_ABOUT ME

_BIO

Ivana Filip is a Croatia-based artist, activist and researcher. Her practice grows from visual art and stretches through multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary work, across performance, live work, video, photography and mixed media. Her work has developed from body-based to movement and interspecies collaborations including performances with dogs and their human companions, dog hair tapestry and interspecies collaboration research with free-roaming cats.

In the last few years, Ivana’s quest has been human-nonhuman relationships and more-than-human creativity. To achieve these she uses many tools from anthrozoology, ethology, anthropology, animal studies, sociology, spirituality, activism, indigenous methodologies, deep ecology and personal experiences.

Ivana earned her MA in Economics at the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, MA in Arts at the Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts in Tilburg and her BA in Fine Arts from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. Her work has been shown locally, nationally and internationally, in non-profit spaces, libraries, symposiums, galleries and museums.

In addition to her artistic practice, Ivana volunteers, engages in activism, writes, educates and collaborates with various humans and nonhumans including cats, dogs, sea, books, air, plants, wind, leftovers, recyclables, branches. She enjoys co-creating with her cat family exploring the interconnectedness of all life. 

_ARTIST STATEMENT

Rejecting the opportunity to work in a bank, I dove into the exploration of artistic creation. My prior study of economics influenced me to question the sustainability of my artistic processes, of the cycle of a material, a product of art and its dissemination. Through this development, I came to prefer art as sustainable and symbiotic and see my artistic process as a holistic one.

Using varied media and disciplines, I research embodied, theoretical, political and social implications of our anthropocentric belief systems, question ways of living and existing, notions of rightness and wrongness, other and otherness and what it means to be a human today. I am especially committed to the research of trust and empathy, senses and bioethics, within the range of human-nonhuman relationships, in order to point to our responsibilities and interrelatedness to/with more-than-humans.

Though curious about humans, our long-term destructive anthropocentrism shifted my practice and my preference toward a more-than-human compassionate creative interspecies collaboration. Not only in my art but in my life too, I am dedicated to exploring that creates a finer mutual present. This manifests in an ethical vegan diet, up-cycling and reuse. Often, I fail, but in the end, it is about respect, emotion and care.

_EDUCATION

2019 – 2020       Master of Arts, Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts, Tilburg, NL, Performing Public Space, Cum Laude
2011 – 2016       Bachelor of Fine Arts, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, NL, Audio-Visual Department – Department of Moving Image (VAV)
1997 – 2002       Master of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, Zagreb, HR, Department of Trade
1989 – 1994       Elementary Music School, Nova Gradiska, HR, Piano

_SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023
”Little Measure of All Things”, AK Gallery, Koprivnica, HR
”Little Measure of All Things”, Gallery Razvid, Zapresic, HR
”Little Measure of All Things” within duo exhibition “Fragments of the past/ Utopia of the future“ with Sanja Bistričić Srića, Kazamat Gallery, HDLU Osijek, HR
2022
”Little Measure of All Things”, Art Radionica Lazareti, Dubrovnik, HR
”Little Measure of All Things”, Atelijeri Žitnjak, Zagreb, HR
”Nature does not like emptiness, and maybe me neither”, Culture Hub, Split, HR
2020
“Freeroaming“, self organised exposition in abandoned space, works from MA artistic research from Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts, Split, HR
2019
“What do you mean-you love animals?“, PM Gallery, Croatian Association of Visual Artists – HDLU, Zagreb, HR
2018
“Economy of Animal”, Main city library Marko Marulić, Split, HR
“Pet shop“, Public Open University Matija Antun Relkovic, Nova Gradiska,HR “Pet Shop”, Museum of City Trogir, Trogir, HR
2007
“A Story about Velebit”, Club of Istria, Zagreb, HR
“Condicio sine qua non…”, Go and See – Good Photo Gallery, Zagreb, HR

_GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023
“Praise to the Birds”, Prica Gallery, Samobor, HR
”The Annual Exhibition by Members”, Croatian Association of Visual Artists – HDLU, Zagreb, HR
2022
”The Annual Exhibition by Members”, Croatian Association of Visual Artists – HDLU, Zagreb, HR
2021
“All the faces of Croatia”, House of Culture Nova Gradiška, Nova Gradiška, HR
”The Annual Exhibition by Members”, Croatian Association of Visual Artists – HDLU, Zagreb, HR
“Kaapstad“, Tilburg, NL
2020
“The Annual Exhibition by Members”, Croatian Association of Visual Artists – HDLU, Zagreb, HR
“Travelling Exhibition“, Typhlological Museum, SKC Rijeka, HR
2019
“Where are we going?”, Almissa Open Art Festival, Omis, HR
2018
“Performance Night”, “Perforacije“, Split, HR
”SMALL PROBLEM, PROBLEM IS NEVER SMALL”, Sociëteit SEXYLAND, Amsterdam, NL
“1918…2018…2118”, HULU, Split, HR
“The Awakening Exhibit“, online exhibition
2017
“Let’s Just do It!”, duo with Wei Ling, own organization, Amsterdam, NL
2016
“Us in Them”, Rietveld Pavilion, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, kustosica Gemma
Hermans, Amsterdam, NL
“BOTS, BODIES & BEASTS”, Rietveld Uncut, Flemish Art Centre De Brakke Grond, Amsterdam, NL
“Research Lab: Gerrit Rietveld Academie: Bodies”, EYE Filmmuseum, Amsterdam, NL
2014
“Ritual Body-Political Body”, Venice International Performance Art Week, Venice, IT
“INTERVALº5“, Essen, DE
“FLAM V“ (Forum of Live Art), Amsterdam, NL
“Public relations”, Art in Context, Cobra Museum of Modern Art, Amstelveen, NL
2013
“FLAM IV“ (Forum of Live Art), Amsterdam, NL
“Une matinée de rejetés“, 24 Uur Cultuur, Rotterdam, NL
2008
“3. Photography Cup Jozo Vranic“, HR
2007
12. International Exhibition of Photography Art “Island and Sea”, Photo Club
“Kornat”, HR, Diploma for Tako je bilo
“Zagreb and Zagreb Citizens“, Photo Club Zagreb, Gallery SPOT, Zagreb, HR
2006
“1. Photography Cup Jozo Vranic“, HR
“31. Zagreb Salon“, Fotoklub Zagreb, Zagreb, HR
“Minijature” Photography Salon, Beli Manastir, HR
2005
Ship Photographers, Photo Cinema Club “Koncept 2001”, Zagreb, HR

_VOLUNTEERING/ASSISTING

2018
Volunteer, RijksakademieOPEN, Amsterdam, NL
2015
Performer, Graduation Project “Red and Empty”, Alya Hessy, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, NL
2014
Performer, “Constant Companion-Rietveld in the Oude Kerk”, Pedro Matias, Amsterdam, NL
Assistant, Graduation Project “Not smooth or grace-ful”, Pedro Matias, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, NL
2013
Performer, “Untitled (constructions)”, Cindy Moorman, SMBA, Museumnacht Amsterdam, NL
Performer, “Communitas”, Aernout Mik, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, NL
2011
Volunteer, Graduation Project Idan Hayosh, RijksakademieOPEN, Amsterdam, NL

_INTERVIEW

2022
Radio Student, Kulturizacija, interview
HRT, Radio Split, interview
2019
Plesna scena, interview
2018
Women Cinemakers, interview

_WORK PRESENTATION

2021
EQUALITY ZINE, The Red Zenith Collective, work representation
2018
WOTISART, November, work representation
A5 MAGAZINE, November, work representation

_PUBLICATIONS

2023
“CAT – HUMAN: A Collection of Interspecies Communications“, Ivana Filip, Atelijeri Žitnjak, Zagreb, HR
2022
“Nikola Viskovic: law – politic – bioethics”, Ivana Filip, ”Narodna umjetnost: Croatian Journal of Ethnology and Folklore Research”, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, Zagreb, HR
“Catopia“, Ivana Filip, “Tierstudien“, Neofelis Verlag, Berlin, DE
“Nonhuman animal agency: human and free roaming cats coexistence in Spinut neighbourhood in Split, through an interdisciplinary artistic practice“, Ivana Filip, “Eco, eco… ecopoetics, ecopsychology: literature and psyche”, “Poznańskie Studia Slawistyczne”, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, PL
“Nonhuman animal agency: human and free roaming cats coexistence in Spinut neighbourhood in Split, through an interdisciplinary artistic practice“, Ivana Filip, “Ecocriticism: the link between culture and nature“, Durieux, Zagreb, HR
2021
“Tora Holmberg, Urban Animals: Crowding in zoocities“, Ivana Filip, ”Narodna umjetnost: Croatian Journal of Ethnology and Folklore Research”, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Research, Zagreb, HR
2020
“P.S. unfold the new (ab)normal”, mutual publication by the students of MA Performing Public Space, Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts, Tilburg, NL
2014
“Public Relations”, research essay in mutual book of students, Art in Context, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, NL

_PRESENTATIONS/PANELS/ROUND TABLES/TALKS

2023
Presentation of the art practice, Twin Hubs project, Destil and Culture Hub Croatia, Tirana, ALB
“How to look at Natures? – Art and capitalocene”, international group exhibition curated with Suzana Marjanic, HDLU, Zagreb, HR
2022
“Eco, eco… ecopoetics, ecopsychology: literature and psyche”, “Poznańskie Studia Slawistyczne”, online panel presentation, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan, PL
2021
Master Research Day, webinar, Master Performing Public Space, Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts, Tilburg, NL
3rd Days of Cultural Animalistic, Center for Excellence for Integrative Bioethics, Faculty of Philosophy, presentation, Split, HR
Za Živali!, presentation, online
2020
“Enter the Symbiocene”, Portobello Pavilion, Portobello Radio, radio broadcasting in collaboration with Helen Scarlett O’Neill, London, UK
The Embassy of the North Sea, International Spinoza Award Foundation, Student design competition, Finalist, Amsterdam, NL
2019
2nd Days of Cultural Animalistic, Center for Excellence for Integrative Bioethics, Faculty of Philosophy, presentation and round table, Split, HR
2016
“Animal Agency: Language, Politics, Culture“, University of Amsterdam, video presentation, Amsterdam, NL

_EXTRACURRICULAR EDUCATION/OTHER

2020
The Animal Turn(s): Animals in Literature and Culture, Department of German Studies, The English and Foreign Languages University, India, online
2019
Psychology of Art and Creativity, Canvas Network
Therapeutic Art Life Coach Certification, Udemy
2018
“Resist”, 2-day workshop on the body in the urban area by Catherine Bay, Art Academy, Split, HR
Healing with the Arts, University of Florida, Coursera
Basic Animal Communication Home Course, Val Heart
2017/2016
Live Works, Teacher’s year with prof. Pien Vrijhof, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, NL
2015 – 2012
Live Works, extracurricular project by Pien Vrijhof, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, NL
2014
“MayDay”, 6-day Intensive Workshop on the Praxis of Performance Art by Vest&Page – Verena Stenke & Andrea Pagnes, Düsseldorf, DE
2011-…
Animal rights and wellbeing activist
2011
“Developing Your Film Festival“, The Independent Cinema Office, Motovun Film Festival, Motovun, HR
“Supporting Woman Entrepreneurs“, Entrepreneurship as a Way of Self-employment, Zagreb, HR
2010
“Slovak Season Days“, SAPA&EFA & Art Film Fest, Trencianske Teplice, SK
2009
Volunteer, Noina arka, animal shelter, Zagreb, HR
2006
Black and white and digital photography, Zagreb Photo Cinema Association, Zagreb, HR

Member of Croatian Association of Visual Artists – HDLU, Croatian Association of Visual Artists – HULU.