Damir Niksic is a Bosnian-born artist whose work in video, installation, and performance often adresses Orientalism, race and politics. His postcolonial approach to the Western Balkans led him to explore psychopathology of colonisation and ethno, cultural and cross-cultural psychology in situ.
His work has been exhibited in a variety of venues throughout Europe and the US, including the Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art, Sarajevo; National Museum of Montenegro, Cetinje; Trevi Flash Art Museum, Trevi; Center for Cultural Decontamination, Belgrade; National Museum, Szczecin; National Gallery, Skopje; Kyoto Art Center, Kyoto; Palazzo Papesse Centre for Contemporary Art, Siena; Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York; Zacheta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw; Tallin Art Hall, Tallin; Locarno Film Festival, Locarno; Ludwig Museum, Budapest; Sammlung Essl, MUMOK Museum, Pallais Lichtenstein Museum of Modern Art, Wien; The Museum of Modern Art of Saint-Etienne Metropole, DOX Centre of Contemporary Art, Prague and the 50th Venice Biennial.
Damir Nikšić je bosanskohercegovački umjetnik. Studirao je na likovnim akademijama u Sarajevu, Milanu, Bolonji. Diplomirao je 2000. godine na Akademiji likovnih umjetnosti u Sarajevu, Odsjek za slikarstvo. U periodu od 2000-2004. godine studirao je na postdiplomskom studiju na Univerzitetu Arizone, SAD. Magistrirao je 2004. godine likovnu umjetnost i historiju umjetnosti. Izlagao je na 50. Venecijanskom Bijenalu u internacionalnoj sekciji, kao i u raznim galerijama i muzejima umjetnosti širom svijeta.
2015
“#nuovicodici” Palazzo Stanga Trecco, Cremona, Italy, curated by Stefano Verri
“Wot Ken You Mach”,Wrocław Contemporary Museum, Poland, curated by Rafal Jakubowicz
“LAST TRAIN/Caramelle non ne voglio più!” Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Dubrovnik, Croatia
“Imageination / Odjeća, tekstil, maska i kostim kao tema i medij u suvremenoj umjetnosti” Galerija Multimedijalnog kulturnog centra Split, curated by Silvija Kalčić
“GIGANTOMAHIJA STARMALIH”, solo exhibition, “JAVA” Gallery of contemporary art, Sarajevo
2014
“DECODING”, Contemporary Art in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegrin Art Gallery “Miodrag Dado Đurić”, Cetinje, Curated by Branka Vujanović and Jon Blackwood
“THE DIGNITY OF MAN…”, National Gallery, Sarajevo
“Desire for Freedom: Dossier Bosnia and Herzegovina”, National Gallery, Sarajevo
“200 godina samoće – Njegošiations”, Biljarda, Cetinje, Montenegro, Curator: Petar Ćuković
“THE DIGNITY OF MAN…”, MUSA, Vienna
2012
“SING SING”, Musée d'Art Moderne de Saint Etienne Métropole, France, Curators: Lóránd Hegyi, Amila Ramović
“VIDEO VORTEX 8”, MSU Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb, Croatia, Curated by Tihomir Milovac
“Be realistic, demand the impossible”, <rotor>, Graz, Austria; Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Curated by Lejla Hodžić, Karin Lernbeiß, Margarethe Makovec, Eva Meran
“Middle East Europe Exhibition”, DOX Center for Contemporary Art, Prague, Czech Republic; Curators: Tamara Moyzes, Zuzana Štefková
“This is my Ghetto”, with Itay Ziv, TEGEN2, Stockhom, Sweden
2011
1st SARAJEVO BIENNIAL of ACTIVIST ART (December 10, 2011) occupied National Gallery, Sarajevo
“OCCUPY NATIONAL GALLERY” (September 6 – November 11, 2011), National Gallery, Sarajevo
“Middle East Europe Exhibition”, Mamuta at the Daniela Passal Art and Media Centre, Jerusalem; Curators: Tamara Moyzes, Zuzana Štefková
“REDREAM”, solo exhibition, “JAVA” Gallery of contemporary art, Sarajevo
“Créer c’est résister”, with Pascal Colrat and Patrick Pinon, Talmart Gallery, Paris, France
Tulca -Festival of Visual Arts, Galway, Ireland, After the Fall, The Perspectives, Part 1
– The scope of political practices of moving images today / Live @ 8 – curated by Vladan Jeremic
PARABOLA ARTFILMFEST, Community Center Tensta Traff, Tensta/Stockholm, Sweden
„Screen for Shorts“, Sommerstart Festival, Deutzer Drehbrücke, Cologne-Deutz, Germany.
14 Media Art Biennale WRO 2011 Alternative Now, Wrocław, Poland
ARTEKNE, International Market Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Matera, Italy, curated by Renato Bianchini
“Clothing as a symbol of identity”, International scientific conference, City gallery, Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina
ARCIPELAGO BALKANI/ “Open City”, aMAZElab Art&Culture, Skopje (Republic of Macedonia), Curated by Claudia Zanfi
“Deset godina u UGBiH (2001-2011) Otkupi”, Umjetnička galerija BiH, Sarajevo, curator Meliha Husedžinović
“Dreams vs Cauchemars Battlefield: Bosnia”, OUI Centre d'art contemporain, Grenoble
“Oriental Dream”, solo exhibition, Duplex 10m2, Sarajevo
2010
“Gerila u Maglaju” (BLT- Bosnian Liberation Theology), solo exhibition, AB Gallery, Maglaj, Bosnia
“Bosnia and Herzegovina Searching for Lost Identity”, P74 Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Curated by Dunja Blažević,
“OthersToSpecify”, BIG SCREEN PROJECT, SanctionedArray, New York
“a black mushroom will appear”, solo exhibition, TEGEN2 Gallery, Stockholm
“Blind Dates”, Pratt Manhattan Gallery, New York
ARCIPELAGO BALKANI/ “Open City”, aMAZElab Art&Culture, Milano, Curated by Claudia Zanfi
“Divine Connections”, Augsburg, Curated by Mirela Ljevakovic
“Caravan of Dreams”, Bosniak Institute, Sarajevo; SUPERMARKET 2010, Stockholm
“Gender Check. Femininity and Masculinity in Eastern European Art”, Zacheta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw, Curated by Bojana Pejic
“…on the eastern front”, video art from central and eastern europe 1989-2009, Ludwig Museum Budapest, Hungary. Curated by Rita Kalman, Tijana Stepanovic
2009
“Gender Check. Femininity and Masculinity in Eastern European Art”, MUMOK Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig, Wien, Curated by Bojana Pejic
“Transitland Destination Berlin”, Collegium Hungaricum, Berlin
“Fear of Flying”, solo exhibition, National Gallery of Art, Skopje
“Il padiglione immaginario di Bosnia-Herzegovina”, Galleria d'Arte Moderna Palazzo Forti, Verona, IT, Curated by Aurora Fonda
“South-North”, solo exhibition, National Gallery of Art, Sarajevo
“Caramelle non ne voglio piu”, solo exhibition, Charlama Depot Gallery, Sarajevo
“Art and Terrorism”, City gallery Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina
8th Baltic Biennial of Contemporary Art, Szczecin, Poland
Illuminating Islam Festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York
VIDEO_SICILIA, Palazzo della Cultura di Catania, Gate21
2008
“When Absence Becomes Presence”, Washington Project for the Arts, Washington, DC (curators: Sonja Simonyi and Niels Van Tomme)
“IF I WASN'T MUSLIM”, solo exhibition, Gallery Tegen2, Stockholm
“49th October Salon, Artist-Citizen; Contextual Art Practices”, Belgrade (curator Bojana Pejic)
“1. Mittelmeer Biennale”, Köln (Boogeyland Reservation, performance, Rathaus der Stadt Köln), “Neue Arcadia”, solo exhibition, k.u.k. Galerie
“Obscurum per obscurius”, Tallin Art Hall, Tallin, Estonia
“BELLA RAPITA”, White Project Arte Contemporanea, Pescara, Italy (curator Stefano Verri)
“Projected Visions – Bosnia-Herzegovina”, Apollonia, european art exchanges, video selection (curator Zlatan Filipovic)
“IF I WASN'T MUSLIM”, White Box Gallery, Videobox, Manhattan, New York, NY, USA
“ODAVDE/OTUDA (from here)(from there)”, An International Exhibition of Contemporary Bosnian Artists, Cecille R. Hunt Gallery, Webster University, St. Louis, MO. Curated by Jeffrey Hughes and Dana Turkovic
2007
“PAN SCREENING”, Palazzo delle Arti di Napoli
“Art Radio Live Broadcast Barge” at the 52nd Venice Biennale, curated by the PS1 MoMA, PAN and the Perna Foundation.
“RELATIONS”, Apollonia, european art exchanges, FABRIKculture, Hegenheim
“TRA”, White Project Arte Contemporanea, Pescara, Italy (curator Stefano Verri)
“SURRENDER OF THE BOOGEYMAN”, Meeting Point, performance and video screening, Sarajevo
“Sarajevo – Memory and Communication“, Cultural Promotion Cooperation of Shiga, Kyoto Art Center,
Kyoto, Japan
“SYSTEM ERROR: WAR IS A FORCE THAT GIVES US MEANING”, Palazzo Papesse Centre for Contemporary Art, Siena, Italy (Curated by Lorenzo Fusi & Naeem Mohaiemen)
“RECYCLED”, Collegium Artisticum, Sarajevo, BiH, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Slovakia (Curated by Meliha Husedjinovic) catalogue.
2006
“ATTITUDE”, video/short & experimental film/photography festival, Cultural Center MAGAZA, Bitola, Macedonia; Organizer: Center for Contemporary Public Arts ELEMENTI
“NEW BOSNIAN CINEMA”, Riverside Studios, London
“(o)granicenja”, Galerija SC, Zagreb, Croatia, (curator Asja Mandic) catalogue
“Boogeyman: Born Free”, solo exhibition, Galerija 10m2, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Eastern Neighbors”, Babel center, Utrecht, Netherlands
“Permanent Presence”, White Box Gallery, New York, NY, (curator Nebojsa Seric Shoba)
“La necessità di un’isola”, ISOLA ART CENTER , Milano, Italy
“Sarai”, solo exhibition, New Temple Gallery, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
2005
“MEDITERRANEO”, Fortezza della Brunella, Aulla, Italy
“Cosmopolitan Spirit to a Cosmopolitan City”, City Billboard Exhibition, Ask Sarajevo, Sarajevo
“COLLECTIVE vs INDIVIDUAL”, National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo (curator Dunja Blazevic).
“If I Wasn't Muslim”, Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art, New Temple Gallery, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (curator Asja Mandic) catalogue; National Museum of Montenegro, Studio DADO, Cetinje, Montenegro (curator Petar Cukovic) catalogue.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Venice Biennial”, Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art, Dom Mladih, Sarajevo.
“Damir Niksic”, White Project Arte Contemporanea, Pescara, Italy (curator Stefano Verri)
“Coabitazioni Coatte / Compulsory Cohabitations”, CACTicino Centro d'Arte Contemporanea Ticino, Bellinzona, Switzerland (curator Mario Casanova).
2004
“Robinson. Geografie Naturali e dell'Umano”, Trevi Flash Art Museum, Trevi (curators Maurizio Coccia, with Lorenzo Carrara and Mara Predicatori)
MEDESIGN, Palazzo della Borsa, Genova (curator Viana Conti).
Centro D'Arte Contemporanea, Ticino (with Franco Vaccari & Katia Bassanini, Sandro Grandinetti, Ingeborg LÃ?scher, Mario Nigro, Andro Wekua), Bellinzona, Switzerland. (curator Mario Casanova).
Mediterraneans, Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, Rome (curators Zdenka Badovinac and Dobrila Denegri).
Orhideja, 5th Cetinje Biennial, Cetinje (curator Petar Cukovic) catalogue.
CACTicino Centro d'Arte Contemporanea Ticino (with Andrea Crosa), Bellinzona, Switzerland.
“The Balkans: A Crossroads to the Future,” Arte Fiera, Bologna (curator Harald Szeemann) catalogue.
“Oriental,” Sarajevska Zima, Sarajevo. The video played four times daily on the local television station during the month of January.
2003
“50th Venice Biennial: Dreams and Conflicts: The Dictatorship of the Viewer,” section “Interludes”, Venice (curator Francesco Bonami) catalogue.
“Blood and Honey,” Vienna (curator Harald Szeemann) catalogue.
“Locarno Film Festival,” Locarno, catalogue.
“Drawn,” Museum of Contemporary Art, Tucson (curator Anne-Marie
Russell).
2002
“Searching for Identity,” Collegium Artisticum, Sarajevo (curator Asja
Mandic) catalogue.
2001
“Rendez-vous,” Ars Aevi Museum of Contemporary Art, Sarajevo (curator Bruno Corà).
2000
“What am I doing here?” Skuc Gallery, Ljubljana (curator Lejla Hodic).
“Balkan Art Generator,” Cultural Center De Zeyp, Brussels (selector Izeta Gradevic) catalogue.
“Maxumim IV,” Collegium Artisticum, Sarajevo.
1999-2000
“Maximum III,” Collegium Artisticum, Sarajevo; Pavarotti Music Center, Mostar; Bosnian Cultural Center, Tuzla; City Gallery, Zenica; City Gallery, Bihac.
1999
“Under Construction,” National Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Sarajevo (curator Dunja BlaÏevic).
“Karantena 3: Annual Exhibit of Contemporary Art,” Dubrovnik (curator Slaven Tolj).
“Inside is Outside,” Pavarotti Music Center, Mostar.
“Evoking the Arabesque,” Obala Art Center, Sarajevo (selector Izeta Gradevic).
“Biennale dei Giovani Artisti dell'Europa e del Mediterraneo,” Rome (curator Alfredo Pirri) catalogue.
1998
“Sarajevo 2000,” Pallais Lichtenstein, Museum of Modern Art, Vienna, openingperformance (curator Lorand Hegyi).
“Beyond the Mirror: Second Annual Exhibition of the Soros Center for Contemporary Art,” Academy of Fine Arts, Sarajevo.
“Maxumim II,” Collegium Artisticum, Sarajevo.
“Fabrikfest,” Kulturfabrik, Burgdorf.
1997
“Maxumim I,” Collegium Artisticum, Sarajevo.