PhD candidate in the Binational Artistic Phd Program at HfK Bremen (University of the arts Bremen) in cooperation with PhDArts at Universiteit Leiden and KABK in The Hague (NL)
Irena Kukric's (1983, RS) practice and research are related to the absence of the human body in time-based installation performance. Her performances focus on the balance between digital or mechanical dimensions of the works and on the poetics of human experience when performed by non-human actors.
Irena studied scenography at the Faculty of Applied Arts at the University of Arts in Belgrade, Serbia and Digital Media at the University of Arts in Bremen, Germany. In the past, Irena worked as a stage designer in theatre and as a production designer in film. In 2012, she interned at the installation department at MoMA PS1, New York. She created various installation performances for different galleries, digital media festivals, and theater festivals such as OUTNOW!, Galerie Herlod, Schwankhalle, Städtische Galerie in Bremen, Naxos studios in Frankfurt, Resonate, Belgrade, and C28, Hanover.
Irena lectures at the University of Arts Bremen and is a coordinator and researcher in the research project The Dynamic Archive at the University of Arts Bremen.
irenakukric.com
current position
2018
coordination and research for the project "The Dynamic Archive" at the University of the Arts Bremen
2016
Master Digital Media, University of the Arts Bremen, Germany
2013 – 2016
Studied Digital Media at the University of the Arts Bremen, Germany
2009
Diplom for Scenography for Theater, Film uand TV, University of the Arts, Belgrade, Serbia
2004 – 2009
Studied Scenography at the University of the Arts in Belrgarde Serbia, Faculty of Applied Arts
Teaching
2022
Course: “Thinking through landscapes” (4 SWS), University of the Arts Bremen WS19/20 (Together with Elburuz Fidan)
2020
Course: “Structures that initiate change” (4 SWS), University of the Arts Bremen WS19/20
2019
Course: “What do things (machines) do when we sleep?” (4 SWS), University of the Arts Bremen SS19 (together with Prof. Dr. Andrea Sick and Prof. Ralf Baecker, Theoretical Part of the Bachelorproject)
2018
Course: “Writing and performing manifestos” (4 SWS), University of the Arts Bremen WS18/19 (together with Prof. Dr Andrea Sick)
2017
Course: “Transitions. Identities in {Digital} Collectives” (4 SWS), University of the Arts Bremen WS17/18
(together with Prof. Dr Andrea Sick)
2017
Course: “The Network of Absence” (2 SWS), University of the Arts Bremen, WS17/18
Publications
2021
Kukric Irena, "Starting Points 03". In Irena Kukric (ed.), Andrea Sick (ed.), The Dynamic Archive 03, Bremen (The Dynamic Archive) 2021
2020
Kukric Irena, “Nobody is here”. In Ralf Baecker (ed). Dennis Paul (ed.) Andrea Sick(ed.), Reenactments in Art, Design and Science, Hamburg (Textem Verlag) 2020
2018
Kukric Irena, “The stage, things and no body manifesto”. In: Andrea Sick (ed.), Nevertheless. 17 Manifestos. Issue No 2, Hamburg (Textem Verlag) 2018
2015
Kukric, Irena, “Clueless Manifesto”. In: Andrea Sick, 20 Manifestos 2014/2015, Issue No 1, Amsterdam (aboem) 2015.
Exhibitions and Performances
2022
“No Longer, Not Yet", Performance Installation by Irena Kukric, part of the group exhibition “Halbe Halbe – Floating in, Swerving out, Doing Art and Theory", Dauerwelle, Bremen, DE
2021
“How to Walk on Water”, Performance Installation, Concept/direction/stage design: Irena Kukric, Dramaturgy: Iva Brdar + Irena Kukric, Programming and electronics: Julian-Anthony Hespenheide, Sound design: Chang Park, Voice: Kate Chen, Production: Nadine Baecker, Based on a scene from the theatre text Tomorrow Is (For Now) Always Here by Iva Brdar, translated from Serbo-Croatian by Ana Brdar Schwankhalle, Bremen, supported by Senator für Kultur Bremen, Schwankhalle Bremen and Hollweg Stiftung, Bremen, DE
2020
"Window, Starting points 0.2" Installation by Irena Kukrić Thealit Arbeitzimmer, supported by The Dynamic Archive, Bremen, DE
2019
"Grid, Starting points 0.1" Installation by Irena Kukrić and Sinopale Team, Sinopale, Sinop, Turkey, supported by The Dynamic Archive, Bremen, DE
2018
production assistant for installation "Putting the Pieces Back Together Again" by Ralf Baecker, Berlin, DE
2018
‘Staging Nature’, ‘(un)natural encounters’, Galerie Herold, Bremen DE
2018
‘No-body is here’, solo exhibition, C28, Hannover DE
2017
‘Staging Nature’, ‘(un)natural encounters’ Group exhibition, Dom Kulture Studentski grad, Belgrad RS
2017
‘Staging Absence’, OUTNOW!, Bremen DE
2016
‘Automatic Orchestra’, European Media Arts Festival, Osnabrück DE
2015
‘Automatic Orchestra’, Resonate Festival 15, Belgrade RS
2015
‘Happy Days’, Städtische Galerie Bremen DE
2015
‘Barefoot in the great expectations’, ‘ONE NIGHT STAND with Irena Kukric’, Immigration Office, Bremen DE
2015
‘Interpreting Present’, Group exhibition “AS IF”, Immigration Office, Bremen DE, Stage design – Theater
2017
‘Knausgård III: Spielen’ Dramaturgy Viktorie Knotková, Robin Sondermann, Frank Abt , Directed by Frank Abt, Stage and Costume by Susanne Schuboth, Stage and Costume assistent: Irena Kukric, Theater Bremen, Bremen DE
2015
‘Valjevo hospital’ Written by D. Cosic, Directed by S. Saletovic, Krusevac Theater, Krusevac RS
2013
‘My son is walking a bit slower’ Written by I. Marinic, Directed by von P. Stojmenovic, Belgrad Drama Theater, Belgrad RS
2010
‘Dance of Smalltime Demons’ Dramaturgy by M. Pelevic, novel von M. Vidojkovic, Directed by Milan Neskovic, Theater Dadov, Belgrad RS
2009
‘Boarding school’ Written by O. Dimitrijevic, Directed by Jovana Papovic, Theater Dadov, Belgrad RS
2009
‘And they lived happily ever after…’ Written by J. Djordjevic, Directed by V. Djurovic, Theater Dadov, Belgrad RS
2009
‘Pit’ Written by Lj. Stojanovic, Directed by P. Stojmenovic, Theater Dadov, Belgrad RS
2008
‘The long life of King Oswald’ Written by V. Lukic, Directed by P. Stojmenovic, Nationaltheatre Pirot, Pirot RS
2008
‘Cyrano de Bergerac’ Written by E. Rostand, Directed by P. Stojmenovic, National theatre Sterija, Vrsac RS
Scenography – Film
2015
‘Enklava’ Directed by Goran Radovanovic, Production Design Vladimir Lasic, Art Direction Irena Kukric, Co-production: Nama film / Sein+Hain Film (Serbia / Germany)
2010
‘Flashback’ Directed by Aleksandar Jankovic, Production Design: Irena Kukric, Ljubica Milanovic, Produktion: House Gnezdo (Serbien)
2008
‘Love and other crimes’ Directed by Stefan Arsenijevic, Production Designer: Volker Schäfer, Co-production: Icon Film / Art & Popcorn / KGP Kranzelbinder Gabriele Production / Studio Arkadena / Intermedia Network (Serbia/ Germany / Austria / Slovenia), trainee in Art Department
Talks and Presentations
2017
Lecture: “Staging Absence”, European Media Arts Festival, Osnabrück
2017
Lecture: “Staging Absence”, Sneak Talks, Hochschultage 2017, HfK Bremen
Awards and scholarships
2016
DAAD Matching Funds-Stipendium
2015
Hochschulpreis Digital Media, University of the Arts Bremen
2010
the annual award for scenography from Theater DADOV, Serbia
Internships
2017
Internship for the ‘Oper Lady Macbeth von Mzensk’ Directed by Armin Petras, Theater Bremen, Bremen, Deutschland
2012
Installation department, MoMA PS1, New York, USA
How To Walk On Water is a performance installation, an infinite scroll that guides you through the virtual landscape, exploring the duality of human presence in our physical space and the space of the internet.
You are invited to take a walk without moving, passing through the spaces in-between where our fragmented thoughts are floating. Reflect on this moment we usually experience alone in our rooms, in a collective of an audience through the performing non-humans.
Through the vast possibilities, all collected for us on the internet, we engage in the echo chambers guided by the internet algorithms. The intimacy we might look for is redirected from another to ourselves. Unlike the physical space we inhabit, the one we can measure, touch, smell and taste, the space of the internet draws one in, scrolls, scatters, collects and manipulates. Here one can find everything, but in the process, one can forget what it is one has set out to find.
This performance installation was based on the part of the theatre text Tomorrow Is (For Now) Always Here which, in the form of a wikiHow inspired manual, explores digital memories, looking for ways to do things in a few simple steps.
Concept/direction/stage design: Irena Kukric
Dramaturgy: Iva Brdar + Irena Kukric
Programming and electronics: Julian-Anthony Hespenheide
Sound design: Chang Park
Voice: Kate Chen
Production: Nadine Baecker + Schwankhalle (Birte?)
Based on a scene from the theatre text Tomorrow Is (For Now) Always Here by Iva Brdar, translated from Serbo-Croatian by Ana Brdar
Supported by Schwankhalle, Senat für Kultur, Hollweg Stiftung
Set in the middle of the boat, separating the areas of the future and the past, as visitors move from one side to the other, the small space divided by curtains attempts to grasp the present moment. It stands as a space of ‘modalized present’ (past present, actual present: “now,” future present). The audio, guides the visitor through a virtual landscape, exploring the duality of human presence in our physical space and the space of the internet. This is a space of virtuality, one that is never physically there, but is always in relation to what is no longer and not yet. The subtle movement of the curtains underlines this intangible moment of the present absence.
No Longer, Not Yet is another rehearsal within an ongoing research Rehearsing with non-humans.
Collaborators:
Programming and electronics: Julian-Anthony Hespenheide
The sound is adapted from performance installation How To Walk On Water
Sound design: Chang Park / Voice: Kate Chen
Based on a scene from the play, "Tomorrow Is (For Now) Always Here" by Iva Brdar
Installation-perfomance (8 minutes long)
with 9 motors; Sound; Light, Processing
Hochschule für Künste Bremen, Germany 2016
Presented at OUTNOW! Festival in Bremen 2017
Absence within staging can mean reduction to specific theater elements. Here, this limit is the curtain and what it means as an iconic symbol of a theater stage. As one act ends, another begins and so it goes on and on. The curtain becomes a protagonist in itself and its behaviour would dictate the dynamics of the play. On the other hand, what is behind it? The provocation, the expectation and the inevitable symbol of a gate between two spaces, moments and ideas became as prominent as the curtains themselves. In this way, the absence of the play, the story and what you may typically encounter on a stage behind a curtain became the play itself.
Staging Absence is a 8 minute performance entirely actuated by motors. They are animating the curtains and the light. Without a human body controlling the curtains or a human actor delivering the performance, we encounter a distance which allows the audience to experience a different sort of play. The intention is to deal with these present absences through a sense of melancholy, fantasy and associations, finding in them some sort of fulfilment as opposed to mechanical repetition one might expect from an automated installation. The aim is to search for the intimate and human through the means of mechanical and non-human.
When presented with these fragments and present absences, the audience is left to fill in “the spaces in-between, spaces of discovery, spaces in which emotion, imagination and reflection can actually take place.” Goebbels (Aesthetics of Absence, texts on theater,2015: 4)
Installation-Perfomance
University of Arts Bremen, Germany 2015
Exhibited at Städtische Galerie Bremen
In collaboration with Canny Sutanto
This five-minute play is staged using ten servo motors and a DC motor with the Arduino platform and VVVV live programming environment.
Happy Days or Staging Beckett with 11 motors is staged without human actors or conventional (verbal) dialogue in a non-theatrical space. In Samuel Beckett’s “Happy Days”, perpetually performing rituals of daily routines overshadows the performers. The objects of these rituals can survive on their own. Therefore, these objects or rather props from the play became the performers themselves animated by motors. The contrast of order and chaos is represented by a series of various absurd behaviours of these props. Praying toothbrushes, knives killing time, burning umbrella.
Order is formed by repetition of daily routines, and chaos takes over when this repetition dries out sense.
Installation with 4 Motors (using Arduino); Sound, Video,
Graphic Youth Colony, Prolom Banja, Serbia
part of a group exhibition '(Un)Natural encounters' in Student Cultural Center in Belgrade
Supported by Serbian Ministry of Culture and University of the Arts Bremen, Serbia/Germany 2017
A landscape is a composition we choose to see. A landscape is always artificial.
There is a distance between us and the landscape we observe.
Observing nature is like an ongoing play. We seem to be able to stare at these ongoing rituals. Leaves moving mildly on the wind, water running over the stones, sun rays coming through the branches. Still, there is a distance between the landscape we see and ourselves. It is as if we are surrounded by these beautiful images that are resembling a painted landscape or even a kitschy postcard. By installing performative objects within the nature itself the theatricality of nature is emphasised and part of it is brought to our focus. The parts that are chosen are landscape performances. Technology, in these scenes, is used to move a curtain or a branch. This animation is almost comical where the attempt to disturb, emphasise or camouflage fails as the surroundings overshadow it. In this attempt lays the poetic struggle to relate to our surroundings no matter how unfamiliar or distant they have become.
The objects exhibited in a gallery space are placed even more out of the context and represent abandoned props without their stage. Nevertheless they are the leftovers of what once was a landscape play. They are a document of a place, but as they are still moving they relate to the place where they were once placed as a nostalgic object.