human rights are to be defended. When the capital dictates the values of every person, whether they are aware of it or not they have an engraved target on their chest, the only question is when they are going to be hit.
In this talk I will introduce and discuss my performances: Hunting season 2019, Word whipping 2017, In the end it’s all about the money 2016, I have earned my star 2016, Lost in transition 2014, Don’t put your cross on me 2013, etc.
CV: Nika Rukavina lives in Rijeka, Croatia. She holds a BA in sculpture of Academy of Fine Arts in Venice and works in different media from performance, installations, painting, sculpture and video. Her primary interest is trying to find a different perspective on commonly accepted views. She exhibited in: frei_raum Q21, Vienna, Austria; Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb; Galerie 5020, Salzburg, Austria; MLZ Art – Dep, Trieste, Italy; Kunsthaus, Graz, Austria; Magazzini del Sale, Venice, Italy; Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka, Croatia; Pyramida, Tirana, Albania; Cultural Center, Belgrade, Serbia; Gallery A + A, Venice, Italy; Gallery Bevilacqua La Masa, Venice, Italy; Gallery Nuova Icona, Venice, Italy.