Porous Boundaries

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Performance - exhibition

Open Studios

GlogauAIR Berlin

Germany, 2024.

Perfromers: Neda Kovinic and Marry Gallowey

 

My last research, which spanned two years, took place during my residencies at Akademie Schloss Solitude and GlogauAIR in Berlin. This work focused on social nudity, specifically Freikörperkultur (FKK) in Germany, where I examined its political, social, and ecological dimensions. Initially, I explored Yugoslavian nudism as a Cold War soft power tool and gradually expanded my investigation to uncover the philosophical roots and ideological evolution of FKK in Germany and across Europe. The project extends the research I began at the Akademie, with a specific focus on the history of naturism in Berlin, and the contrasting approaches between East and West Germany.

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The installation combined archival documents, writings, film, sound, printed towels, and materials from field explorations, reflecting my research on Freikörperkultur (FKK) in Germany. I explored the political, social, and ecological aspects of FKK, starting with Yugoslavian nudism as a Cold War tool and expanding to the ideological shifts in East and West Germany.

The printed towels featured archival postcards and maps, highlighting the relations of intimacy, power infrastructures, public and private. Archival materials from the Landesarchiv in Berlin and Croatian archives reveal how municipal regulations and urban planning, changes of permissions and existence of this marginalized practice. Plants and sand from Berlin lakes were also incorporated, adding a natural element, while the StoryMap application guided visitors through the cultural and historical shifts of the FKK movement but also the personal stories I collected on the way.

 

Recognizing the ecological potential in reconnecting humans with nature, other species, and landscapes through this marginalized culture, I developed a sensorial performance during this time. The dance narrative performance of 20 minutes was performed by Mari Galloway & Neda Kovinić. My initial structure proposal and  the text of the narration and singing went through the changes upon the reflections and feedback of the performer Mary Galloway.

 

This performance was the third performance resulting from my research on nudism, i.e. Freikorperkultur (FKK), exploring its political, social and ecological dimensions. Recognising the potential of reconnecting people with nature, other species and landscapes through this often marginalised practice, I create sensory experiential performance in various exhibition contexts.

 

The performance combines body movements – reflecting the connection between the bodies and the natural terrains where nudists interact with the environment – ​​and narrative, integrating historical, philosophical materials, interviews and personal stories.