Špela Škulj (1982) is a visual artist, working within the field of contemporary photography and video. Her interests and art project are mostly drew from her background in Cultural Studies and can be defined as personal documentarism. In her works she is often focusing on ecology and environment and the irreversible human impact on nature, representing a posthumanistic view of the world and exploring the question of loneliness and lack of purpose of human existence in contemporary society.
Beside her own projects she is also working as a theatrical technician and lighting designer.
She lives and works in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Špela Škulj (1982) je vizualna umetnica, ki se ukvarja predvsem s poljem sodobne fotografije in videa. Tematiko za svoja dela črpa iz kulturnih študij, njen izraz pa je najbližje osebnemu dokumentarizmu. Večkrat naslavlja temo ekologije in nepovratnega vpliva človeka na okolje, pri čemer zastopa posthumanistični pogled na svet, s katerim raziskuje vprašanje samote in nesmiselnosti človeškega obstoja v sodobnem svetu.
Poleg lastnega avtorskega dela deluje tudi kot gledališka tehnica in oblikovalka svetlobe.
Živi in dela v Ljubljani.
AWARDS / NAGRADE
2022 OHO Young Visual Artist Award, P74 Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, finalist
2019 OHO Young Visual Artist Award, P74 Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, finalist
2017 Different Worlds, Photon Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, finalist
2016 Photon’s Photobook competition, Photon Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, winner
2014 Different Worlds, Photon Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, finalist
SOLO EXHIBITIONS / SAMOSTOJNE RAZSTAVE
2022 Weight of Legacy / Teža zapuščine, P74 Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2018 Evidence Book, 5th Blind Date Convention, C.M.A.K. Cerkno, Slovenia.
2018 Lightscapes, Red Earth, Layer's House, Kranj, Slovenia.
2018 Kunming ZOO, Kapsula/P74 Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2017 We reflect light, Centralna postaja Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.
2017 Fifteen positions of the hands on a cup when you feel tired and annoyed, Chef d'Oeuvre, Osaka, Japan.
2016 Evidence Book, AQ Gallery, Celje Focus Festival, Celje, Slovenia.
2015 Kulise gledanja, Gallery Channel Zero, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2010 Wordless, Alkatraz Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2010 REmind places, Installation on Trubarjeva street, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2009 Mrs. Fani’s House, Independent biennale of Contemporary Illustration, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS / SKUPINSKE RAZSTAVE
2024 Prostor s potencialom premika/Space with a Potentiality for a Shift, Museum of Modern Art Ljubljana, Slovenia
2023 Our Ships Vol. 2, P74 Gallery Vienna, Vienna, Austria
2022 Neznosna lahkost bivanja / Unbearable Lightness of Being, Galerija Miklova hiša, Ribnica, Slovenia
2022 Exhibition of the OHO group award finalists, P74 Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2020 Rabbit hole, Cankarjev Dom, Ljubljana.
2019 Exhibition of the OHO group award finalists, P74 Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2019 Cracks, 50 years of Radio Student, +MSUM, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2018 Author's editions, 5th Blind Date Convention, Kapsula/P74 Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2018 12th International Lighting Guerrilla, Cukrarna, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2018 Different Worlds: Young Contemporary Photography, Central European House of Photography, Bratislava, Slovakia.
2017 Different Worlds: Young Contemporary Photography, Gallery Photon Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
2017 Different Worlds: Young Contemporary Photography, Kino Šiška/Photon, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2017 Independent Biennale: Allstars, DobraVaga, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2017 [Where is the space?], Yamamoto-Seika, Osaka, Japan.
2016 Young visual artist of Goriška, Gallery Veno Pilon, Ajdovščina, Slovenia.
2015 Ghostwriter project, Action #2. MoTA –Museum of Transitory Art, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2015 Allstars: Slovenian Independent Biennial, Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Gallery Aila Seppälä, Lahti, Finland, Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Washington, Washington, D.C, Arts & Culture Alliance, Knoxville, TN.
2014 Fotomorgana V, UGM Maribor Art Gallery, Maribor, Slovenia.
2014 Different Worlds: Young Contemporary Photography, Kino Šiška/Photon, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2014 Fotomorgana III, Kamera, Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2014 Instagram Work in Progress, Galerija Fotografija, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2013 Fotomorgana II, Gallery Meduza, Koper, Slovenia.
2013 Fotomorgana, Narodni dom, Trieste, Italy.
2012 CoArt Festival, Shuhe, Yunnan, China.
2012 Vasa Project: 23, Festival Photonic Moments, Galerija, Maribor, Slovenia.
2012 International video festival Natures 9, Gallery Bežigrad 2, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2010 International video festival Natures 7, Gallery Bežigrad 2, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
ART FAIRS
2024 Paris Photo
2023 Art Market Budapest + Art Photo Budapest
BOOKS & ZINES / KNJIGE IN ZINI
2017 Close your Eyes, zine, edition of 20, KAMI books & zines.
2016 Movements, photo-book, 3 leaflets in a cardboard box, edition of 200, self-published.
INSTALLATION / INSTALACIJE
2021 Stvari, ki jih ne naredimo / Projekt Nič, Cultural centre Španski Borci, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
VISUALS / VIZUALIJE
2017-2021 Darla Smoking, visuals & design
2018 Invisible chambers w. Jaka Berger, FriformAV, Osmo/za, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2018 Poetry at the Crossroads: Tactics of Persistence, ŠKUC, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2014 Partija w. Jaka Berger, Nejc Bahor & Bojan Krhlanko, Šinafest, Idrija, Slovenia.
ONLINE PUBLICATIONS / SPLETNE BUPLIKACIJE
2022 Washington Post As wildfires grow, militaries are torn between combat, climate change
2019 F-stop Magazine Issue 94 - Animals. Group Exhibition.
2015 F-stop Magazine Issue 74 - Telling Stories. Group Exhibition.
2014 Vizkultura Circus
2013 POSI+TIVE MAGAZINE Bathers
2013 Art and Smoke Boyfriend Girlfriend Zine
2012 Blenda, Designed.rs Everything is possible
BOOK EXHIBITIONS / RAZSTAVE KNJIG
2019 Photobook & photozine, Gallery Spot, Zagreb, Croatia.
2018 Photobook & photozine, Dobra Vaga, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2018 Photobook & photozine, GT22, Maribor, Slovenia.
2018 Photobook & photozine, Festival Celje Fokus, Narcis Kantardžić's studio, Celje, Slovenia.
2017 Books from the Balkans, Self Publish Riga, Riga Photomonth, Latvia.
LIGHTING DESIGN / OBLIKOVANJE SVETLOBE
2024: Dragana Alfirević: Pridite bližje / Come closer, ples / dance
2024 En-Knap Group & Via negativa / Kristina Aleksova: Tričetrt človeka / Three quarters of a human, plesna kompozicija v tričetrtinskem taktu / dance composition in three-quarter time
2024 Olja Grubić: Metastaze svobode / Metastasis of Freedom, performance
2024 Rok Kravanja: Slovenska transverzala, performance
2024 Tomaž Grom, Nataša Živković, Polona Janežič, Eduardo Raon, Jošt Drašler, Vid Drašler: Zdej loh spokam zdej loh grem, concert, performance
2023 Fabien Prioville & En-Knap Group: Dancing Audience, VR & dance performance
2023 Alenka Marinič & Maja Dekleva Lapajne: Na tleh / On the ground, music-theatre performance
2023 Deborah Hay & NDA: Inside the outside, dance performance
2023 Snježana Premuš: Čas v pogledu - Repertoar / Time in a glance - Repertoire, dance performance
2023 Teja Reba & Špela Trošt: Praznik dela / Labour Day, theatre/dance performance
2023 Diskolektiv: Druge kože / Discollective: Otherskin, dance performance
2022 Snježana Premuš & Anja Bornšek: Dotik tkivo tkanina /Touch tissue fabric, dance performance
2021 Glas Ilka: Kastracija / Castration, theatre performance
2021 Petra Govc: Zgodbe s panjskih končnic, theatre performance
2020 Snježana Premuš: Čas v pogledu / Time in a glance, dance installation
2019 Nina Dragičević: Ekstenzije užitka / Extensions of Pleasure, sound installation
2019 Snježana Premuš: Vsak zdaj je čas, prostor / Every now is time, space, dance installation
2018 Nataša Živković: Sine / Sonny, performance
2015 Sara Horžen, Valentina Plaskan: Ženske na robu / Women on the edge, theatre performance
MUSIC COVERS / OBLIKOVANJE GLASBENIH NOSILCEV
2020 Brgs: Silence of the land (Zvočni prepihi)
2020 Darla Smoking: Hoodoo (Dubdiggerz remix)
2020 Brgs: Doma sedim in jokam / At home I sit and cry (Zvočni prepihi)
2020 Darla Smoking: Sandcry (Lifecutter remix)
2019 Darla Smoking: Extinct (Kapa Records)
2019 Brgs: In_Dependences (Zvočni prepihi)
2019 Darla Smoking: Sandcry
2019 Jaka Berger & Dejan Brden: I'm Dead And I'm In Feldman's Heaven (Zvočni prepihi)
2019 Darla Smoking: Pass the bless (Darla Smoking, Well gedacht)
2019 Timothee Quost, Jaka Berger: qb (Zvočni prepihi)
2017 Darla Smoking: Golden Blood (.čunfa remix)
2018 Brgs: The art of drawing the line (Zvočni prepihi)
2017 Brgs: Intervention tape
2017 Džukljev Berger Duo: While Two Pigeons... (Zvočni prepihi)
2017 Darla Smoking: World Detuning (Kapa Records)
2017 Virtaranta Okuda Berger Trio: Nature of spinning (Zvočni prepihi)
2017 Brgs: Fragments of the present (Zvočni prepihi)
2017 Darla Smoking: Big Bug (Kapa Records)
2015 Brgs: Overture for a new beginning (Zvočni prepihi)