PERSONALIA:
Damir Avdagic
Born on June 22nd, 1987, Banja Luka, Bosnia & Hercegovina
Currently works and lives in Oslo, Norway & Athens, Greece
damir.avdagic@gmail.com
EDUCATION:
2013-2016: MFA, University of California, Interdisciplinary Studio w. prof. Mary Kelly, Los Angeles, United States
2008-2014: MFA, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts w. prof. Katya Sander, Ann Lislegaard, Pia Rönicke, Copenhagen, Denmark
2006-2008: Nordland Art and Film College, Kabelvåg, Norway
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
*indicates publication
Prijenos (Overføring), Young Artists’ Society, Oslo, Norway 2024
Projekti u dijalogu - Prosjekter i dialog (Projects in dialogue) Nordnorsk Kunstsenter, NNKS, Svolvær, Norway 2023 *
Repriza/Uzvracanje (Reprise/Response), 18th Street Art Center, Santa Monica, CA 2020 *
To prosjekter i samtale, Oppland Kunstsenter, Lillehammer, Norway 2020
Repriza/Uzvracanje (Reprise/Response) RAM Galleri, Oslo, Norway 2019
“Reenactment/Process/Reprise/Response” Entreé Gallery, Bergen, Norway 2018
Translations, Another Space, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2014
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS & SCREENINGS
*indicates publication
2025:
Preko Grane (Grenseland), BIlledkunstnerne i Oslo (BO), Oslo, Norway (upcoming)
2024:
Norwegian Literary Festival, Lillehammer, Norway
When the Monster is Speaking, Inside-Out Art Museum, Beijing, China
AFI, Artists’ Film International, Tromsø Kunstforening, Norway
On the Passage of a Few People Through a Rather Brief Period of Time, CAC Gallery, Irvine, California
2023:
AFI, Artists´ Film International, Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, Berlin, Germany
Arctic Moving Image and Film Festival, Harstad, Norway
AFI, Artists’ Film International, GameC, Bergamo, Italy
Vitne, Falstadsenteret, Ekne, Norway *
AFI, Artists’ Film International, Fundación Proa, Buenos Aires, Argentina
AFI, Artists’ Film International, Whitechapel Gallery, London
2022:
Changwon Sculpture Biennale, Changwon, South Korea *
Meet the Residents, WIELS Center for Contemporary Art, Brussels, Belgium
“Prolazi izmedju 1980-2021 (Passages between 1980-2021)” Bosnian Hercegovinian Film Festival, SVA Theatre, NYC, NY
2021:
U potrazi za drugim prostorom pripadnosti, KRAK, Center for Contemporary Culture, Bihac, Bosnia & Hercegovina *
Norwegian Sculpture Triennial, Norwegian Sculptors’ Association, Oslo, Norway
2020:
From What Will We Reassemble Ourselves, Framer/Framed, Amsterdam (public program)
Mitt Flagg, Tromsø Kunstforening, Tromsø, Norway
2019:
Looking for Another Space of Belonging, Kunsthall Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, Denmark
Film as Idea, Galeria Studio, Cultural Palace, Warsaw, Poland
Repriza/Uzvracanje (Reprise/Response), Bosnian & Herzegovinian Film Festival, SVA Theatre, New York City, NY
2018:
Planning Future, Atelierhaus im Anscharpark, Kiel, Germany
Avskygninger, Kristiansand Kunsthall, Kristiansand, Norway
Østlandsutstillingen, Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium, Vestfossen, Norway *
2017:
Open Studios - International Studio and Curatorial Program, New York
En ny verden, Nivågaards Malerisamling, Nivå, Denmark
2016:
Open Studios - International Studio and Curatorial Program, New York
The Origin of Species, Noysky Projects, Los Angeles, California
PRESENT: Recollection, Godsbanen, Aarhus, Denmark
2015:
MFA#2, New Wight Gallery, Los Angeles, California
Voices, KALA Art Institute, Berkeley, California
Self-Storage, Another Space, Copenhagen, Denmark
Vårutstillingen, Fotogalleriet, Oslo, Norway *
2014:
PRE/CUT, Echo Street, Los Angeles, California
AFGANG, Kunsthall Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, Denmark
2013:
Live Screen Evening, Landmark, Bergen Kunsthall, Bergen, Norway
2012:
Today I am an Ostrich, Espacio la Mutante, Valencia, Spain
Jeg prøver at kigge ind, men får gardiner i øjnene, Galleri Q, Copenhagen, Denmark
2011:
Fra noget til noget andet, Bagholdt, Copenhagen, Denmark
Today, I am a Whale, Galleri Q, Copenhagen, Denmark
2010:
If Everything else fails..., Entreé Galleri, Bergen, Norway
MUDshow#2 - There´s no Place like Home, Galleri Tipi, Oslo, Norway
DIg these nuggets, WAREHOUSE9, Copenhagen, Denmark
2009:
Nordnorsken 2009, touring exhibition in northern Norway
NATURALLY, The Museum of Natural History, Bergen, Norway
2009 - MUDshow # 1 - den gode, den onde, den grimme, Haderslevgade, København, Danmark
JURIED AWARDS:
2025 Residency, Villa 31, Tirana Albania (Jury: Pierre Bal-Blanc, Sam Bardaouil & Till Felrath, Adela Demetja, Katarina Gregos, Alicia Knock, Hans Ulrich Obrist) (Upcoming)
2022 Residency, WIELS Center for Contemporary Art, Brussels, Belgium - Awarded by The Office of Contemporary Art, Oslo Norway ( Jury: Katya Garcia Anton, Geir Haraldseth)
2016 Residency, ISCP, The International Studio and Curatorial Program, Brooklyn, New York - Awarded by The Office of Contemporary Art, Oslo, Norway (Jury: Katya Garcia Anton, Eva Gonzales Sancho, Sissel Lillebostad, Heike Munder, Caroline S. Ugelstad)
2015 BKH’s Photo Art Prize, Fotogalleriet, Oslo, Norway (Jury: Vibeke Tandberg, Mathias Stjernstedt, Oda Bahr)
SELECTED GRANTS & FELLOWSHIPS
Numerous production & travel grants from The Danish Arts Foundation 2016-present
Numerous production & travel grants from the Norwegian Cultural Council 2016 - present
Working grant, Danish Arts Foundation 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022
Establishment Grant, Oslo Municipality, Cultural Division, Oslo, Norway 2018, 2022
Working grant, Norwegian Cultural Council, Oslo, Norway 2016 - present
NORAM Fellowship, Norway America Foundation, New York, United States 2015
NORAM Fellowship, Norway America Foundation, New York, United States 2014
Idella Scholarship, Idella Foundation, Copenhagen, Denmark 2013
Fulbright Scholarship, William Fulbright Foundation, New York, United States 2013
Nordea Scholarship, 2013
ARTIST RESIDENCIES & SEMINARS
Art Explora, Villa 31, Tirana, Albania 2025 (upcoming)
WHW Akademija, Zagreb, Croatia, May-Oct 2024
SUMMER SCHOOL: Our Many Easts, Museum of Modern Art, Ljubljana, Slovenia 2024
WIELS Center of Contemporary Art, Brussels, Belgium, Jan 2022-July 2022 - Awarded by Office of Contemporary Art
18th Street Art Center, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, CA, Oct. 2019 - Mar. 2021 - Awarded by the Danish Cultural Council 2019
SUMMER SCHOOL: The 1990s, The Big Shift, Museum of Modern Art, Ljubljana, Slovenia 2019
SUMMER SCHOOL: Eastern European Avant-gardes and their legacy, Museum of Modern Art, Ljubljana, Slovenia 2018
ISCP, The International Studio and Curatorial Program, New York 2016 - 2017 - Awarded by the Office of Contemporary Art
SELECTED REVIEWS & ESSAYS
“Reassembling” Zhu Yanan, ArtReview China, 15. Aug. 15th 2024
“Internal Monster, Ventriloquial Chorus” Zhu Ruihan, Ocula Art Eye, Jul. 4th 2024
“When the Monster is Speaking” Zhang Quing, ArtForum China, May 7th 2024
“Foreldrearven” Nina Strand, Kunstavisen, Feb. 14th 2024
“Landet som ikke er” Carina Elisabeth Beddari, Morgenbladet, Feb. 23rd 2024
“Med mor i ørene” Viktoria Durak, Kunstkritikk, Feb. 15th 2024
“U podrazi za drugim prostorom pripadnosti” Irfan Hosic, Sarajevsko Oslobodenje, 31. okt 2019
“Generasjoner av taushet” Andreas Breivik, Kunstkritikk - Mar. 5th 2019
“Språk er også skremmende” Erling Bugge, Billedkunst No. 6 Ritualer, Dec. 5th 2018
“En sjelden god uke for kunst i Bergen” Una Mathiesen Gjerde, subjekt.no, Nov 22nd 2018
“En utstilling med mange ord” Frida Forsgren, Fedrelandsvennen, Nov 15th, 2018
“Recollection - Erinding i Kunsten” Kunsten.nu, Aug.16th 2017
Objektiv Journal - Subjektiv Part 2, Nov. 2017
“On War, Language and Intergenerational Trauma; A Conversation with Damir Avdagic”
Published on “The Balkanist” 2016
"On War, Language and Intergenerational Trauma; A Conversation with Damir Avdagic”
Published on “Contemptorary” 2016
“Ny materialisme” Mette Sandbye, Weekendavisen, Aug. 1st 2014
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Damir Avdagic has been a visiting professor, lecturer & advisor at various institutions such as The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts Copenhagen, University of California Los Angeles, Bergen Academy of Fine Arts Bergen & Oslo Photo Art College. He is currently faculty at Ytre Art College in Ålesund, Norway.
SELECTED LECTURES, ARTIST TALKS, PRESENTATIONS
Lecture, Lillehammer Literature Festival, Lillehammer, Norway
Artist talk w. Live Drønen, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, Norway
Lecture, The Psychoanalytic Institute, Oslo, Norway 2023
Lecture, Seminar “Transcultural Connections” National Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark 2022
Artist talk w. Claudia Zini, KUMA International, Sarajevo, Bosnia & Hercegovina 2021
Artist talk w. Natasha Marie Llorens, Framer/Framed, Amsterdam, Holland 2020
Artist talk w. Frida Cano, 18th Street Art Center, Los Angeles, CA 2020
Artist talk w. Amir Husak, Erol Avdovic & Ivo Skoric, SVA Theatre, New York City, NY US 2019
Lecture, Oslo Photo Art College, Oslo, Norway 2019
Lecture “On War, Language and Inter-generational Trauma” KMD, Academy of Fine Arts, Bergen, Norway 2018
Artist talk w. Mirjam Kristensen, Kristiansand Kunsthall, Kristiansand, Norway 2018
Artist talk w. Anne Sczefer Karlsen, Norwegian Consulate, New York City, NY, US 2016