Just like that,

I left Macedonia (former Yugoslavia) just before Balkans crises began to further my Long Term project ‘Spaces 1989-1999’

The nineties were a decade of uncertainty…the Balkans in turmoil, Yugoslavia in meltdown… Boundaries shifts, destruction, genocide… My work began questioning... Searching for the Reason!

By using natural and non-traditional art material I created sculptures, objects and installations, and in 1990 I began ongoing collaboration with SATV (Scotland) on a number of video installations.

Mid ‘80s my multilayered projects started popping up and 1990 I began ongoing collaboration with SATV (Scotland) on a number of video installations.

Soon after representing Macedonia on 1993 Venice Biennale I undertook extensive research of tactile senses in visual art contemplation, and 1998 in Open Hand Opens Space Gallery, Reading (England) I created “Space XXXVIII ’97 / XXXIX ‘98”.
This object/installation could be contemplate mainly with the senses of touch, made in collaboration with William Kirby OBE Consultant in Arts Heritage and Visual Impairment, formerly an Art Collage lecturer who was registered blind since 1981, inspired by his raised maps and diagrams originally made for visually impaired and blind visitors to Wells Cathedral.

The interior (5 x 3 x 2,5 m) of this project is in dark, for the sited visitors it takes approximately two to three minutes to start recognising the raised images on the specially constructed walls expressively painted with primal colours and spices, therefore is necessary to engage senses of touch and smell to understand the space

The exterior (approx 7 x 4 x 4m) is in the form of white-soft block of fluorescent light coming from within, is made from several hundred large sheets of white (60 x 40cm) tissue paper hanging from fishing line construction.

In 2004, following the show at the Museum of Contemporary Art at Skopje, Macedonia I began extending project “?21?33’, ?41?21’ “(working title ‘The skin of Prilep environment’).

I was born in Prilep and I left in my teens. In the meantime lots changed; therefore this was great opportunity for me to see the same environment from the pragmatic point of view, with help of large group of professionals that are emotionally or professionally connected to that particular landscape, and the result titled ‘Amnesia’ was shown at the same Museum in 2011. In 1989 I took part on ‘Sarajevo Dokumenta’, not long after Balkans especially Bosnia endured cataclysm, and for my second visit in 2010 Sarajevo was in ruins. This influence the outcome of my project at ‘Collegium Artistikum’, and the following 2011 at the same gallery while working on the installation “?18?27’, ?43?53’ ”, I recorded conversations with large group of Sarajevo citizens’ of their physical and psychological state during this never ending struggle to survive.

The resulting several hours sound and video documents electronically compressed in to two-three seconds will become part of the material for the multisensory object ‘Explosion’.

As part of this long term project ‘Diary’ I just completed preliminary phase for collective project ‘From Conception to Materialization’, as a result of observation Reading University, Arts & Education degree student’s studio practice and their outlook on future performance as teachers and artist.

This project will be a metaphor to revisit educational establishments, to work with forthcoming practitioners that are ‘on the threshold between leaving securities of education institutions facing the void of professional uncertainty’.



Selected Solo Projects:

2010, Sarajevo, (BiH), Kolegijum Artistikum, „φ18°27', λ43°53' - No: 2“, Working title - „Eco - Study of Sarajevo Environment“
2004, Skopje, ( Macedonia ), Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje, “ Journey /Spaces “. (catalogue)
2002, Pancevo, ( Serbia ), Contemporary Art Gallery, “ Tree /Space “. (cat.)
2000, Monsaraz, ( Portugal ), “Space“. (cat.)
1999, Reading, (England ), Open Hand/Open Space gallery, “Space XXXVIII’97 / XXXIX’98”.
1997, Tasmania, ( Australia )Tasmanian School of Art at Launceston, “Space 2, XXXVIII’97”.
1994, Rosendale, Lancashire, ( England ), Irwel Way Sculpture Trail, “Space 9, XXXIV ‘93”.
1993, Venice, ( Italy ), Venice Bienalle ,“ With Gligor Stefanov represented the Republic of Macedonia.” (cat.)
1993, Leeds, ( England ), Leeds City Art Gallery, Roof/terrace, “Spaces XXXIV ’93”.
1992, London, ( England ), Back Crypt, St George’s Church, Bloomsbury, “Spaces XXXIII ‘94”.
1992, London, ( England ) London Ecology Centre, “Tree”.
1991, Leeds, ( England ), Leeds Art Space Society, “Object 3, XXXII ’91”.
1991, Harrogate, ( England )., Harlow Carr Botanical Gardens, “Object 2, XXXII ’91”.
1990, Cumbria, ( England ), Grizedale Forest, Sculpture Trail, “Living Space 1, XXXI ’90”.
1989, Skopje, ( Macedonia ), Museum of Contemporary Art, “Spaces XXX ‘89“. (cat.)
1989, Pancevo, ( Serbia ), Contemporary Art Gallery “Tree ‘89“. (cat.)

 


Selected Group Shows:

2009, Sarajevo, (BiH), Kolegijum Artistikum, “Venice via MKC”
2008, Skopje, (Macedonia), MKC, “Vence via MKC”
2007, 2009, Glasgow, (Scotland), Collins Gallery, Sense Scotland, “Helen Killer International Award”
2002, Pancevo, ( Serbia ), Contemporary Art Gallery, “Third international Art workshop - GLASS“.
2000, Kingston-upon-Thames, ( England ), Stanley Picker Gallery, “On the road to Meikle Saggie“.
2000, Edinburgh, ( Scotland ), Edinburgh City Art Gallery, “On the road to Meikle Saggie“.
1997, Yamagata Prefecture, (Japan ), Sacuyazawa Village, “A collaboration with the Snow in the Mandala lLnd” .
1997, Istanbul, ( Turkey ), Sabancy Art Centre, Yildiz Technical University, “Desiring Machines“.
1994, Budapest, ( Hungary ), Ernst Museum, “ Naturally “ .
1994, Nurnberg, ( Germany ), Kunst Bunker, “Seven Macedonian Artist” .
1994, Banff, Alberta, ( Canada ), BANFF Centre for the Arts, “The End of the Nation State“.
1992, Hatfield, ( England ), Hatfield University, “International Exhibition“.
1991, Cambridge, ( England ),Cherry Hinton Hall Park, “Enter in“.


Selected Awards:

1987, Skopje, ( Macedonia ), “Biennial of youth ‘87” Special Award from the Museum of Contemporary Art.
1988, Zagreb, ( Croatia ), Dubravko Djivan Avard, Art Tresor.
1993, New York, ( USA ), Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Award.


Some of the people and institutions who took part in my work since 1984:

Katalin Ladik - 1984 performance and vocal, video project “True space and time”, Studentski Grad Gallery, Belgrade, Serbia and 1989 performance and vocal, video project “Space ’89”, Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje, Macedonia; Mihailo Ristic - 1987 video and photo collaboration, Belgrade, Serbia; Vladeta Stojic - 1984 and 1985 photography, Belgrade, Serbia; Djordje Odanovic- 1987 and 2002, photography, Belgrade, Serbia; Marin Dimes- 1989 photography, Skopje, Macedonia; Rumen Camilov - 1989 photography, Skopje, Macedonia; Vince Stokes - 1990 photo installation, Grizedale Forest Sculpture Trail, England; Zena Bast - 1990 performance, Grizedale Forest Sculpture Trail, England; James Austin- 1991 photography, Cambridge, England; Bill Muir - 1992 photography, London, England; S.A.T.V - 1993 and ongoing video collaboration, Scotland; Jerry Hardman Jones - 1993 photography, Leeds, England; Donald Lee - 1994 photography, Banff, Alberta, Canada; Bruno Weib - 1994 photography, Nurnberg, Germany; I. Sasak - 1997 photography, Yamagata prefecture, Japan; Joachim Froese - 1997 photography , Tasmania, Australia; William Kirby - 1995/1997 collaboration and research of the tactile project “ Space XXXVIII ‘97/XXXIX ‘98”, England; Robert Jankuloski - 1989, 1993 and 2004 photo and video collaboration; Darko Baseski - 1989 and 2004 photography, Skopje, Macedonia; Klime Korobar - ICON - 2004 sponsorship, Skopje, Macedonia; Dejan Brsakoski - 2008 and ongoing website coordinator, Prilep, Macedonia; Dragana Antonic - 2010 photography, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.