Borjana Ventzislavova (borjana.net) born in Sofia (Bulgaria), based in Vienna (Austria), moving in-between cultures, languages and contexts I’m interested in traveling through time and in the exploration of the complex play between past and present, individual and society, between modern and ancient concepts, relationships, medias, materials, techniques and energies. In my cross-disciplinary works in the fields of film/video, installation, photography, performative and new media art, I analyse stereotypical roles and models of representations and the impact of political and social power structures and control mechanisms on our existence. I am mainly interested in the processes of mobility and crossing of socio-geographical, cultural and psychological borders and how to deal with the complexity of communication and translation. I often blur the boundaries between documentary and fiction in order to question the status quo and to test the line between personal and collective, social, political and artistic, in the context of current events and history. Focusing on documentary and narrative structures and constructions, I exchange roles and identities, mix stages and situations, different styles, texts and sounds into cases and stories.
My works have been exhibited internationally in numerous solo and group shows as well as at media art and film festivals such as National Gallery Sofia, Kunstforum Wien, Belvedere 21, MAK Vienna, MAK Los Angeles, Lentos Linz, Salzburger Kunstverein, Museum of Modern Art Salzburg, Museum of Modern Art Carinthia, Museum of Modern Art - Esterházy Foundation, MUSA, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sofia City Art Gallery, Landesgalerie Linz, Essl Museum, k/haus, quartier21, Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien, Austrian Cultural Forum Washigton DC and London, ICA London, ICA Sofia, Art Today Plovdiv, Hunt gallery, St. Louis, US, Cologne Conference, IDFA, Diagonale, EMAF, transmediale, filmwinter Stuttgart, Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin, Berwick Film and Media Arts Fest., Moscow Int. Filmfest., Int. Short Film Fest. Istanbul, Split Film Fest., etc.
I was granted many awards, grants and received a number of international scholarships. I received working scholarship for film 2023, the promotion award by the City of Vienna 2017, the Austrian State Scholarship for Fine Art 2013, Start Scholarship for Fine Art 2009, winner of Top Ten Nonfiction film Award at Cologne Film Festival 2006, Otto Prutscher Fonds Award 2006, Susmannstiftung Award 2005, recognitions at Art in Motion 2002, Los Angeles, Ars Electronica, 2002, Linz, CYNETart 2001, Dresden.
I was artist in residence in London (ACF), Rom (BKA), Newcastle (D6), Berkeley (CEC Artslink), Los Angeles (MAK Schindler), Chicago (BKA), Athens (Snehta), Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (BKA), NYC (ISCP / BKA), CCA Andratx, Mallorca, Tokyo (Tokas) a.o.
My works are part of private and public collections.