Domestic Ugly Visions
Željka Sančanin's s recent work aims to challenge the stigma surrounding women’s sexual agency by documenting the artist’s own use of pornography as a tool for pleasure. The work seeks to showcase a reality that goes against the traditional patriarchal narrative of women’s sexuality being positioned in relation to that of a man, or an other; carving out a much needed space in which to talk about women’s sexuality in relation to the virtual. 'Domestic Ugly Visions' asks questions about observing and being observed in a digital environment and through social media tools. It is a body of work captured from screenshots of each time the author have consumed pornography and serves as an investigation into the complexity of the feminine identity.
Due to the internet’s infiltration into our personal lives, the artist feels that the intimacy became blurred, sexuality became abstract and bodies exist in a surreal way. Depicting experiences the artist had throughout life, she captures moments we prepare ourselves for with self-defense mechanisms and paranoia. The artist is trying to evolve from them, but also acknowledge them in order to provide people with something they can relate to. By depicting selfies, text messages and screenshots of pornography, 'Domestic Ugly Visions' physically memorializes moments of our fleeting digital life.
Željka Sančanin graduated from Comparative Literature and Art History at the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Zagreb. From 2000 to 2015 she is director, choreographer and dancer of the artistic company k.o. combined operations founded in 1998 in collaboration with theater director Saša Božić. Her authorial and collective work includes more than 25 independent dance and multimedia works that have been performed and rewarded at many Croatian and international dance festivals and theater venues. From 2001 to 2011 she is an artistic director and producer of Ekscena / Experimental Free Scene Zagreb, an open source NGO platform for education and research in dance and new performing arts. Željka began dancing at age of 18 and was formally trained through a large number of courses, workshops and art exchanges in Croatia and abroad. In 2004-2005 he was a Croatian choreographer in the HWE – Hardcore Exchange workshop initiated by NordScen – Nordic Center for Performing Arts and in 2005 theorem participant. In 2008 – 2009 he was selected for the ex.e.r.ce – 6M1L (six months one location), Center Choregraphique National de Montpellier, where he worked and collaborated within the platform of independent European dance experts. In 2016, he became the Art Director of 'Adriatic Dance House' on the island of Hvar, a dance house that was used to use the old historical core of the town of Hvar. Željka is a certified instructor of Basi Mat and a Pilates Reformer method which she teaches in her spare time.
Concept, Choreography, Performance, Text: Željka Sančanin
Artistic Assistance : Saša Asentić
Photos: Željka Sančanin, Igor Zelić
Video : Željka Sančanin, Igor Zelić
Sound : Damir Šimunović, Autechre, Rin
Support: Ured za obrazovanje, kulturu i šport grada Zagreba
Production : kombinirane operacije 2017.