Nada Prlja represented The Republic of North Macedonia at 58th La Biennale di Venezia with the project Subversion to Red
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Nada Prlja is a visual artist, her main aim is to affect society in the most direct of ways; it challenges critical discourse around issues of current politics, nationalism, transition of ex-socialist countries, human rights, migration, etc. Prlja’s work adopts a site’s context specific quality or certain kind of social conditions, which may vary from project to project in the choice of media deemed most appropriate.
Prlja has maintained a successful professional artistic practice since 1998, while she is also curated exhibitions. Between 2014 and 2018 she was a co-director and program coordinator of SIA Gallery in Skopje, North Macedonia, where she organised more than 20 exhibitions. From 2005 to 2013, she was full time senior university lecturer in different London universities.
Prlja was born in 1971 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Hercegovina. Lived in Skopje, North Macedonia (1981-98 / 2014-18). Most of her professional career was initiated in London, where she lived and work from 1998 to 2014. She currently lives in Copenhagen since 2018. Prlja received an MPhil research degree from the Royal College of Arts, London (2002), after graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in Skopje (1997), and previously from the National High School of Fine Art both in Skopje, North Macedonia. (1989).
Prlja represented the Pavilion of the Republic of North Macedonia at 58th Venice Biennale in 2019. She took part in the Innsbruck International Biennial in 2020. She has previously participated in several other Biennales, including IV Bienal del Fin del Mundo de Arte Contempor oraneo, Chile/Argentina (2015); 5th Moscow Biennale, (Film Program) Moscow (2013); 7th Berlin Biennale, Berlin (2012), Manifesta 8, Murcia (2010) and 28th International Printmaking Biennale, Ljubljana (2009).
Selected solo exhibitions: FUTURA, Praha (2013); Lakeside Kunstrum, Klagenfurt (2010), MC Gallery, Zagreb (2009), The Museum of City, Vzigalica, Ljubljana (2009), Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje (2008), National Gallery of Macedonia, Skopje (2007), etc.
Selected group exhibitions: White Cube, London; Calvert 22 Foundation, London (2013); Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2012); Lewis Glucksman Gallery, Cork (2012); Muzeum Sztuki w Łodzi, Lodz (2011), INIVA Institute of International Art, London (2009), David Roberts Art Foundation, London (2009), Skuc Gallery, Ljubljana (2009), Tina B – Prague Contemporary Art Festival, Prague (2008), Hong-Gah National Museum, Taipei (2008), Zacheta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw (2008), etc.
Prlja’s main interest is art in the public domain. Her recent public interventions were for Innsbruck International Biennial in 2020, the 7th Berlin Biennale (2012), ORF FUNKHAUS, Vienna (2009), Marble Arch Gate, London (2007), etc. The practice-based research thesis, entitled ‘Blurring the Boundaries between the Artist and the Viewer as Conditioned by the Changing Concept of Art Space’, gained Prlja a Master of Philosophy of Arts Diploma at Royal College of Art, London. (MPhil by project, thesis 27.000 words).
Prlja’s work has also been reviewed in numerous books, catalogues, magazines and newspapers. In addition, she have taken part in numerous seminars, conferences and artist talks, for example at Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham; ICA, London; INIVA Institute of International Art, London; Tate Britain, London; University College of London (UCL), London; University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen; Goldsmith University, London, etc.
Prlja engaged with curatorial practice in a number of ways, including in relation to establishing and co-running an independent art project space. Prlja was an initiation, co-direction and program direction of SIA gallery with Daniel Serafimovski (architect and senior lecturer at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts) in 2014 in Skopje, with the intention of supporting the North Macedonia cultural scene, as well as promoting cultural exchanges with other countries. SIA has collaborated with numerous local cultural workers, including local artists who are established on international level. Prlja was a Board Member of Open Space – Open System, Vienna, Austria from 2008-2013, she was also Artistic Director of In Situ Art Far in 2015, art fair for young artist with more than 10.000 visitors during three days of the fair.
Prlja was senior tutor Istituto Marangoni Fashion, Art and Design and a visiting lecturer at the Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design and at London Metropolitan University all in London.
