BIOGRAPHY

RESUME/ CV 2023

BIOGRAPHY/CV english

LIST of Exhibitions, Performances, Installation

FILMOGRAPHY


Photo: Still from ‘Nama’ by Nikunja (2008)

Nikunja, born in Basel, Switzerland (1956), lives and works on and from French Reunion Island, internationally and since 2015 reopened a new studio in Hégenheim/Basel. From 1975 to 1979, he studied painting and video art at the Basel Art Academy (Kunstgewerbeschule Basel). Initially, Nikunja started working within the development of subjective painting. His artwork was already exhibited as part of the ‘50 Young Swiss Painters’ show at Seedamm Kulturzentrum, Zürich in 1980 and at Kunsthalle Basel in 1981. Later, Nikunja developed further towards radical painting. Nikunja perceived his work as “incarnations of existential forces” and used unusual materials like butter, cooked plants, various ashes, and carbon. These works were shown in smaller galleries and alternative art spaces in Basel, Zürich, and as a larger show, at the Kulturhaus Palazzo Kunsthalle Liestal (1982). This show was accompanied by a first large-scale installation, which covered the whole building of the Cultural Centre with hundreds of corn plants and car lamps, lit up at night.

His early work in Basel was inspired by subjective painting, Arte Povera and German artist Joseph Beuys’ enlarged comprehension of art (Der erweiterte Kunstbegriff), Vedanta and Integral Yoga practices, but also by informal painters as Agnes Martin, Mark Rothko, and Mark Tobey.

In 1983, Nikunja realised ‘Heart Stream’ commissioned by the City of Basel. This 150 meter long art installation on the river Rhine in the Centre of the City of Basel was composed out of earth, copper and tree trunks, drawing into the streaming waters of the powerful river. At night, underwater lamps would mysteriously light up the artwork. The work was sponsored by the City Council as a parallel event to the international art fair Art’83, Basel. The same year, he realised a large installation in front of the Art’83, Basel entrance, titled ‘Heart Flames’, flag-like paintings on large fabrics with earth, fluid copper and pigments. Some of the works were realised by a savage painting action with 23 unbound 4 year old kids, directed by Nikunja, a reflection to the ‘Junge Wilde’ (“fair-fashion”) gallery exhibitions in the Art Fair.

After travels and further individual exhibitions in, amongst others, Basel, Lugano, Berlin, Zürich, and Saint-Gall, Nikunja received the Swiss Art Prize (a national grant for young artists) and a grant for ART-EST, a 9-month residency in Poland in 1991 and 1992. This resulted in painting exhibitions at the National Gallery in Gdansk (1992), Warsaw (1992)and at the International Cultural Centre in Krakow (1993). In 1994, he held an exhibition at the European Parliament in Strasbourg under the patronage of Catherine Lalumière, then General Secretary.

From 1993 till 1998, Nikunja worked in Cologne, Germany and was represented by Gallery Inge Baecker. In 1994, he showed his ‘Cologne Bridge Project’, a large-scale painting work on the pillars of the monumental iron Cologne Railway Bridge at Art Cologne.

In 1995, Nikunja realised the ‘Czech Flagproject, a first public and interactive installation and performance work on the Republic Square (Nám ?stí Republiky) in the centre of Prague. During several days, mask like intimate “portrait” paintings were realised through and on the Czech Flag (420 high x 700 cm wide). Nikunja worked with the over 100 volunteering participants. The participant would take place on a comfortable armchair. Nikunja would cover his/her face with the flag and transport the energy he would perceive from the person into an informal mask-like painting. The work destroyed the “absolute” form of the original design of the national symbol through the intuitive, subjective forms. The work underlines the relation of the “intimate” (act of painting/space between two persons) towards “the public” (act of arrest/space in public), an aspect that accompanied several later works. The project caused great public attention with TV reports accompanying the project (Czech TV Nova). Nikunja and his helpers were initially arrested, but the flag was returned after their release. In 1997 it was exhibited at the UN in Geneva as part of the ‘Oneness-World Vision Reality’ project.

In 1996, the ‘Japanese Flag’ project (following the same concept) was realised in Kyoto, Japan with the support of the Goethe Institute and the Kyoto Museum of Contemporary Art. The same year, Nikunja had a 3-month artist in residency in Harare, Zimbabwe, which was supported by the Swiss Embassy. He showed his work at the National Gallery Bulawayo Zimbabwe and at Liza's Gallery in Harare.

Born out of the ‘Czech Flag’ project and principles, Nikunja created ‘Oneness-World Vision-Reality’ in 1997. This was supported by the City Council of Geneva and realised under the patronage of Vladimir Petrovsky, former Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva. Nikunja used a multitude of national flags, which related to large-scale paintings of conflicting nations, for instance Israel versus Palestine, United States versus China, India versus Pakistan, and Japan versus China.

Nikunja created the “subjective portraits” with the participation of over 300 volunteering participants during a 2-month open studio work in public space at Maison des Arts du Grütli in multicultural Geneva. UN Director-General Petrovsky opened the large exhibition at the UN’s Palais des Nations in the presence of over 100 ambassadors and 300 citizens from Geneva. Secretary-General Kofi Annan visited the exhibition twice. In 1998, a large part of these works were exhibited in the Grand Foyer of the UNESCO in Paris in honour of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights celebration and conference.

From 1997 to 2002, Nikunja pursued his research on interdisciplinary and interdependence in art and the creative process in Geneva. Nikunja created a large-scale interdisciplinary performance ‘The Sky Over my House’ at the University of Geneva. The work was realised with the support of renowned alter mondialist and UN Human Rights President Jean Ziegler’s sociological department. 800 spectators attended the unique evening long performance piece. It was created for a stage of 75 by 15 meters and involved choreography, live music and live painting on art objects, created by Nikunja from industrial waste. ‘The Sky Over my House’ was realised just a few weeks after 9/11 and questioned the importance of the creation of the “image” in regards to the dangers of protestant puritanism in the capital of Calvinism. The Rector’s Office of the University declared the performance with 14 naked dancers “pornographic”. They forbade the further exhibition of the artworks from the performance, planned to show in the following month. The scandal provoked many discussions and approved the main purpose of the project. Nikunja stated that: “Universal values can only be lived individually and subjectively. The project themes of justice, love, transcendence, humility, mother and child, time, birth and death, and grace, cannot be determined by neither politics nor religions. Their determination through external force on the individual will always be and stay an act of violence.”

In 2002, following a project-based selection, Nikunja received a grant by the State of Geneva for a directors course (movie and documentary film) at Oxford University (United Kingdom).

From 1997 onwards, Nikunja created related videos, artistic documents of the painting performances with dancers, models and himself. In this period he also started his collaboration with French choreographer Nadjani Bulin of Reunion Islands. Unlike Yves Klein's work, Nikunja's use of body involvement into painting is based on a detailed "spiritual conditioning to the artistic content" of the "model-performer", similar to a movie-actor preparing for a specific role by his director. Important formal factors of the process were "the touch" (Nikunja paints with his bare hands since 1981) and the texture of the skin on the surface of the painting, a form of "sublimation of matter", which is not possible by the "industrial touch" of the brush.

 
From 2003 to 2006, Nikunja lived and worked in Rotterdam. First he received an 18-month artist in residency at Kunst&Complex. This was followed by a permanent studio by the City of Rotterdam.

Besides the continuous painting work with models, like 'Bettstatt' (2004), Nikunja created a new body of large painting works and works on papers with crude oil and sheep blood, titled 'Bagdad Sunset' (2003 - 2005). They were shown as part of the exhibition at the Alliance Française, Rotterdam in 2005 and are now part of a Swiss art collection. The most important exhibitions of interactive installations and paintings were the shows of 'Fellini Now!' and 'Reconstruction of the Tower of Babel' in 2005 at TENT and 'Salvation' at Alliance Française
Rotterdam. The interdisciplinary performance 'Testament of the Wind' (inspired by the book of the same title by Reunion Island poet Christian Jalma) was performed at Muiderpoort Theatre in Amsterdam in the same year.
Since 2006, Nikunja lives and works on French overseas Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. His move was inspired in 1998 by an earlier 3-month artist in residency at L'Oasis Le Port on Reunion Island. This residency was a preparation for the exhibition at UNESCO in Paris. In 2000, Nikunja realised the first video-performance work, titled 'Vision:Video', a solo-video performance on the active volcano of Reunion
Island. It was made in collaboration with British director Dave Tucker. In the same year, Tucker realised Nikunja's video performance 'Transforming Buddha' for a prime-time broadcast on Swiss French TV TSR.

In 2006, Nikunja created 'Art:Re:Public'. This was the first collaboration with Musée Léon Dierx in Saint-Denis, Reunion Island under direction of Laurence Madeline (now curator at Musée d'Orsay in Paris). The interactive installation related to the museum's 157 artworks of the famous Ambroise Vollard modern art collection. Nikunja questioned the patrimonial value of the collection and "the past as experience, being always in the present" by the overall multilayered concept of the installation and performance work. With the aid of 157 individual volunteering participants he created new paintings, related to all of the works in the collection. He made a connection with contemporary art and its patrimonial value through the performative involvement of Reunion artist Alain Noel, who was installed motionless on a bed sheet covered bench, clothed in a pyjama. Alain Noel's hands stretched to the ceiling, in front of his two paintings of the museum's collection.

This was followed in 2007 by the interdisciplinary performance 'Eagle flight I', which was also shown at Musée Léon Dierx. 'Eagle Flight I' was based on a solo video performance of the same title by Nikunja in 2002 and a collaboration with choreographer Nadjani Bulin. Nikunja also collaborated with the musicians Yann Costa and Sami Pageaux-Waro for the live concert. For the sound creation, Nikunja played the Indian dilruba live.

Nikunja was invited to show 'Eagle Flight II' at the Festival International de Danse Saint-Denis in 2007. The performance was realised in collaboration with South African Elite Model Venantia Otto (Face of Africa 2006) and before mentioned choreographer Nadjani Bulin. The live music was composed and played by Geneva based electronic musician Alain Perret (computer sampling) and Nikunja (dilruba).

In 2007, the experimental short movie 'Comments on Life and Death' (52', HD, DV) was screened at the South African Durban International Film Festival 2007 and at the Cannes International Film Festival, programme du Pavillon Les Cinémas du Monde. The movie was based on an interdisciplinary performance in the Le Théâtre sous les Arbres, Le Port with French actor Théo Triffard, amongst others. The performance and movie questions "the moment of death" in relation to the death of Brazilian artist and designer Mael da Costa, who died in 1994 on Reunion Island of Aids. Mael da Costa had influenced many artists on the island and all performers on the set related to him. The role and process of "video", (as film and as "I see") and "video" as "putting to death the subject of video" (Boris Groys) and "putting to death time", was the main aspect of the movie.


In 2008, Nikunja created and directed 'Nama' (84', HD, DV), a performance based artistic movie, also starring Venantia Otto. The experimental feature film premiered at the Wild Cinema Windhoek International Film Festival in Namibia in the same year. After several other selections and screenings, 'Nama' was awarded 3 times at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in 2009 (Best Actress, Best Director, Best Experimental Feature Movie). President of the Jury was Abel Ferrara. A DVD was released in 2010.

The evening long interdisciplinary performance 'Transposed Heads' was performed in 2009 at the Hangar D2 in Le Port. The work questioned cultural identity processes through a network of real time video projections, video performance, real time performance, painting, life music, karate and contemporary dance.


From 2009 till 2012, Nikunja lived and worked mainly in Mauritius. He developed painting performance work with Mauritian actress, performer and writer Mannee (Seeta Jeeanah). Major works of body were 'Queen of Saba' (2010) and 'Vajrayogini' (2011), exhibited at the French Institute in 2011, at Salle d'Art Contemporain Beaudemoulin, Reunion Island (2013) and at Is'Art Gallery, Antananarivo, Madagascar
(2014).

Between 2009 and 2012 Nikunja wrote two feature movies: 'Chiamaka' (development supported by the Cultural Ministry, Mauritius, BB Production), and the currently in development 'The Primeval Code' (Alefa Production).

In 2011, the French Institute on Mauritius presented a large exhibition of paintings, objects and partly interactive installations, including the video installation 'Fellini Now!' and 'The Reconstruction of the Tower of Babel'. Furthermore, 'Measure of Man' was shown through a loop video installation projected on milk.

Since 2012 Nikunja works and lives on Reunion Island. 'The Reconstruction of the Tower of Babel' was exhibited at the L'Artothèque de Saint-Denis and at the Débarcadère in the public space in Saint-Paul, Reunion Island during 2013, involving over 1.000 participants.

In 2013, under the title of 'Whispers of the Ancient Sun', Nikunja created a large exhibition of paintings, installations, video and movie-works at the Salle d'Art Contemporain Beaudemoulin, in the City of Tampon, Reunion Island. A part of this exhibition was shown at Is'Art Gallery in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

Since 2012, Nikunja has done research for the development of his multimedia art installation and movie XANADU, which in 2015 has been selected for the 56th Biennale of Contemporary Art of Venice, Collateral Events, by chief curator Okwui Enwezor. The interactive art installation XANADU:THE BASTARD'S DREAM has been exhibited at Istituto Santa Maria della Pieta.

XANADU: THE CONTEMPORARY DREAM TEMPLE is still in further development. A further focus of Nikunja's current research lies on his conception of INTERACTIVE MATTER, which emerged from the Biennale Installation: the matter which lies in between subjects and objects as gravity to be composed.

The conception of INTERATIVE MATTER really constitutes a central aspect of Nikunja's work since the mid-90ties and the CZECH FLAG project in Prague in 1995.

This expanded conception not only of art beyond “social sculpture” and “interactive art”, but also of human
and natural sciences, in 2017 was elaborated in academic papers published by Commonwealth University of Doha, Qatar and the University of Goeteborg, Sweden at the IS4SI Intelligence Science Summit.

To explore subtle processes of evolutive intelligence and Interactive Matter between the evolutive conscious, language and even interspecies communication, in 2019 Nikunja founded the sound research experiment UNCOPPEN SAW with Mauritian performance artist Mannee (vocals), long-time music/sound collaborator
Alain Perret ( electronics, keyboards; Geneva) and Mathieu Sylvestre (noise, guitar, electronics; Berlin, Tours-France), with first concerts in Berlin, Zurich and Basel and the recording of the album 'MOÏKA' at the Relief Studios

in Fribourg (CH), currently being remixed and to be published during 2020. Four titles with Mathieu Sylvestre have been published on bandcamp.com in 2019. (https://uncoppensaw.bandcamp.com/)

Nikunja’s work has been supported by major art funding institutions from Switzerland, Poland, Germany, and France. He has received various grants and artist in residencies in Switzerland, France, Poland, and the Netherlands. His work has been exhibited at galleries, museums and art institutions throughout Europe, Asia and Africa. Nikunja’s art works are part of private and public collections in Switzerland, Germany, Poland, United States, Zimbabwe, France, the Netherlands, Mauritius, and Japan.

Last update: 21/03/2020 by nikunja

 

INTERACTIVE INSTALLATIONS & PERFORMANCES

2024-2026 'art:re:public', transmedia performance – installation in the TRANSMEDIA ART DOME IN PUBLIC PLACE*: Paris 'split horizons', Zurich 'alpenglow:after-dada', Reunion Island )'creolization as state of mind', Berlin ^'water - b(and)its'

2022 ITAC6 OSLO*, Interactive Matter: art/science concept and performance experience, interactive conference – performance at VOLDA UNIVERSITY SEANSE ART CENTER OSLO NORWAY

2022 'timecrystal: kairos – chronos - logos', transmedia installation referring to the bio physical ebner effect and its inherent bio – memory inside of the static electric field: at WHAT THE LAB* by SYMBIONTART BASEL, OLD UNIVERSITY BASEL*for ART BASEL OFF* JUNE 14 - 19 2022 curated by Roland Fischer and Isabella Maund ; video presentation with science researchers Dr. Guido Ebner and Daniel Ebner

2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 ATELIER OUVERT  GRAND EST*-FRANCE curator: Clemens Staehelin, particle accelerator, Strasbourg, studio performances uncoppen saw live sound performance

2020
‘Uncoppen Saw’, sound-performance with noise artist Mathieu Sylvestre, concert with Tarab (Australia), Yvan Etienne (France), at ‘Wurm’, Flatterschaft, performance space, Basel

2019
‘Moïka’ sound performance with Mauritian artist Mannee (vocals) and Nikunja (dilruba) for Till Velten’s ‘Die andere Maria’, DADA Museum Cabaret Voltaire, Zurich, album recording 'MOÏKA' with Alain Perret (electronics, keyboards; Geneva) at Relief Studios, Fribourg, Switzerland

2019
‘Uncoppen Saw’, soundperformance with noise artist Mathieu Sylvestre for ‘UNGEMÜTLICH VI’ curated by Frédéric Krauke, Berlin Kultur Forum Factory
publication of 4 titles on bandcamp.com

2019
‘Sooma – Sami’ interactive acryl glass sculpture designed for a cross-german environmental relay run as ‘interlinking flying object’ carrying earth, water and grains

2017
‘Nama’ movie performance as part of Remains by Afrotak CyberNomads, Berlin, for PAF Performance Art Festival Berlin 2017, Kindl Center for Contemporary Arts, Berlin

2016
'The Reconstruction of the Tower of Babel' interactive evolutive sculpture, first Swiss exhibition of the Babel Project, Projektraum M54, Basel, Switzerland

2015
‘Xanadu – The Bastard’s Dream’
Transmedia interactive art installation selected by Okwui Enwezor for 'ALL THE WORLD'S FUTURES', 56th BIENNALE OF CONTEMPORARY ART OF VENICE, Collateral Events, exhibited at Istituto Santa Maria della Pieta

2015
‘Untitled’, interactive performance for ‘SOS DADA – THE WORLD IS A MESS’ curated by  Juri Steiner and Stefan Zweifel for the Salon Suisse at 56th Biennale of Contemporary Art, Venice, Palazzo  Trevisan degli Ulivi, performers: MANNEE (Mauritius/bhojburi), TAFADZWA GWETAI (Zimbabwe/Shona/Ndebele) and NIKUNJA (Switzerland/baseldytsch)

2015 -

2015 -
‘Xanadu: The Contemporary Dream Temple’
Transmedia art installation and 4K UHD 2 channel movie-installation in a mobile exhibition space made of bamboo, a contemporary formulation of the ancient dream temples , in preparation

2014
'Libertalia'
Installation
Is'Art Gallery, Antananarivo, Madagascar

2013
'The Reconstruction of the Tower of Babel'
100ieme Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, L'Artothèque de Saint-Denis, Reunion Island

350th Anniversary Celebration of the Population of Reunion Island, Saint-Paul, Débarcadère de Saint-Paul,
Front de Mer, Reunion Island

Exhibition Space, Salle d'Art Contemporain Beaudemoulin, City of Tampon, Reunion Island

2011
'Fellini Now !' and 'Reconstruction of the Tower of Babel'
French Institute Mauritius (part of the 'Broken Circle' exhibition)

'Antara'
Interactive, interdisciplinary performance
Festival d'Art Contemporain Nuit d'Art de Pleine Lune, Historical Musée de Villèle, Saint-Paul, Reunion
Island

2009
'Transposed Heads'
Interdisciplinary performance
Hangar D2, Le Port, Reunion Island
Performance dance: Nadjani Bulin, Emmanuelle Tatel, Willy Hagen, Loïna Angama Latchimy, Oumarani
Canane, Nikunja
Live music: Alain Perret (computer, keyboards, sampling boards), Eric Martin (saxophone), Nikunja (Indian
Dilruba)
Video performance: Venantia Otto, Emmanuelle Tatel
Real time video transmission and projections: Jean Marie Pernelle et Fred Lambolez

2007
'Eagle Flight II'
Interdisciplinary performance
Festival International de Danse Saint-Denis, Palaxa, Reunion Island
Performance dance: Nadjani Bulin
Ritual performance: Venantia Otto Alain Perret/Nikunja
Video performance: Nikunja
Live music: Alain Perret (computer, keyboards, sampling), Nikunja (Indian Dilruba)
Real time video transmission and projections: Jean Marie Pernelle

'Eagle Flight I'
Interdisciplinary performance
Musée Léon Dierx, Saint-Denis, Reunion Island
Performance dance: Nadjani Bulin
Live music: Yann Costa, Sami Pageaux Waro, Nikunja
Video performance: Nikunja

2006
'Art:Re:Publique'
Interdisciplinary performance
Musée Léon Dierx, Saint-Denis, Reunion Island
Performance: Alain Noel in collaboration with 157 volunteering participants
Live painting performance: Nikunja

2005
'Testament of the Wind'
Interdisciplinary performance
Muiderpoort Theatre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Performance dance: Nadjani Bulin, Vinciane Salaens, Regina Magnus, SatoEndo
Live music: Alain Perret
Real time video transmission and projections: Rick Messemaker, Minggus Lassatira

'The King and the Fool'
Interdisciplinary performance
Triennial of Contemporary Art, Port Louis, Mauritius Performer Alain Noel

'Fellini Now !' and 'Reconstruction of the Tower of Babel'
TENT, Rotterdam, the Netherlands

'Salvation'
Interdisciplinary performance
Alliance Française, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

2001
'The Sky Above My House'
Interdisciplinary performance
University of Geneva
Performance dance: Nadjani Bulin, Katarina Bakatsaki, Lucia Baumgartner, Susanne Bentley, Perdro
Carvalho, Verena Fleissner, Unita Gayeg, Anne Juren, Angela Koehnlein, Céline Respinger, Peter Mc Coy,
Parimal Phadke, Mariko Takayasu, Julieta Valero
Live music: Alain Perret (computer, keyboards, sampling)
Live painting performance: Nikunja
Sound engineer and sound recording: Benoit Saillet
Assistant to Nikunja and objects execution: Ali Lagbaa
Video DV/HD recording: Bob de Jong Productions, Hilversum, the Netherlands

1997
'Oneness-World Vision-Reality'
Interactive installation, performance and exhibition
Salle des Pas Perdus, Palais des Nations, United Nations, Geneva and Maison des Arts du Grütli, Geneva
With over 300 volunteering participants from Geneva
Patronage and opening message by UN Director-General Vladimir Petrovsky
Two visits by Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Feature Documentary Film for Swiss German TV News Magazine TV DRS

1996
'Japanese Flag'
Interactive painting performance, painted with 19 Japanese contemporary dancers and performers,
Goethe Institute of Kyoto, Japan (shown at UN, 1997), supported by Kyoto Museum of Contemporary Art.

1995
'Czech Flag'
Interactive painting performance
Republic Square (Nám?stí Republiky), Prague, Czech Republic
Portraits and artwork on 420 cm x 700 cm Czech flag
TV reports, public discussions and protests, confiscation of the flag, arrested with helpers, but the flag was
given back. Exhibited in 1997 at UN Geneva, TV news reports and reports on Czech TV Nova.

FURTHER SELECTED EXHIBITIONS: PAINTING/OBJECTS/VIDEO/INSTALLATION                      (group shows marked *)

2014
'Whispers of the Ancient Sun'
Is'Art Gallery, Antananarivo, Madagascar
Small format paintings of 'Queen of Saba', drug paintings, installation 'Libertalia', movie 'Nama'

2013
'Whispers of the Ancient Sun'
Salle d'Art Contemporain Beaudemoulin, City of Tampon, Reunion Island
Large exhibition of paintings, 'Queen of Saba', 'Vajrayogini', drug paintings, various installations,
'Nama' movie

2011
'The Broken Circle'
French Institute of Mauritius
Large exhibition of installations, paintings, video and video installations, objects

'Nikunja Works'
Imaaya Gallery, Mauritius
Paintings, works on paper, installation 'Salvation', video performance 'Eagle Flight'

2008
'Nikunja Works'
Centre d'Image, City of Le Port, Reunion Island
Paintings, installation 'Fellini Now!'

2005
'Nikunja'
TENT, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Installations and paintings 'Fellini Now!' , 'The Reconstruction of the Tower of Babel'
‘The Testament of the Wind’

'Nikunja'
Alliance Française Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Paintings, work on paper, installation 'Salvation'

'Corridor'
Gallery Charles Gounod, Saint-Denis, Reunion Island
Video installation 'Corridor' and works on paper

2001
'The Sky Above My House'
University Mail, Central Hall Big Plaza, Geneva, organized by Prof. Jean Ziegler, Dr. Raoul Ouedraogo, Departement of Sociology
Installation-exhibition of the painted objects of the interdisciplinary performance; the exhibition was forbidden by the authority of the Rectorate, but the large objects stayed loosely distributed and installed in the large space of the street-hall (18m high, 15m large, 75m long, with a glass roof) The works, painted with oil paint and the olive oil soaked naked bodies of the 14 performers, had to dry before the transport. The exhibition was supported by the City of Geneva and the Art Fund of the Swiss Lottery.

1998
'People Begin To Fly'
UNESCO, Central Grand Foyer UNESCO HQ building, Paris
Installation for the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights celebration and
conference, and the 150th Anniversary of the Slavery Abolition Act (1848).
Patronage by Federico Mayor, Director-General, and by Doudou Diène, Director UNESCO Cultural
Department (creator of the UN Project The Slave Route).
Exhibition of large format paintings, partly from the UNO 'Oneness-World Vision Reality' Exhibition 1997.

1997
'Oneness-World Vision-Reality'
UNO, Palais des Nations, Salle des Pas Perdus, Geneva
Patronage and opening by Director-General Vladimir Petrovsky
Exhibition of installation, paintings, and the works created in the open studio at Maison des Arts du Grütli
on different flag-projects, with 300 volunteering participants, documented by Swiss Television DRS.

1996
'Nikunja'
National Gallery Bulawayo Zimbabwe: 70 works on wood, metal, papers, especially created for the
Zimbabwe exhibitions. They now belong to the collection of the National Gallery, Bulawayo.

'Nikunja'
LIZA Gallery, Harare, Zimbabwe
1995
'Fahnenbilder'
Gallery Inge Baecker, Cologne
Paintings
1994
'Cologne Bridge Project' *
Gallery Inge Baecker, Art Cologne ’94, special booth
Works mixed media on paper

'Oneness-World Vision-Reality'
European Parliament, Foyer des Ministers, Strasbourg
Large format paintings, mostly created in Poland
Patronage and opening by General Secretary Catherine Lalumière
Video-opening by first Slovakian President Michal Ková?

1992
Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau, Switzerland, paintings *
Swiss Studio, International Cultural Centre, Krakow, Poland, paintings
Galeria Promocyjna, Warsaw, Poland, paintings
National Museum Gdansk, Poland, paintings

1991
Kunstverein - Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, Switzerland, paintings *
Kunstmuseum Solothurn, Switzerland, paintings *

1990
Exhibition Space Klingenthal, Basel, Switzerland, paintings
Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland, paintings *

1986
Exhibition curated by Nikunja in Berlin, alternative Art Space in a large apartment in West Berlin, paintings,
with painter Ouhi Cha, installation artist and "Tree Godfather" Ben Vargin (now Ben Wagin) and other
Berlin based artists. *


1983
'Heart Stream'
Basel, Switzerland
150m long installation in the Rhine River in the Centre of the City of Basel
Commissioned by the City of Basel as parallel event to Art'83 Basel

'Heart Flames' *
Entrance of Art'83 Basel, Switzerland
flag-like paintings on large coloured fabrics with earth, fluid copper and pigments. Some of the works were
realised by a savage street painting action with 23 unbound 4-year old kids, directed by Nikunja, a humorous
reflection to the 'Junge Wilde' ("fair-fashion") gallery exhibitions inside of the Art Fair.

'Villa Onsernone'
Alternative art space, Locarno, Switzerland
Earth and copper paintings, installation of large painted glass pieces floating on the Lago Maggiore
Invitational group exhibition with important young Swiss artists. TV feature report TV TSI *

1982
'Nikunja'
Kulturhaus Palazzo Liestal, Switzerland
Paintings and installation

1981
Exhibition at Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland *
Curated by Jean Christophe Ammann
Paintings

'50 Junge Schweizer Maler'
Seedam Kulturzentrum *
Paintings

 

VIDEOS & FILMS

 

2017/2018
‘Oedipus ® Ex’ Installation movie HDD, dv, reframes, 120min, Berlin/Basel
‘Lotus’, experimental feature movie, writing/preproduction, France/Switzerland/Algeria/Seychelles
‘Ben Wagin: Earth about Herself’ experimental feature performance movie, writing/preproduction, Berlin/Basel/Cologne

2015
‘Xanadu: The Bastard’s Dream’, 2-channel-video-installation; Installationmovie (HDD, 78:40min, Reunion Island) , 56th Venice Contemporary Art Biennale Trailer: HDD 2:12, 2015

2013 -
‘Xanadu: The Contemporary Dream Temple’, feature movie based on the dream experiences of the multimedia art installation, writing/preproduction

‘Xanadu: The Contemporary Dream Temple’, 2 channel Installation movie (UHD 4K, HDD, 120min) writing/preproduction


'The Reconstruction of the Tower of Babel'
Installation video (24', HD/DV, loop)

'The Genesis according to Lilith'
Video for a contemporary dance performance (52', HD)

Five public performances in theatres around Reunion Island

2012 -
'The Primeval Code'
Experimental feature movie (130', UHD)
A thriller on the geopolitical issues of the world food problem and the biophysical revolutionary method, The Ebner Effect, freeing farmers from the yoke of the multinational seed producers.
Writing and Development.

2011
'Measure of Men'
Installation video (44'/loop HD/DV)
French Institute, Mauritius
Projection on milk
2011 -
'Chiamaka'
Feature movie (120', UHD)
Questioning historical perception and our views on history on the background of one of the biggest naval
battles: The Battle of Grand Port 1810 in the Indian Ocean opposing French and British ships.
Writing and Development.

2010
'Cheikh Anta Diop
Experimental documentary movie (90', HD/DV, video-sampling, reframes)
Dakar International Film Festival

2008
'Nama' ('Origin') (84', HD/DV)
Experimental art movie, shot in the Namibian desert and the township of Katatura
Premiered at the Wild Cinema Windhoek International Film Festival in Namibia, 2008
Screened at Cannes International Film Festival, programme du Pavillon Les Cinémas du Monde, 2008
In 2009, 'Nama' was awarded 3 times at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in
2009 (Best Actress, Best Director, Best Experimental Feature Movie) screening in New York and Los
Angeles. President Jury was Abel Ferrara. A DVD was released in 2010.

2007
'Trying Paradise' (10', DV).
'Comments on life & death' (52', DV)
Durban International Film Festival
Cannes International Film Festival, programme du Pavillon Les Cinémas du Monde

2006
'Ties' (9'50, DV), KinoKabaret Saint-Denis, Reunion Island
'Woven: The Net', ( 3'8 - DV).
The King and the Fool (20' - DV).

2005
'Fellini Now!' (loop, DV, reframed film of Fellini's Roma).
'Doors' (loop, DV).
'Le corridor' (39', DV).
'La Cour' (34', DV) video for performance of Nadjani Bulin, Festival de Danse Saint-Denis, Reunion Island

2004
'Bettstatt' (32', DV)
'Fluidimpuls' (16', DV) video/dance/paint project
'Bagdad Sunset' (loop - DV) studio – exhibition K&K, Rotterdam

2002
'Eagle Flight' (42' edited 2004, DV) projected in Marseille, France for performance ‘Picasso:Orgaz’ by V. Saelens and alternative exhibition place.

2000
'Transforming Buddha' (6' TV version / 28', DV)
Broadcasted TV TSR recorded and realized by Dave Tucker (TV version)
'Resurrection' (44', DV)
'Maria' (24', DV)
'Inside Out and Upside Down: Clear and You?' (loop, dv)
'Vision:Video' (12', DV) on Volcano Crater Leo of Reunion Island. Filmed-Edited by Dave Tucker

1999
Awake and Return (8', DV) edited by Jean-Lou Steinmann

 

RECOGNITION & SUPPORT & PUBLICATIONS

Federal Fine Art Grant (Eidg. Kunststipendium, 1991), main national price for young artists in Switzerland, Grant of Swiss Cultural Institution Art-Est (Federal Cultural Office, Switzerland, 1992) Support by many public and private art-institutions, e.g. Pro Helvetia, Federal Office for Culture, Bern; Cultural Departments of the Cities of Basel, Basel-County, Geneva; Lottery Romande, Geneva; Cultural Department, Cologne, Germany; Goethe Institute, Kyoto, European Council, Strasbourg, France;Unesco, Paris, France; UNO Geneva, Switzerland; FRAC , Ile de la Réunion, RKS, Rotterdam, CBK, Rotterdam, Alliance Française /Institut Français, Rotterdam and The Hague, CNAP, Paris, France, and others

Works are in private and public collections and museums in Switzerland, Germany, France, Japan, Poland, Zimbabwe, Netherlands, US

Publications:

2017
‘ Interactive Matter: Expanded Perception between the Analogue and the Digital’ scientific paper on Nikunja’s artistic and philosophical conception of Interactive Matter by David Simon-Vermot, University of Basel, published by Tasmeen Media Conference 2017, University of Doha, Qatar

2017
’Interactive Matter: The Free Flow of Information, and the shift of moral and ethical responsibility in the future digital world society’ by Nikunja and David Simon-Vermot;  published by IS4SI – International Society for Information Studies, Goeteborg, Sweden

Broadcast:
Reports TV DRS and TV TSI, Switzerland, TV TSR, Switzerland, TV Gdansk Poland, Czech TV Nova, Cable plus, EURONEWS, France, zbc-TV, RFO, Reunion Island, RFO TV International,  e-tv South Africa, nbc, Namibia, and radio reports, in Zimbabwe, Radio DRS 1, Switzerland, WDR radio, Germany, RFI (English) international (Dave Page from Cannes IFF), France Culture (from Cannes IFF),  several radio stations in Namibia, and daily newspapers and magazines in Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Zimbabwe, Reunion Island, Netherlands and on several web art news servers.

Lectures on art & spirituality:
Universities of Basel, Zurich, Vienna, Warsaw, Posnan, Bialystok European Cultural Centre, Krakow, Rotterdam;

Collaborations the following artists I invited for collaborations in several of my creations and I am very grateful for their important.

Contributions: performances
Mannee Jeeanah – Mauritius,  Coralie Testan – Reunion Island,  Emmanuelle Tatel -, Reunion Island, Venantia Otto – South Africa,  Eva Razanaka – Reunion Island/Madagascar, Alain Noêl - Reunion Island, Rita Vilhena - Netherlands & Portugal, Jennifer Delano - Netherlands, Diego Sanchez - Switzerland, Nathalie Natiembé - Reunion Island

1000's volunteers participants, public

Video, film-making & photography:
Jean Marc Selva – Paris, France, Rick Messemaker - Netherlands, Bob de Jong - Netherlands, Jean Lou Steinmann - Switzerland, Dave Tucker - Switzerland, Rene Paul Savignan - Reunion Island, Jerome Picard - Reunion Island, Laurent Zitte - Reunion Island, Jeanne Quattropani – Italy/Switzerland, Alexander Barrymore – UK/Switzerland, Andreas Spitteler - Switzerland, Minggus Lassatira-Netherlands/Bali, Demetrios Estdelacropolis - Netherlands/ Canada

Contributions: contemporary dance & choreography
Nadjani Bulin - Reunion Island, Regina Magnus - Germany, Sato Endo - Japan, Katarina Bakatsaki - Netherlands, Lucia Baumgartner - Switzerland, Susanne Bentley - New Zealand & Belgium, Perdro Carvalho - Portugal, Verena Fleissner - Germany, Unita Gayeg - Philippines, Anne Juren - France, Angela Koehnlein - Germany & Netherlands, Céline Respinger - Switzerland, Peter Mc Coy - United States, Parimal Phadke - India, Mariko Takayasu - Japan, Julieta Valero - Venezuela & United States and many others..

Contributions: installations
Ali Lagbaa - Switzerland & Canada, Andreas Spitteler - Switzerland, Ivar Tjon Sack-Kie - Netherlands.

Music & sounds:
Alain Perret, Benoit Saillet - Switzerland, Yann Costa, Sami Pageaux-Waro - Reunion Island, Mathieu Sylvestre - France

ARTIST IN RESIDENCY

2013-2014
Léspas Culturel Leconte de Lisle, Saint-Paul, Reunion Island

2011
Port Chambly, Mauritius

2007 - 2009
Centre d'Image, Le Port, Reunion Island

2003 - 2004
Kunst & Komplex, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Workshop for Art Academy Groningen and studio exhibition

1998
Jeumon Art Plastique, Saint-Denis; Oasis, Ville Le Port, Ile de la Reunion
In preparation of the exhibition at UNESCO in Paris

1991 - 1993
ART-EST Grant, Swiss Studio
International European Cultural Centre, Krakow, Poland