Biography

 

Nikola Ukić (Rijeka, 1974) started his artistic training in Rijeka at the former Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Visual Arts (1993-95). He continued at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb from 1995 to 1999, and the Art Academy in Düsseldorf, graduating under professor Georg Herold. He has been living in Düsseldorf for over 20 years.

Ukić’s work ranges from ephemeral installations and site-specific sculptures to digital prints, videos and performances. His art practice focuses on challenging sculptural strategies, re- examining traditional givens and modernist protocols. He focuses on interactions between authenticity and fiction, the essential and the marginal, and focuses on the issues of cultural translation. Ukić continuously subjects sculptural processes to different contaminations, either by including other media on the top layer of his sculptures, or by selecting a sculpting process in which he accentuates the process-oriented nature of sculpture, challenging the obviousness of the artistic gesture and the self-sufficiency of sculpture.

Nikola Ukić has taken part in many exhibitions and has won several scholarships and residencies. For a longer period he has taught at art schools and he is currently a research associate at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Siegen, Germany. He co-curated the NRW artists exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb in 2014.

  • 1993-1994 Faculty of Philosophy, art department, University of Rijeka
    1995-1999 Academy of Fine Arts, painting department, University of Zagreb
    2000-2004 Academy of Fine Arts Düsseldorf / Georg Herold

  • 2020 Stiftung Kunstfonds, Neustart Kultur
    2017 Stiftung Kunstfonds, Work Award
    2015 Award for the best Video Smuggling Anthologies, MMSU Rijeka
    2014 Nachwuchspreis Kunststiftung NRW, (Project)
    2013 Short list Erich Hauser Award
    2012 Special award the XI Triennal of Croatian Sculpture,Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb
    2011 Schloss Ringenberg - Residency Grant Arts Foundation of North Rhine - Westphalia
    2007 New Talents, Art Cologne, Cologne
    2002 Cite Internationales des Arts, Paris Residency Grant Academy of Fine Arts Düsseldorf and State NorthRhine-Westphalia

  • 2016/18 Plugin Project – Artist edition, application-design
    2015 Co-Curator, Rates of exchange, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
    2002-2006 Co-Curator, Off space Uberbau, Düsseldorf, www.uberbau.de

  • Since 2021 Lecturer, University of Siegen
    2017/19 Lecturer, Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
    2018 Public lecture, Düsseldorf-Zagreb, Academy of fine art Zagreb
    2016 Public lecture, Sculpture after sculpture, University Siegen
    2014 Public lecture, Memory of forms, APURI University Rijeka

  • 2023
    Make a Wish, MMSU (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art), Rijeka

    2019
    Schweben, Hengesbach Gallery, Wuppertal

    2015
    Blow up (Findlinge), Städische Galerie-Schloss Bordeck,Essen

    2014
    Expanded Fields, Hengesbach Gallery, Wuppertal

    2013
    Projective Cast, Museum of Contemporary art, Zagreb
    One on One - Gallery of Fine Arts, Split

    2010
    Memory of forms, Hengesbach Gallery, Berlin

    2009
    As it stands, Galerie Rolf Hengesbach, Cologne

    2008
    Water, water everywhere, (T. Ćurković) City art Gallery, Labin
    dok25a, Düsseldorf
    Mirker Hain (Der Zeuge), Kunstraum Hengesbach, Wuppertal
    Nikola Ukic, Museum gegenstandsfreier Kunst, Otterndorf
    Arts pavilion Juraj Šporer, HRMT, Opatija 2007
    New Talents, Art Cologne, Cologne

    2006
    NAH, Projektraum, Galerie Hammelehle Und Ahrens, Cologne
    Ausstellungsraum Zimmerstrasse, Düsseldorf

    2004
    Glyptotheca, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb

    2000
    H1234O Filodrammatica, Rijeka

  • 2023
    Vom Geschmack eines Apfels, PEAC Museum, Freiburg.

    2021
    Take a deep breath!, Neuer Kunstverein, Düsseldorf

    2020
    art / war / transition (1990 – 1991 – 2000 – 2010 – 2020 – 2021) Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Rijeka, European capital of culture

    2020
    Tamo gdje sve počinje sa sumnjom, LEX (Katalog)
    Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleže, Zagreb
    Stadt und Transformation, Kortil Gallery, Rijeka (Publikation)
    Im Garten der Farben, PEAC, Freiburg

    2019
    A Collection for the Future, Acquisitions, 2009-2019
    Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb

    2018
    Priroda i društvo, 58. Annale, Poreč
    Ungewiss, Hengesbach Gallery, Wuppertal
    Instructions for Watching – What the Body Wants?, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka

    2017
    UNPREDICTABLE,SCHAU FENSTER, Berlin

    2016
    Think about it, Kunstraum Descartes, Düsseldorf
    Please empty your wallets, Armaturka, Galerie Emila Filly,
    Ústí and Labem, Czech Republic

    2015
    form follows, Kunstraum Alexander Bürkle, Freiburg
    Rates of exchange, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
    Wir können auch anders, MgK, Ostendorf

    2014
    Prozess, Kunstraum Alexander Bürkle, Freiburg

    2013
    Riss (Disruption) Hengesbach Gallery, Berlin
    Smuggling Anthologies, MMSU, Rijeka

    2012
    Neo R. Brand one reduced INDEX - archived by Stephan Köhler/frontviews, Berlin
    Change your desires rather than the order of the world
    Willem Baars Projects, Amsterdam
    oqbo exchange > dok25a, Galerie oqbo, Berlin
    20 Years Hengesbach Gallery, Berlin
    XI Triennal of Croatian Sculpture - Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb
    Unutarnje uho, MMSU, Rijeka
    Hengesbach Gallery, Berlin

    2011
    Schloss Ringenberg, Haminkeln
    Kunstverein Koelnberg, Cologne

    2010
    Pushing more Pictures, Hengesbach Gallery, Berlin
    Toxicure, Kunstverein Koelnberg, Cologne

    2009
    Bodenstädig, Kunstraum Alexander Buerkle, Freiburg
    the X Triennal of Croatian Sculpture -
    Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb
    49.Porec Annale, Poreč
    Finalisti, Galerija gradska, Labin

    2008
    Sv. Krševan, Šibenik
    .e.i.b.e., Con sum, Düsseldorf
    Kunstraum Alexander Buerkle, Freiburg

    2007
    Komm, Cologne
    b.o.p. Gallery, Zagreb

    2006
    Swamp, Galerie Rolf Hengesbach, Cologne
    the IX Triennal of Croatian Sculpture -
    Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb
    Snapshot, Gallery of Fine Arts, Split
    Happy End, Laden, Düsseldorf

    2005
    Les Adieux LíAbsence Le Retour, 7 Stock, Dresden
    Minibar Goes On, Minibar, Düsseldorf
    39. Salon, Croatian Association of Artists, Zagreb
    Snapshot, Museum of Modern Art, Dubrovnik
    Friends and Lovers, Laden, Düsseldorf
    Integrität, Uberbau, Düsseldorf

    2003
    Emerging Artists - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka

    2002
    Uberbau, Artis, S Hertogenbosch
    Gastarbeit, Labin Art Express, Labin

    2001
    Curkovic, Maljkovic, Stojnic, Ukic, Gallery SC, Zagreb

  • Kunsthaus NRW, Kornelimünstler, Aachen
    Museum gegenstandsfreier Kunst, Otterndorf
    Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
    Sammlung Alexander Buerkle, Freiburg
    Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka
    Gallery of Fine Arts, Split
    Private Sammlungen

  • 2023
    Make a Wish, MMSU (Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art), Rijeka

    2020
    Catalogue, Decade of Ascent, A Collection for the Future, 2009-2019 Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
    Catalogue, Art is doubt, LEX Zagreb,Text Snjezana Ban
    Catalogue, Stadt und Transformation, Juraj Klovic Gallery, Rijeka

    2019
    Catalogue, Schloss Ringenberg, Plugin Project

    2018
    Catalogue, Priroda i društvo, 58. Annale, Poreč, Kroatien

    2017
    Catalogue, Instructions for Watching- What the Body Wants?
    Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka

    2016
    Please empty your wallets, Armature, Galerie Emila Filly,
    Ústí and Labem, Tschechische Republik

    2015
    Catalogue, Rates of exchange, Museum of contemporary art, Zagreb
    Catalogue, Wir können auch Anderes, Text, Sabina Salamon
    Museum gegenstandfreier Kunst, Ottendorf, Text, Dr. Ulrike Schick
    Catalogue, Blow up (Findlinge), Blow up, Schloss Borbeck, Essen
    Text Sabine Else Müller „Sculpture after Sculpture“, Bettler Verlag

    2013
    Catalogue, (with K.Restović) One on One
    Galerija umjetnina, Split and Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb,
    text Nataša Ivančević

    2013
    Catalogue, Smuggling Anthologies,
    Museum of modern and contemporary Art, Rijeka
    Text, Sabina Salamon, Ana Perica

    2012
    Catalogue, XI Triennal of Croatian sculpture, HAZU, Zagreb

    2011
    Publication Schloss Ringenberg , Hamminkeln
    Smax No. 2 Magazine, (Germ. – Dutch)

    2009
    Catalogue, X Triennal of Croatian sculpture, HAZU, Zagreb
    Catalogue 49. Poreč Annale, Poreč, text Mladen Lučić
    Catalogue Finalisti, Galerija gradska, Labin

    2008
    Catalogue Museum gegenstandsfreier Kunst, Otterndorf, tekst dr. Ulrike Schick
    Catalogue, Sv. Krševan, Šibenik, tekst dr. Blaženka Perica
    .e.i.b.e., Con Sum, Düsseldorf (Catalogue+graphic edition)

    2007
    Catalogue Art Cologne New Talents, Cologne
    Catalogue Water, water everywhere, (with T. Ćurković)
    Galerija gradska, Labin und HRMT, Text Nataša Ivančević

    2006
    Publication Nikola Ukić - Jan Scharrelmann NAH,
    Galerie Hammelehle Und Ahrens, Cologne
    Catalogue IX Triennal of Croatian sculpture, HAZU, Zagreb

    2005
    Catalogue 39. Salon, HDLU, Zagreb, Umjetnost je medij, text Mladen Lučić
    Publication Integrität, Uberbau, Düsseldorf

    2003
    Catalogue Nikola Ukic, Glyptothek,Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb,
    text Zlatko Wurzberg
    Catalogue Emerging Artists, Museum of modern and contemporary art, Rijeka

  • Ervin Pavlekovic, Novi List, Precizan vizualni vokabular 2023
    Lara Blazina, Novi List, Citanje grada kroz prizmu suvremene umjeznosti, 2023
    WDR3, WDR5, Foam, Artist report von Claudia Friedrich
    1WDR.DE Night culture, Mediathek/audio-scala 2020
    Monika Werner-Staude, Im abenteuerlichen Prozess entsteht unberechenbare Kunst, WZ 2019
    Nenad Kreizer, Interview Rates of Exchange - NRW Art scene in MSU Zagreb, Croatia, Funkhaus Europa, WDR, 2015
    Thomas Hirsch, Engels Magazine, “Form, Fläche und Malerei”, 2014
    Anne Grages , “Ein Schaum wird zur Kunst”, WZ Juni 2014
    Nikola Ukic, Amir Fattal und Astali / Peirce - “Riss (Disruption)” monopol-magazin.de, 2013
    Smax No. 2 Magazine, July 2010 - June 2011, p.16, p. 27 (Germ. - Dutch) 2011
    Uta M. Reindl “Nikola Ukic”, Artist Kunstmagazin, No. 79, Cover and 6 pages portrait, 2009
    Damian Zimmermann “Hauptrolle für Statisten”, KSTA, April 2009
    Dr. Blaženka Perica “Über den Sinn für Möglichkeiten...” 2009
    Marta Kiš, ”location Düsseldorf, artist Croatian”, Zivot umjetnosti, 80-07 2007
    Sabina Salamon,“Emerging Artists”, Kontura 80, 2004
    Sandra Zloic, “Fenomenologija sucaja i kaotičnosti”, Glas Istre, 2007
    Dirk Mangold, “Frische, neue, unverbrauchte Ideen,” Artcologne, 2007
    Nadeddjda Elezović, “Revizija riječkog likovnog stoljeća”, Novi List, 2006
    Ana Skverić,” 39. zagrebački salon: umjetnost je medij”, tportal.hr, 2005
    Marina Baričević,”Kozmetička intervencija povijesničara umjetnosti”, Novi List, 2005
    Riječka scena, Vijenac, 2005
    Ksenija Orelj,”Riješenje za osviježenje”, Vijenac, 2004
    Karolina Krikšić, Propitivanje suvremene umjetnicke prakse, Novi List, 2003
    Zlatko Wurzberg,”Zlatna mladež hrvatske likovne scene”, Nedjeljni vijesnik, 2004
    Zlatko Würzberg,” Virtualni i aktualizirani prostor”, Vjesnik, 2000
    Boris Toman,” Vodene figure ili Monetov daltonizam”, Hrvatsko slovo, 2000
    Nataša Segota,”Nemogući horizonti”, Novi List, 2000
    Nataša Stipanov,”Ravnoteža razlika”, Novi List, 2000