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.
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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), Rijeka2019
Schweben, Hengesbach Gallery, Wuppertal2015
Blow up (Findlinge), Städische Galerie-Schloss Bordeck,Essen2014
Expanded Fields, Hengesbach Gallery, Wuppertal2013
Projective Cast, Museum of Contemporary art, Zagreb
One on One - Gallery of Fine Arts, Split2010
Memory of forms, Hengesbach Gallery, Berlin2009
As it stands, Galerie Rolf Hengesbach, Cologne2008
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, Cologne2006
NAH, Projektraum, Galerie Hammelehle Und Ahrens, Cologne
Ausstellungsraum Zimmerstrasse, Düsseldorf2004
Glyptotheca, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb2000
H1234O Filodrammatica, Rijeka -
2023
Vom Geschmack eines Apfels, PEAC Museum, Freiburg.2021
Take a deep breath!, Neuer Kunstverein, Düsseldorf2020
art / war / transition (1990 – 1991 – 2000 – 2010 – 2020 – 2021) Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Rijeka, European capital of culture2020
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, Freiburg2019
A Collection for the Future, Acquisitions, 2009-2019
Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb2018
Priroda i društvo, 58. Annale, Poreč
Ungewiss, Hengesbach Gallery, Wuppertal
Instructions for Watching – What the Body Wants?, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka2017
UNPREDICTABLE,SCHAU FENSTER, Berlin2016
Think about it, Kunstraum Descartes, Düsseldorf
Please empty your wallets, Armaturka, Galerie Emila Filly,
Ústí and Labem, Czech Republic2015
form follows, Kunstraum Alexander Bürkle, Freiburg
Rates of exchange, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb
Wir können auch anders, MgK, Ostendorf2014
Prozess, Kunstraum Alexander Bürkle, Freiburg2013
Riss (Disruption) Hengesbach Gallery, Berlin
Smuggling Anthologies, MMSU, Rijeka2012
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, Berlin2011
Schloss Ringenberg, Haminkeln
Kunstverein Koelnberg, Cologne2010
Pushing more Pictures, Hengesbach Gallery, Berlin
Toxicure, Kunstverein Koelnberg, Cologne2009
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, Labin2008
Sv. Krševan, Šibenik
.e.i.b.e., Con sum, Düsseldorf
Kunstraum Alexander Buerkle, Freiburg2007
Komm, Cologne
b.o.p. Gallery, Zagreb2006
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, Düsseldorf2005
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, Düsseldorf2003
Emerging Artists - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka2002
Uberbau, Artis, S Hertogenbosch
Gastarbeit, Labin Art Express, Labin2001
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), Rijeka2020
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, Rijeka2019
Catalogue, Schloss Ringenberg, Plugin Project2018
Catalogue, Priroda i društvo, 58. Annale, Poreč, Kroatien2017
Catalogue, Instructions for Watching- What the Body Wants?
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka2016
Please empty your wallets, Armature, Galerie Emila Filly,
Ústí and Labem, Tschechische Republik2015
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 Verlag2013
Catalogue, (with K.Restović) One on One
Galerija umjetnina, Split and Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb,
text Nataša Ivančević2013
Catalogue, Smuggling Anthologies,
Museum of modern and contemporary Art, Rijeka
Text, Sabina Salamon, Ana Perica2012
Catalogue, XI Triennal of Croatian sculpture, HAZU, Zagreb2011
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, Labin2008
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 Ivančević2006
Publication Nikola Ukić - Jan Scharrelmann NAH,
Galerie Hammelehle Und Ahrens, Cologne
Catalogue IX Triennal of Croatian sculpture, HAZU, Zagreb2005
Catalogue 39. Salon, HDLU, Zagreb, Umjetnost je medij, text Mladen Lučić
Publication Integrität, Uberbau, Düsseldorf2003
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