Natali Stirniman i Stefan Stojanović su umetnički performans duo, trenutno stacioniran u Cirihu. Poslednje tri i po godine rade i stvaraju zajedno. Svoje performanse su do sada izveli u nekoliko gradova u Evropi, Aziji i Južnoj Americi.
Nathalie Stirnimann & Stefan Stojanović are an artistic performance duo, currently stationed in Zurich. The last three and a half years they work and create together. So far, they had performances in several cities in Europe, Asia and South America.
Možete li nam se za početak predstaviti i reći – ko su bili Natali i Stefan pre nego što su počeli da rade zajedno?
N: Za vreme studiranja umetnosti u Cirihu, moj fokus je bio usmeren ka improvizaciji i eksperimentisanju sa svakodnevnim objektima i raznovrsnim materijalima, istovremeno i “oporavak” od previše vremena provedenog u digitalnom svetu u predhodne četiri godine kao grafički dizajner. Potreba za aktiviranjem i pokretanjem tih objekata i materijala kao i interesovanje da telo sagledavam kao medijum dovela me je do realizacije mog prvog solo performansa.
S: Kao student slikarstva u Novom Sadu, imao sam naviku da u ateljeu dodjem poslepodne i ostanem do kasno u noć. Više me je interesovao proces kreiranja slike od samog rezultata po sebi: prvo sam sliku zamenio raznovrsnim materijalima a onda je slika postala instalacija.
Can you introduce who were Nathalie and Stefan before they start to work together?
N: As an art student in Zürich, I was experimenting and improvising with everyday objects and various materials, « recovering » from spending too much time in the digital world I was in for the previous four years as a graphic designer. The need to activate and bring these objects and materials in motion as well as the interest in the body seen as medium brought me to realize my first solo performance.
S: As a painting student in Novi Sad, I loved to come to the studio at the beginning of afternoon and stay until late at night. I got more interested in the process of creating a painting than the result itself: the paint got replaced by diverse materials and the paintings became installations.
Kako ste se upoznali, i šta je iniciralo vaš zajednički rad i koliko dugo već radite zajedno?
N+S: Sreli smo se u 24. i 21. godini u Ineks Filmu u Beogradu za vreme Baushtelle: Balkan Temple, 10-nedeljnog umetničkog projekta sa 30 umetnika iz Ciriha, Beograda i Prištine. Iako tada nismo imali zajednički govorni jezik nekako smo osetili: hajde da radimo zajedno. Od tada je prošlo 3,5 godine a mi smo sve naše umetničke projekte realizovali zajedno.
How did you meet? What initiate your common work, and how long are you already working together?
N+S: We met at the age of 24 and 21 at Inex Film in Belgrade during Baushtellë: Balkan Temple, a 10-week art project including 30 artists from Zürich, Belgrade and Pristina. Even though at this time we had no common spoken language we somehow felt like: let’s work together. Since then, 3,5 years have passed and we realized all our artistic projects in common.
Koje ideje i koncepti se kriju iza vašeg rada, a šta je ono što se vidi?
N+S: Interesuje nas efemeralnost i “live” momenati u vezi sa performativnošću. Kao što mi živimo samo jednom, odlučili smo da svaki performans izvedemo samo jednom. U procesu rada koristimo tehnike improvizacije baš kao i princip “učenje kroz rad” kao razigrane alate za kreiranje koji nam daju prostora za spontanost, neizvesnost i nesavršenost. Kreirenjem živih slika, vizuelnih relnosti i atmosfera, namera nam je reflektovanje socijalnih pitanja i strukturalne problematike.
Which idea and concepts are behind of your work? What is visible?
N+S: We are interested in ephemerality and the live moment related to performativity. Just as we only live once, we decided to perform every live act only once. We use improvisation techniques as well as the principle of « learning by doing » as playful creation tools that give space in the process for the unknown, uncertainty and imperfections. By producing live images, visual realities and atmospheres, we aim to reflect on social issues and structural questions.
Kroz koje ste sve faze prošli u dosadašnjem zajedničkom radu ?
N+S: Bazirano na tome gde smo georafski živeli i strukturalno postojali u sistemu svaka faza je uticala tematski i formalno na sadržaj naše umetničke prakse i rada.
Faza 1: Međusobno upoznavanje, otkrivanje i eksperimentisanje vizuelnim jezikom (i onomatopeja kao “glavni” zajednički govorni jezik)
Faza 2: Dvogodišnji rad na distanci baziran na relaciji Švajcarska – Srbija, razmena uglavnom preko skype-a uporedo sa intenzivnim periodima rada na jednom projektu na mesečnom nivou- i dobrim razlogom da se vidimo.
Faza 3: Početak naših zajedničkih master studija u Cirihu. Posle dvogodišnjeg rada na distanci prvo smo morali da naučimo kako da preživimo zajedno u svakodnevnom životu Švajcarske, njene birokratije i njenim pravilima. (naša omiljena boja je siva).
Faza 4: (Sada) S: Posle prve godine kulturnog šoka, shvatanja okruženja, bla bla bla, N+S: trenutno smo u mogućnosti da radimo u sličnom ritmu svakodnevno na zajedničkoj umetničkoj praksi.
Faza 5: (Uskoro) Po završetku studija. (?) hm, videćemo…
Through which phases did you pass in your common work until now?
N+S: Based on where we were geographically living and structurally existing in the system, every phase influenced thematically and formally the content of our artistic practice and artistic work.
Phase 1: Getting to know each other, discovering and experimenting with visual language (and onomatopoeias as « main » common spoken language)
Phase 2: Two years working apart based in Switzerland and Serbia respectively, exchanging mostly through Skype along with intensive periods of work with one common project a month – and a good excuse to see each other
Phase 3: Beginning of the common master studies in Zürich. After two years of working in distance we first needed to learn how to get along in Switzerland’s everyday life, its bureaucracy and its rules. (Our favorite color is Grey.)
Phase 4: (Now) S: After the first year of cultural shock, understanding the new environment and bla bla bla, N+S: at the moment we are able to work with a similar rhythm on a daily common artistic practice.
Phase 5: (Coming soon) After the end of the studies. (?) Well, we’ll see…
Koliki uticaj imate jedno na drugo i kako bi izgledao vaš individualni umetnički izražaj?
N+S: Verujemo da je 1+1=3
Ne možemo znati šta bismo uradili drugačije individualno. Postoji beskonačno otvorenih mogućnosti.
How much do you influence each other and how could have look your individual work?
N+S: We believe that 1+1=3 So, basically, we can’t know what we would have done individually, differently or similarly. There’s the infinity of open possibilities.
Koliko je vaš rad određen društvenim kontekstom? Da li van Srbije imate veću slobodu umetničkog izražaja i zašto?
N+S: Smatramo da to nije tema koja se može bukvalno izmeriti. Svako mesto ima svoje poteškoće, potrebe i urgentnosti kao i svoje potencijale, stoga je i umetnička ekspresija formulisana i primljena drugačije u zavisnosti od mesta do mesta.
How much is your work defined by the social context? Do you have, outside of Serbia, more freedom and more possibilities for artistic expression?
N+S: It’s not a topic that can be linearly measured. Every place has its difficulties, needs and urgency as well as its potentials and artistic expression is therefore formulated and received differently from place to place.
Koliko je teško stvoriti nešto novo u vašoj sferi umetničkog izražavanja?
N+S: Stvoriti nešto novo (na neki način) nije najteže, ali je teško izneti iz ateljea i uneti u svet.
N+S Cimer: S obzirom na svesnost šta je već urađeno “u određenoj sferi” i šta još uvek nije, na neki način je izvodljivo. Na kraju nije pitanje poteškoće već ličnog interesovanja.
How difficult is it to create something new in your field?
N+S: To create something new (somehow) isn’t the most difficult, but it is difficult to bring it out of the studio and carry it into the world.
N+S’s flatmate: Given the awareness of what is being done « in the field » and what lies outside of it, it’s certainly doable. But it’s not so much a question of difficulty as it is a question of personal interest.
Mnogo putujete. Kako nalazite angažmane? Ili možda angažmani nalaze vas?
N+S: Zavisi: nekad imamo mogućnost da pokažemo naš rad zahvaljujući datim strukturama na univerzitetu, ponekad zahvaljujući saradnji sa našim prijateljima, ponekad zahvaljujući podršci fondacija i samostalno iniciranih projekata realizovanih uz pomoć našeg udruženja, ponekad zahvaljujući otvorenim pozivima, ponekad zahvaljujući kustosima, umetničkim prostorima ili festivalima i njihovom direktnom pozivu.
You’re traveling a lot, how are you finding engagements or are maybe engagements finding you?
N+S: It depends: sometimes we have the possibility to show our work thanks to the given structures of the university, sometimes thanks to collaborations with friends of ours, sometimes thanks to funds of foundations and self-initiated projects realized with our association, sometimes thanks to open calls, sometimes thanks to curators, art spaces or festivals sending us an invitation.
Koji angažmani su do sada najviše uticali na vas lično i/ili vaš rad, i zašto?
N+S: Svi. Sa svakim angašmanom učimo i uviđamo, razvijamo se na ličnom isto koliko i na profesionalnom planu istovremeno. Kroz zadovoljstvo u radu na svemu tome motivišemo se da nastavimo dalje.
Which engagements until now had the most influence on you personally or on your
work and why?
N+S: All of them. Through every engagement we learnt something, we evolved as much personally
as we did professionally. And by having fun doing them is motivating us to keep going on.
Kako dolazite do inspiracija za vaše performanse?
N+S: Kroz okruženje & kontekste / ljudi, prijatelja & porodice / stvari & svakodnevnih stvari / razgovore & čitanja / poteškoća & zadovoljstva / prirode & života
( I nekih dana: jednostavno manje inspirisani )
How aye you finding inspiration for your performances?
N+S: Through environments & contexts / people, friends & family members / things & everyday things
/ discussions & readings / difficulties & joys / nature & life.
(And some days: simply less inspired.)
Koji su to pripremni koraci i faze kroz koje mora da se prođe pre onog finalnog performansa koji svi vide?
N+S:
1: Ideja ! (Akcija: Bilo bi kul / zanimljivo / važno bla bla bla ili Reakcija: Neophodno je Istaknuti / promisliti / osuditi bla bla bla)
2: Mnogo Diskutovanja
3. Tehnička isprobavanja
4. Pisanje performans skora
( 1 do 4 ponekad sa kriznim momentima )
What are the preparation steps and phases that you need to pass before the final
performance presented to the audience?
N+S:
1: An idea ! (Action: Would be funny/interesting/important to bla bla bla or Reaction: It is necessary to
emphasize/debate/denounce bla bla bla)
2: Lots of discussions
3: Some technical tryouts
4: Writing of the performance scores’
(1 through 4 sometimes come with moments of crisis)
Čime se bavite kada niste duo Natali & Stefan?
S: Onda smo mediokriteti. ( sarkastični smeh )
N: …
Šta biste istakli kao najveći uspeh svog stvaralaštva?
N+S: To da i dalje radimo zajedno.
What would you highlight as your biggest success in your work?
N+S: To be still working together.
Šta za vas predstavlja zona komfora, i kako je i da li napuštate?
N+S: Definisanjem “zone komfora” = “ nešto stabilno, poznato”, onda možemo reći da je za nas važno napuštati to zonu ponovo i ponovo da bi dozvolili sami sebi da se razvijamo.
What is for you «comfort zone» and how are you going out of it?
N+S: By defining « comfort zone » = « something stable or known », then we can say that it’s impor-
tant to us to leave that zone again and again in order to allow ourselves to evolve.
© Stirnimann – Stojanovic
