Lena Kuzmich (they/no pronouns) is a multidisciplinary artist from Vienna, currently based in Amsterdam. Their work, a fluid remix of photographic and videographic fragments taken from pop and subcultures, stitches together stories. Imaginative landscapes, composite depictions of bodies, and technology all become a portal beyond preconceived notions about the world and our identity in it. As co-founder of the collective Transformative Narratives, Lena initiates audio-visual performances focused on sympoietic world-building and radical care.
In their practice, they strive for cross-disciplinary approaches by exploring multi-species worlds, thereby relearning how more-than-human life expands our perception of identity and community. Eclectically, they gather content from science, art, social theory, pop culture, subcultures, and historical myths to create collage-like worlds using various editing software. Found footage is combined with their own creations and photographs to assemble new contexts and narratives. In their work, images from “obscure” internet forums meet those originally published in scientific databases, aiming to dissolve hierarchies and reveal the narratives that shape our understanding of the world.
instagram: lenakuzmich_
www.lenakuzmich.world
lena.kuzmich@gmx.at
www.transformativenarratives.xyz
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
*2023 “Choir of Kin” – Antre Peaux, Bourges, France
*2022 “CHIMERA” — Sehsaal, Vienna, Austria
*2021 “EMBRACE ME” — Improper Walls, Vienna, Austria
THEATRE & PERFORMANCE:
*2024 “Choir of Kin” — brut nordwest, Vienna, Austria - art direction & performance
*2022 “XxA” — Kosmostheater, Vienna, Austria - art direction & performance
GROUP EXHIBITIONS & FESTIVALS:
*2024 “Microflora” — 030.tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
*2024 “DIGITIAL IV” — Fotogalerie Wien, Vienna, Austria
*2024 “Sacro è” — Fondazione Merz, Turin, Italy
*2024 “The Wrong Biennale” — Cuartel de Artillería, Murcia, Spain
*2023 “The Outburst of the Digital Swamp” — Overkill, Enschede, Netherlands
*2023 “Portal Park” — MaMA, Rotterdam, Netherlands
*2023 “Digital Art Stage” — No Art Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2023 “Screen, Screen on my Phone, Who's the Fairest of Them All?” — Garage Rotterdam, Netherlands
*2022 Unfair 2022, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2022 “Spielraum” — Lofi, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2022 “Summer Fling” — L.U.P.O. Gallery, Milan, Italy
*2022 “MEDUSA” — Claptrap, Antwerp, Belgium
*2021 “DIONYSIA” — No Man ́s Art Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2021 Graduation Show — Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, Netherlands
*2021 “HEAVY HEADS”, Elektrohalle Rhomberg, Salzburg, Austria
*2021 “Silkworm”, FEM FEST — Worm & Squish, Rotterdam, Netherlands
*2021 Austrian Animation Festival, Vienna, Austria
*2020 Netzhaut Film & Ton Festival, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
*2020 Noorderlicht Festival — Generation Z, Heerenveen, Netherlands
*2020 VIENNA SHORTS — short film festival, Vienna, Austria
*2020 “Mother Tongue” — Grey Space in the Middle, The Hague, Netherlands
*2020 “Cinema Underexposed” — film fetsival, The Hague, Netherlands
*2019 “Little Big Dollhouse” — base of LBD, The Hague, Netherlands
*2019 “Rice & Beans collective”, Bratislava, Slovakia
*2017 “Reflexionen” — Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria
*2016 HOME music & art festival, Greifenstein, Austria
*2016 “Young Professesionals 2016” — horizonte zingst, Zingst, Germany
SCREENINGS:
*2023 @ Rosa Stern, Munich, Germany
*2022 @ Dishes, Volkstheater, Vienna, Austria
*2022 @ Stadtlichter, Berlin, Germany
*2022 @ Kwia, Berlin, Germany
*2022 @ Social Service Club, Copenhagen, Denmark
*2021 @ LIMA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2020 @ Empatheater, Copenhagen, Denmark
*2023 “Choir of Kin” – Antre Peaux, Bourges, France
*2022 “CHIMERA” — Sehsaal, Vienna, Austria
*2021 “EMBRACE ME” — Improper Walls, Vienna, Austria
THEATRE & PERFORMANCE:
*2024 “Choir of Kin” — brut nordwest, Vienna, Austria - art direction & performance
*2022 “XxA” — Kosmostheater, Vienna, Austria - art direction & performance
GROUP EXHIBITIONS & FESTIVALS:
*2024 “Microflora” — 030.tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
*2024 “DIGITIAL IV” — Fotogalerie Wien, Vienna, Austria
*2024 “Sacro è” — Fondazione Merz, Turin, Italy
*2024 “The Wrong Biennale” — Cuartel de Artillería, Murcia, Spain
*2023 “The Outburst of the Digital Swamp” — Overkill, Enschede, Netherlands
*2023 “Portal Park” — MaMA, Rotterdam, Netherlands
*2023 “Digital Art Stage” — No Art Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2023 “Screen, Screen on my Phone, Who's the Fairest of Them All?” — Garage Rotterdam, Netherlands
*2022 Unfair 2022, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2022 “Spielraum” — Lofi, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2022 “Summer Fling” — L.U.P.O. Gallery, Milan, Italy
*2022 “MEDUSA” — Claptrap, Antwerp, Belgium
*2021 “DIONYSIA” — No Man ́s Art Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2021 Graduation Show — Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, Netherlands
*2021 “HEAVY HEADS”, Elektrohalle Rhomberg, Salzburg, Austria
*2021 “Silkworm”, FEM FEST — Worm & Squish, Rotterdam, Netherlands
*2021 Austrian Animation Festival, Vienna, Austria
*2020 Netzhaut Film & Ton Festival, Wiener Neustadt, Austria
*2020 Noorderlicht Festival — Generation Z, Heerenveen, Netherlands
*2020 VIENNA SHORTS — short film festival, Vienna, Austria
*2020 “Mother Tongue” — Grey Space in the Middle, The Hague, Netherlands
*2020 “Cinema Underexposed” — film fetsival, The Hague, Netherlands
*2019 “Little Big Dollhouse” — base of LBD, The Hague, Netherlands
*2019 “Rice & Beans collective”, Bratislava, Slovakia
*2017 “Reflexionen” — Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria
*2016 HOME music & art festival, Greifenstein, Austria
*2016 “Young Professesionals 2016” — horizonte zingst, Zingst, Germany
SCREENINGS:
*2023 @ Rosa Stern, Munich, Germany
*2022 @ Dishes, Volkstheater, Vienna, Austria
*2022 @ Stadtlichter, Berlin, Germany
*2022 @ Kwia, Berlin, Germany
*2022 @ Social Service Club, Copenhagen, Denmark
*2021 @ LIMA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2020 @ Empatheater, Copenhagen, Denmark
EDUCATION:
*2024 Jan-Jun: Independent Program at the Institute for Postnatural Studies
*2018–2021 Bachelor: Photography at the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, Netherlands
*2012–2017 Photography department at the Federal Education and Research Institute for Graphics, Vienna, Austria
PRESENTATIONS & TALKS:
*2024 Panel Talk “CONTEXT PROGRAMME”
@Fiber Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2023 Panel Talk “Queerness as Organic Intelligence”
@Nxt Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2023 Presentation “Sound, Space, Sex”
@Mediamatic, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2023 Smyposium “Doomcore Continuum”
@ Rosa Stern, Munich, Germany
*2021 Artist Talk “Queer embodiment”
@ The Overkill Festival, Enschede, Netherlands
*2021 Panel Talk “Representation, Gender and the Body”
@ LIMA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2021 Artist Talk “EMBRACE ME” @ Improper Walls, Vienna, Austria
RESIDENCY:
*2023 residency @ Antre Peaux as part of
the European Media Art Plattform
*2021-2023 residency @ WOW, Amsterdam, Netherlands
INTERNSHIP:
*2020 Internship with Rachel Maclean
NOMINATIONS:
*2021 Special Jury Mention for *best Austrian music video
award “2021” at the VIENNA SHORTS
*2020 Special Jury Mention for “best Music video” at ASIFA Best Austrian Animation
*2020 Nominated for “best Austrian short film 2020” at the VIENNA SHORTS
GRANTS:
* 2023 Arist Start Grant from Mondriaan Fonds
* 2022 Project Grant from Stokroos Foundation
* 2022 Grant from Ma7 - Darstellende Kunst for the project “XxA”
*2024 Jan-Jun: Independent Program at the Institute for Postnatural Studies
*2018–2021 Bachelor: Photography at the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, Netherlands
*2012–2017 Photography department at the Federal Education and Research Institute for Graphics, Vienna, Austria
PRESENTATIONS & TALKS:
*2024 Panel Talk “CONTEXT PROGRAMME”
@Fiber Festival, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2023 Panel Talk “Queerness as Organic Intelligence”
@Nxt Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2023 Presentation “Sound, Space, Sex”
@Mediamatic, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2023 Smyposium “Doomcore Continuum”
@ Rosa Stern, Munich, Germany
*2021 Artist Talk “Queer embodiment”
@ The Overkill Festival, Enschede, Netherlands
*2021 Panel Talk “Representation, Gender and the Body”
@ LIMA, Amsterdam, Netherlands
*2021 Artist Talk “EMBRACE ME” @ Improper Walls, Vienna, Austria
RESIDENCY:
*2023 residency @ Antre Peaux as part of
the European Media Art Plattform
*2021-2023 residency @ WOW, Amsterdam, Netherlands
INTERNSHIP:
*2020 Internship with Rachel Maclean
NOMINATIONS:
*2021 Special Jury Mention for *best Austrian music video
award “2021” at the VIENNA SHORTS
*2020 Special Jury Mention for “best Music video” at ASIFA Best Austrian Animation
*2020 Nominated for “best Austrian short film 2020” at the VIENNA SHORTS
GRANTS:
* 2023 Arist Start Grant from Mondriaan Fonds
* 2022 Project Grant from Stokroos Foundation
* 2022 Grant from Ma7 - Darstellende Kunst for the project “XxA”