Art From Ruins: Nika Neelova on Sculpting Time And Transience

Episode 11 features an engaging conversation with the award-winning artist Nika Neelova, discussing her artistic career, process, and projects.

In this in-depth interview:
• Neelova shares insights into her nomadic childhood, work-life balance, and her nature as a workaholic.
• we delve into the challenges and physical demands of working with large-scale, site-specific art installations.
• Nika discusses her passion for working with found and reclaimed materials and the significance of material and historical context in her work
• the conversation also covers her collaborations with other artists and professionals, her approach to site-specific projects in remote locations, and the significant influence of literature and philosophy in her practice.
• Neelova gives examples of creating her own opportunities, and the continuous learning that comes with each project.

00:00 Welcome and Introduction
00:22 Navigating Work-Life Balance
02:05 The Fascination with Archaeology and Historical References
03:38 Exploring Roots: A Nomadic Childhood and Multilingualism
06:19 The Journey into Art: Education and Early Projects
07:17 The Evolution of Artistic Practice: Installation and Materiality
11:10 Collaboration and Learning in Artistic Production
17:17 The Role of Reclaimed Materials in Art
27:19 The Process of Creating Site-Specific Art
38:21 The Artistic Process: From Concept to Creation
39:12 Exploring the Depths of Material and Time
41:34 Embracing Serendipity
51:01 The Role of Research and Literature
58:27 The Challenges and Rewards of Large-Scale Art
01:09:07 Creating Your Own Path in the Art World
01:11:38 Looking Ahead: Future Projects and Aspirations

Nika Neelova is based in London. You can check out her work on her website www.nikaneelova.com and on her Instagram @nikaneelova https://www.instagram.com/nikaneelova/

She works with:

Noire Gallery in Italy: https://www.noiregallery.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/noiregallery/
NIKA Project Space in UAE: https://www.nika-projects.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/nika.projectspace/
Parafin in the UK: https://www.parafin.co.uk/ | https://www.instagram.com/parafinlondon/

Also mentioned in this episode:
The Harris Matrix: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris_matrix
Royal Academy of Art, The Hague: https://www.kabk.nl/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/royalacademyofart.thehague/
Slade School of Fine Art: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/slade/ | https://instagram.com/sladeschool/
Whitechapel Bell Foundry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitechapel_Bell_Foundry
Piazza Castello: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_Castello,_Turin
Gorgons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorgons
Perseo Triumfante: https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/museo-pio-clementino/Cortile-Ottagono/perseo-trionfante.html
Medusa: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medusa
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/metmuseum/
Arts Council England: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/ | https://www.instagram.com/aceagrams
Undercover Softness, essay: https://www.scribd.com/document/134491812/Undercover-Softness-Architecture-and-Politics-of-Oecay-By-Reza-Negarestani
Reza Negarestani: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reza_Negarestani
Brighton CCA: https://brightoncca.art/ | https://www.instagram.com/brightoncca/
Sophie Williamson: https://www.williamsonwords.net/ | https://www.instagram.com/williamsonwords/
Daria Khan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daria-khan-4616a7181/?originalSubdomain=uk
Mimosa House: https://www.mimosahouse.co.uk/ | http://instagram.com/mimosahouselondon
Ron Mandos Gallery: https://ronmandos.nl/ | https://www.instagram.com/galerieronmandos/
Franz Kafka: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Kafka
Noire Gallery: https://www.noiregallery.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/noiregallery/
Virginia Woolf: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Woolf

The Installation Art Podcast is a bi-weekly show about people who love and work with the contemporary art medium of installation.

The host Anastasia Parmson, an artist herself, interviews internationally renowned artists and arts workers about the intricacies and behind-the-scenes stories of creating and showing work that is site-specific, ephemeral, large scale or immersive.

Follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening to this podcast to never miss a show.

Find us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/installationartpodcast/

More information about the show and previous episodes: www.installationartpodcast.com

Your host Anastasia Parmson: www.anastasiaparmson.art | https://www.instagram.com/anastasiaparmson.art/

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