Feminist cultural theorist, professor, urban researcher, curator and author Elke Krasny encouraged us to explore the oeuvre of artist Jelena Micić from a unique perspective. Micić and Krasny discussed her body of work as well as the artwork Twisting by the Pool, which is on view as part of the exhibition Heigh-ho.
Jelena Micić is a female migrant cultural worker from the non-European region of former Yugoslavia, living and working in Vienna on a non-mixed employment and a double insurance rate artist visa. Micić graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in the Textual Sculpture class, finished master studies at the Department of Philosophy and diploma studies at the Department of Scandinavian languages and literatures at the University of Belgrade.
As a young cultural migrant professional with sensitivity to socio-economic questions Micić was until now only eligible to address political questions in an self-organized and non-institutional manner. Her artistic projects are often based on anthropological research of different appearances of human communication and language of public space. Aesthetically, her artistic work refers to the social engagement within constructivist practices. Through the intense and consistent color study Micić addresses different underlying social phenomena - from alternative urban territorial divisions among football clubs, through color systems used in professional cleaning to issues of sustainability and material politics. Micić studies are building larger archival segments that also treat the questions of display and presentation.
Jelena Micić (*1986, Knjaževac) graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (2020) at the Textual sculpture class (Mentor Heimo Zobernig). MA in Philosophy (2012) and Graduated philologist of Scandinavian languages (2010) University of Belgrade. Awarded Dimitrije Bašičević Mangelos Award (2021), Würdigungspreis der Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien for Excellent Artistic Theses (2020), Ö1 Talentestipendium Bildende Kunst (2018) and kültür gemma! Fellowship (2018). Her works are in the Collection of the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sport in Austria (Artothek des Bundes), Collection of the City of Vienna, Kupferstichkabinett der Akademie der bildenden Künste in Vienna, The Homeland Museum in Knjaževac and private collections. Founder of the informal group UMETNIK*.
Elke Krasny is Professor for Art and Education at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. She is a feminist cultural theorist, urban researcher, curator, and author. Krasny’s scholarship addresses questions of ecological and social justice at the present historical conjuncture with a focus on caring practices in architecture, urbanism, and contemporary art. Together with Angelika Fitz, she edited Critical Care. Architecture and Urbanism for a Broken Planet together (MIT Press, 2019). Her forthcoming book Living with an Infected Planet. Covid-19 Feminism and the Global Frontline of Care develops a feminist perspective on imaginaries of war and realities of care in pandemic times.
Die Veranstaltung entstand in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Tschechischen Zentrum Wien, dem Bundesministerium für Kunst, Kultur, Öffentlichen Dienst und Sport, dem Ersten Wiener Gemeindebezirk - Innere Stadt, der Stadt Wien Kultur, der Österreichisch-Tschechischen Gesellschaft, dem Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen und der Österreichischen Hochschülerschaft der Universität Wien.
