VESSNA PERUNOVICH CV
EDUCATION
1985-1987 Academy of Fine Arts, University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia: MFA
1979-1984 Academy of Fine Arts, University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia: BFA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS & SPECIAL PROJECTS
2023 Home Paradigm: A New Place of Belonging, MSUB Museum of Contemporary Art Belgrade,
Gallery-Legacy Milica Zorić and Rodoljub Čolaković, Belrade Serbia
Home Paradigm, Terra Museum (Salon), Kikinda, Serbia
Home & Belonging, Small Salon of Visual Arts, Cultual Center Novi Sad Serbia
2022 Home Fragments, In-situ residency and exhibition, La Chambre Blanche, Quebec City, Quebec
Here. In Absence, University of Waterloo Art Gallery, Waterloo Ontario
2021 Fragments of a Whole, Contemporary Art Gallery Zrenjanin and Contemorary Art Gallery Pancevo, Serbia
2019 Shifting Shelter, Goethe Institute Belgrade Serbia
Shifting Shelter, Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Alberta University of the Arts, Calgary Alberta
2018 Not My Story, Angell Gallery, Toronto Ontario
Shifting Shelter, Gallery Stratford, Stratford Ontario
Far Away, So Close, Performance project, FAT Fashion Art Toronto
2017 Shifting Shelter, Angell Gallery, Toronto Ontario
2016 Politics of Movement, Center of Contemporary Art, Podgorica, Montenegro
Politics of Movement, City Gallery Petković, Subotica Serbia
Politics of Movement, Remont Art Association, Belgrade Serbia
2015 Mending Broken China, Angell Gallery, Toronto Ontario
Nothing to Wear, Performance project, FAT Fashion Art Toronto
Seamless Crossings, Quebec tour: Atelier Silex, R3 University Gallery, Trois Rivieres
Border Stitching, Oboro, Montreal, Quebec
2014 Seamless Crossings, MAI (Montreal Arts Intercultural), Montreal Quebec
2013 Neither Here Nor There, touring exhibition Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa Ontario
STILLS: Moments of Extreme Consequence, Angell Gallery, Toronto Ontario
Line Rituals & Radical Knitting, Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph Ontario
2012 I Hug the World and the World Hugs Me Back, ongoing traveling performance project,
New York USA
Border Stitching, Centre d’artistes Vaste et Vague, Carleton-sur-Mer, Quebec
Neither Here Nor There, Tom Thomson Gallery, Owen Sound, Ontario
2011 Borderless, touring survey exhibition in Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina: Museum of Contemporary Art
Novi Sad Serbia; Museum of Contemporary Art Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka B&H; Nadežda Petrović
Memorial Gallery, Čačak Serbia and Gallery of Contemporary Finel Arts, Niš Serbia
2010 Swing, Angell Gallery, Toronto Ontario
Borderless, touring survey exhibition: The Cultural Center of Belgrade and Gallery Belgrade, Serbia
On Exhibit, Paul Petro Special Projects Space, Toronto Ontario
2009 Displacement, multidisciplinary dance performance, Harbourfront Fleck Theatre,
Toronto Ontario
Exile, The Factory: Hamilton Media Arts Centre, Hamilton Ontario
Emblems of the Enigma, a mid-carrier survey touring exhibition curated by Donald Brackett
Saint Mary’s University Art Gallery, Halifax Nova Scotia
Emblems of the Enigma, Kelowna Art Gallery, Kelowna BC
2008 Transitory Places, Occurrence Gallery, Montreal, Quebec
Borderless, Stride Gallery, Calgary Alberta
Emblems of the Enigma, Cambridge Galleries, Cambridge,
Art Gallery of Mississauga, Mississauga and Art Gallery of Algoma, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
2007 Midnight Mirage, performance Nuit Blanche, Toronto Ontario
Displacement, multidisciplinary dance project Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton Ontario
A Sudden Appearance of Many Marys, performance at TIAF, Toronto Ontario
Emblems of the Enigma, Art Gallery of Peterborough, Peterborough Ontario
GROUP EXHIBITIONS AND PROJECTS
2023 Sculpture after Sculpture, Cazarma U, Timisoara, Romania , curated by Sava Stepanov
2022 Imperfect World, Salamander, coinciding with Art Basel Miami Art Fair, curated by Magda Gonzalez--Mora and Yudinela Ortega, Miami, USA
On the Road to Freedom, Feminist Avant-Garde, Museum of Contemporary Art, Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia curated by
Sanja Koić Mladenov
Photography in the Extended Field, Museum Bitola, Magaza, North Macedonia, curated by Svetlana Mladenov
2020-2021 Flux Identity, Canadian artist in conversation with the artist from Western Balkans,
curated by Svetlana Mladenov, National Gallery of Skoplje, North Macedonia
2020 Destruction and Recovery, critic’s choice, Cultural Centre Belgrade, Serbia, curated by Sanja Kojic Mladenov, four persons show with Segalit Landau, Selma Selman, Ana Vujić
2019 Ad Infinitum, Arsenal Habana, curated by Magda Gonzalez-Mora, 13th Havana Biennial, Cuba
Perceptions, British Council in collaboration with 5 art institutions from the Western Balkan countries
My Art is My Reality, Risk Change European Union project, Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina, Serbia
Cafka Biennial, Walper Hotel exhibition, curated by Gordon Hutt, Kitchener Ontario
Flux Identity, a touring exhibition of selected Canadian artists, Rajko Mamuzić Gallery, Novi Sad, Serbia
2018 Art Flux, DLUL, Association of Fine Art gallery, Ljubljana Slovenia, curated by Svetlana Mladenov
My Art is My Reality, Risk Change European Union project, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Mali Salon, Rijeka, Croatia, curated by Sanja Kojic Mladenov
We are not Speaking but the Silence is Killing Us, Navigator, curated by Mia David
ON DESIRE: B3 Biennale of Moving Image, Frankfurt Germany, curated by Carol Weinbaum
2018 Risk Change, MIG 21, Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina, Novi Sad Serbia curated by
Nina Anger, Peter Tomaz Dobrila, and Sanja Kojic Mladenov
2016/17 Bedlam & Balance, ArtYard, Frenchtown, New Jersey, USA, curated by Magda Gonzalez-Mora
2016 Life Bearings, Georgia Sherman Projects, Toronto Ontario, curated by Magda Gonzalez-Mora
This Could Be the Place, UWAG, Waterloo, Ontario, curated by Ivan Jurakic and
Bojana Videkanić
Transparent Travel, Amelie A. Wallace Gallery, New York, USA, curated by Besnik Haxhillari and Flutura Preka
2015 Transparent Travel, R3 University Gallery, Trois Rivieres, Quebec Canada
Cargo East, touring exhibition organized by Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina : Cultural Centre K13 Kosice, Slovakia, Museum of Contemporary Art Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka,
Sensing Realities, B-312 Gallery Montreal (exchange project with Remont Gallery, Belgrade Serbia
2014 Cargo East, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung City, Taiwan, Republic of China
The Map and the Territory: Ontological Boundaries, Intelligentsia Gallery, Beijing China
Open Studio, Red Gate Residency, Beijing China
Memory of Violence and Dreams of the Future, Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina, Novi Sad and The Goethe Institute of Belgrade Serbia, curated by Sanja Kojić Mladenov
Three Shades of Red, Cultural Centre of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia (touring exhibition: Contemporary Art Gallery of Zrenjanin and Contemporary Art Gallery Subotica, Serbia
Linija Nova, Youth House Gallery, Belgrade Serbia, curated by Svetlana Mladenov
Danube Dialogues, international exhibition of contemporary art - countries from the Danube region,
Novi Sad Serbia, curated by Sunčica Lambić Fenjčev
2013 Superabstraction, Angel Gallery, Toronto Ontario
Flux Likvida, Watercolor Biennial, National Museum of Zrenjanin, Serbia, curated by
Sanja Kojić Mladenov
2012/13 Blood, Slovak National Gallery, Bratislava Slovakia
2012 NETWorks, Open Studios ISCP Residency New York, NY US
2011 Open Ended, TH&B2, Hamilton Ontario
Borderline, performance Grimm Museum, Berlin Germany
2010 Some Enchanted Evenings, curated by Fern Bayer, Nuit Blanche 5-year Retrospective, Scotia Plaza, Toronto Ontario
What Remains, Confederation Art Gallery, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Home Sweet Home, video Werkstatt der Kulturen, Berlin Germany
2009 Souvenir, Kunstraum Kreuzberg/ Bethanian, Berlin Germany
2008 Open Studios, GlogauAIR Residency, Berlin Germany
Sound Proof, E:vent Gallery, London UK
Library-Open Balkan Book, Colegium Publicum, Sarajevo Bosnia
2006 Viva, International Performance Festival, Montreal Quebec
Placed, York Quay Gallery, Toronto Ontario
GRANTS / AWARDS / RESIDENCES
2024 Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Abroad Circulating and Touring
2023 Ontario Art Council, Exhibition Assistance Grant (also in 2022, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2014-2002)
2022 Toronto Arts Council Project Grant-Established Artists (also in 2020, 2018, 2012, 2010, 2007)
Ontario Arts Council Project Grant-Established Artists (also in 2020, 2018, 2010)
2020 Canada Council for the Arts, Project Grant- Established Artists (also in 2016, 2013, 2010, 2008)
Canada Council for the Arts-Digital Originals
2019 Ontario Arts Council-Chalmers Fellowship Grant
Ontario Arts Council-International Touring Grant
Canada Council for the Arts, Travel Grant (also in 2017, 2015, 2014, 2012,11,10, 07, 03, 01)
2018/19 Canada Council for the Arts-Explore and Create, two-year Project Grant
2017 Canada Council for the Arts-Arts Abroad Residency program Zejtun Malta
2013 Ontario Arts Council International Residencies Grant (also in 2010 and 2009)
2012 ISCP, International Studio and Curatorial Residency, New York USA
2011 Ontario Arts Council, Chalmers Professional Development Grant
2010 Ontario Arts Council, International Touring Grant, Borderless, Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina
PUBLICATIONS / REVIWES / INTERVIWS
2023 Ćuk. Aleksandra, interview: “The Whole World is Mine”, Danas, April 18th
Milosavljević. Vesna, 60-min. guided exhibition tour with Miroslav Karić on SeeCult platform
Milić. Sanja, RTS Beograd 30-min TV program: “Do Detalja” (To the detail)
Dimitrijević. Maja, Interview “To Belong Everywhere and Nowhere”, Politika, interview
Ristović. Sava, “Znakovi” Radio 2, 50-min. interview
Jafali. Ivon, TV K1 “Today at Ivon”, interview, March 8th
Marković. Nikola, “Only one second is needed to annul a life” Interview nova.rs, March, 6th
Tucaković. Maja, Interview, RTS Cultural journal, February 24th
Ognjenović. Tamara, N1 interview, March 17th
SeeCult. Exhibition announcement, March 17th
Vajb Magazine. Home Paradigm: A New Place of Belonging, February 17th
2023 BLIC Magazine. interview, March 9th
BURO247.RS Must See exhibition, Vessna Perunovich in Gallery-Legacy Z / Č, February 28th
euronews.rs Exhibition announscment, February 28th
2021 Ćikul. Ljiljana, The Metaphor of a Broken Plate, Politika, August 22nd
Rajić. Aleksandra, Interview, exhibition Fragments of a Whole, Radio Novi Sad 1
2020 Interview for portal Nova.rs coinciding with 30 th Nadežda Petrović Memorial Biennial exhibition
2019 “Vessna Perunovich - Shifting Shelter “at IGK Alberta University,
Editorial Pick- Canadian Art, Fall issue
“Dialogue with Vessna Perunovich”, Gallery "Exchange office", Goethe-Institut, Belgrade, Serbia.
Cantó . H Lorena ,"Ad Infinitum": The Havana Biennial has a woman's face, La Vanguardia , 15 / 04 /2019
Ćikul, Ljiljana, “Shifting Shelter by Vessna Perunovich” at the Goethe Institute, Politika, June 30th
2018 Flajsig, Maja, “Making the Borders Visible –My Art is My Reality” Kulturpunkt.hr Nov. 26th
2017 Molina. Alexis, “Vessna Perunovich: Shifting Shelter” at Angell Gallery, ArtToronto, March 27th
2016 “Vessna Perunovich: Impermanent Structures”, intro Era21 architecture magazine, spring issue
2016 Zeoli. Vanessa. ”Life Bearings/Georgia Sherman Projects”, ArtToronto, September 20th
Mora-Magda. Gonzalez, “Life Bearings”, exhibition essay, Georgia Sherman Projects
Bellanoti. Ralhp J, ”A Catalyst for community: Ambitious art enterprise arrives in Frenchtown”,
"In my Jersey", December 22nd
2015 Boissonnet. Philippe, “Vessna Perunovich, La Pénélope des Lines et des Limites”,
in Espace Art Actuel, fall
2015 Carson-Apstein. Emily, “Softening the Borders”, in Fringe Art-The Link
Concordia’s Art Magazine, Feb. 9th, 2015
2014 Ćinkul. Ljiljana, “Of Color, Shapes and Feelings” in Politika: Sunday, July 20th
Dimitrijević. M, “ Three Shades of Red” in Politika, Monday, July 14th
2013 Hajdin. Nives, “ Vessna Perunovich Moves Beyond The Walls” in Canadian Art: February 22nd Jager. David, “Primal Perunovich” in Now Magazine. Toronto, ON: Thursday, January 31st
Owen. Dawn, “Art as Process” catalogue essay for Line Rituals & Radical Knitting.
60 pages, color. ISBN: 978-1-926875-01-9
2011 Vučičević. Žana, “Transitory Places”, catalogue essay for Borderless, 120 pages, color.
ISBN987-86-84773-84-7
Hansen.Michael, Opening: “Vessna Perunovich:Swing” in ArtSync Rogers, Toronto,ON: January 14th
Ćinkul, Ljiljana. “Borders inside and around us” in Belgrade, Serbia: Thursday, June 10th
Marinković. Ana, “Borders and Freedom” interview in Politika. Belgrade, Serbia: Monday, May 31st
Videlkanić. Bojana, “Open Ended” catalogue essay in Borderless. Belgrade, Serbia
Jafali, Ivon. “Still Awake with Ivon: "Vessna Perunovich” interview for TV Studio B. Belgrade, Serbia: Tuesday, June 25th
2009 Dault, Meredith.”Vessna Perunovich” in Border Crossings. Winnipeg, MB: Winter 2009/10
Dault, Meredith. “Vessna Perunovich’s Tight Squeeze”, in The Cost. Halifax, NS: July 2nd
Priegert, Portia. “Show Runs Between Visceral, Ethereal” in eVENT. Kelowna, BC: Wednesday, September 9th
Wylie, Liz. “Perunovich’s Connecting Threads Emerge” in Kelowna Capital News. Kelowna, BC:
Wednesday, August 26th
2008 Tousley, Nancy. “The Natures of Borders” in Calgary Herald. Calgary, AB: Sunday, May 4th
Brackett, Donald. “Emblems of the Enigma: The Art of Vessna Perunovich”, catalogue essay,
212 pages, color. ISBN: 978-0-0735085-2-9
Black, Anthea. “Daring Actions”, Calgary’s News & Entertainment Weekly, Calgary, AB: April 10th
TEACHING / PROFESSIONAL AFFILLIATIONS
2023 Museum of Contemporary Art Belgrade, Gallery-Legacy Zorić / Čolaković, artist presentation, catalogue launch
2022 La Chambre Blanche-Home Fragments, open studio public presentation and artist talk, Quebec City, Quebec
University of Waterloo Art Gallery - Here. In Absence, Zoom in conversation with Bojana Videkanić,
Q&A and panel discussion with students
2019 University of Calgary, Illingworth Kerr Gallery- artist talk and exhibition tour presentation, Calgary Alberta
Goethe Institute Belgrade, panel discussion, Belgrade Serbia
Art Gallery of Hamilton-Speaking for herself – panel discussion with Tobi Bruce, senior curator at AGH
2016 University of Waterloo Art Gallery-This Could Be the Place, Symposium, Waterloo Ontario
2015 Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina- Transparent Travel Art project presentation, Novi Sad Serbia
2015 University of Fine Arts R3 - Art Presentation and round table discussion: On Movement and Displacement,
R3 Gallery, Trois Rivieres Quebec
2015 B-312 Gallery - Art presentation and Colloquium, Identity: Dispossession and Commitment, Montreal Quebec
2005-19 FAT Fashion Art Toronto- multi-disciplinary fashion and art Festival, Artistic Director, Toronto Ontario
2014 Contemporary Art Gallery of Subotica - Round table discussion; Artist as a Nomad, Subotica Serbia
2005-11 Ontario College of Art and Design- sessional instructor, Toronto Ontario
2010 OCADU Craft Talks Lecture series, presentation on [FAT] Fashion Art Toronto, Toronto Ontario
2006 International Artists’ Presentation, Higher Institute of Arts, Havana Cuba
Ontario College of Art and Design - Guest lecturer, Toronto Ontario
2004 Banff Centre for the Arts-Artists presentation: Informal Architectures Symposium, Banff Alberta
University of Guelph- Guest lecturer, Guelph Ontario
COLLECTIONS
Museum of Contemporary Art Belgrade MSUB / MoCAB Belgrade Serbia
Museum of the Victims of Genocide, Belgrade Serbia
US Embassy Belgrade, Art in Embassies Collection, Belgrade Serbia
Art Gallery of Guelph, Ontario Canada
Robert McLaughlin Art Gallery, Ontario Canada Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario Canada
Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina, Novi Sad Serbia
Museum of Contemporary Art Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina Cultural Center Belgrade Belgrade, Serbia
Nadežda Petrović Memorial Gallery, Čačak Serbia
Ečka Collection, contemporary Art Gallery Zrenjanin Serbia
Museum of Contemporary Art, Villa Nova de Cerveira, Portugal
National Gallery of Arts, Tirana, Albania
Cambridge Galleries- Idea Exchange, Fiber art Collection, Cambridge, Ontario Canada
Alkan, Canada Art Collection, Canada
Works in private collections in Canada, Serbia, China and the USA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS & EXHIBITION CATALOGUES
2023. HOME PARADIGM: A NEW PLACE OF BELONGING.
Exhibition Catalogue - Museum of Contemporary Art Belgrade, Belgrade Serbia; 148 pages, color. Critical essay by: Miroslav Karić- exhibition curator; accompanying essays by Magda Gonzalez-Mora, Corinna Ghaznavi, Debbie O’Rourke. ISBN: 978-86-7101-395-6
2016. POLITICS OF MOVEMENT.
Exhibition Catalogue-Center for Contemporary Art Montenegro, Podgorica; 48 pages, color, Critical essay by Svetlana
Mladenov. ISBN:878-86-85797-75-0
2013. LINE RITUALS & RADICAL KNITTING.
Exhibition Catalogue - MacDonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph ON; 60 pages, color. Critical essay by Dawn Owen. ISBN: 978-1-926875-01-9
2011. BORDERLESS.
Exhibition Catalogue - Museum of Contemporary Art Republic of Srpska. Banja Luka, B&H, Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina, Novi Sad Serbia, The Contemporary Fine Art Gallery Niš, Serbia, Nadežda Petrović Memorial Gallery Čačak, Serbia; 120 pages, color. Catalogue essays: Žana Vukičević, Nancy Tously, Svetlana Mladenov, Radmila Kostić, Nikola Marinković. ISBN: 987-86-84773-84-7
2008. EMBLEMS OF ENIGMA.
Monograph - Touring exhibition: Cambridge Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Peterborough, Art Gallery of Mississauga, Art Gallery of Algoma, Saint Mary University Art Gallery, Kelowna Art Gallery; 2008, 212 pages, color. Critical essay by Donald Brackett; accompanying essays by Pamela Edmonds, Michael Burch, Ivan Jurakic, Robin Metcalfe, Andrew King, Stuart M. Reid, Debbie O’Rourke; Additional writing by Vessna Perunovich. ISBN: 978-0-9735085-0-5
2004. (W)HOLE.
Monograph - Lonsdale Gallery, Toronto, ON; Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, Kitchener, ON; 128 pages, color. Critical essay by Virginia Eichhorn; accompanying essays by Carly Butler and Jim Riley. ISBN: 0-9735085-0-7