Ivana Nikolić

IVANA NIKOLIĆ is a radical painter and multidisciplinary artist born in Zagreb. She has launched a number of initiatives related to the development of the community and art and creativity in the community aimed at all age groups. Her radical artistic practice is reflected both in the minimalist approach to painting reduced to the exploratory substance of strong monochromatic expressions and through mutual relationships in complex systems of nature and vibrations at all levels of personal, collective, social and multiversal coexistence. With the same radicalism and vision, she is the initiator of various art projects in communities and collectives throughout her artistic activity. Since 2016, together with Aleksandar Battista Ilić, she has been the co-author of the Ilica: Q ́ART Project, within which she initiates collaborations with various artistic partners and collectives, as well as overall activity towards citizens and in cooperation with citizens, and the neighborhood in which the projects take place. In addition to the Accademia di belle Arti in Venice and the study of painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, the diversity of other studies from MBA business school to Fashion Design at TTF contributes to her multidisciplinary habitus. She carries out her artistic and life mission as an activator of social processes through radical collective art projects, as well as through entrepreneurial and design practice, and as a lecturer at the university. She lived and worked in America. As an activist for women's rights, she held many workshops, actions and motivational lectures. She pays special attention to creative education, where she advocates Beuys's thesis that every person is an artist, but also to the research and development of one's own creativity, which serves not only to create new material value, but also very complex social relationships, based on compassion, coexistence, holistic approach and social sensibility. She has launched a number of associations and initiatives that radically initiate changes in the community through artistic and creative processes, through which she brings together several collectives, some of which are MRAK – Network for Development and Creativity, Creativity and Innovation Day, Creativity and Innovation Award, Croatian Creative Cities Network, Little Museum of Miracles, Ilica Project: Q'ART, Ilica Gallery, Creative and Cultural Industries Month, Creative and Cultural Industries Summit. Since 2020, she has been the artistic director of the Art Organization IMAGINE platform. The latest initiative is the ARThetip project, an artistic research concept that combines art and science, east and west, psychology and color vibration and brings art into everyday life.

My artistic and research practice is based on exploring the interdisciplinary interconnectedness of art, community, psychology, cultural and creative practices and social innovations, with a special emphasis on design thinking methodology, collective creativity and art in the function of social change. Through radical painting, artistic actions and experimental projects, I explore how the artistic process can act as a catalyst for personal and collective transformation. My ARThetip concept combines art, psychology and symbolism, providing an intuitive tool for personal and professional development. In a broader context, through the Network of Creative Cities of Croatia and projects such as Project Ilica: Q'ART and Q'ART Zone, I explore how art, creativity and creative activities can redefine urban spaces and foster social cohesion. Revitalization of cities through art, innovation in creative activities and connecting contemporary practices with cultural heritage are the key points of my research work. As an artist, I advocate a holistic approach to creation, where artistic exploration is not separated from internal psychological and intuitive processes. My painting and interventions in space are often based on the vibration of colors, minimalist expression, and the exploration of the relationship between the individual, community, and space. TESTIMONIALS "Art is a vibration of thought translated into matter, sound, movement. It is not just a reflection of the world, but a tool for its profound transformation." "Art is a bridge between the visible and the invisible – it takes us beyond the boundaries of visual perception and connects us to primordial codes where at the moment of inspiration we open up to the space of consciousness and omnipresence and move into the space of transcendence." "Transcendence in art is not an escape from reality, but a penetration through the illusions of existence." "Creation is an act of disappearing. At the moment of creation, the artist passes into a state of omnipresence, feeling patterns, needs, consciously and unconsciously, the geometry of the Universe. From this space, he forms his expression." "Art that transcends boundaries becomes a process of inner healing and experiential growth. It initiates transformation and opens up space for a new level of consciousness." "The arts transcend physical existence into omnipresence beyond the illusion of separation and ego domination."

My teaching area includes: Artistic Practices and Interdisciplinary Research Design thinking methodology as a tool for innovative thinking and development of creative projects Vibrations and the meaning of colors and relationships with human emotions The Influence of Visual and Visual Elements on the Development of Creativity Art in the Function of Social Change and Activism Creative Laboratory and Experimental Art Methods In teaching, I apply interactive and participatory methods with an emphasis on research, experimentation and collective intelligence. Through the design thinking model, students learn how to develop innovative solutions in art, culture and creative industries. Also, I develop mentoring programs for young artists, helping them understand their own artistic identity, professional positioning, and the development and realization of their ideas. I pay special attention to creative education, where I enable students to personally explore and develop an authentic artistic language. I believe that each individual is a creator and initiator of social change, and art is a powerful tool for empowerment and awareness.

Author's concepts and art projects 2023 – "ARThetip": an innovative concept of art and psychology, which combines archetypal symbolism, colors and the creative process 2023 – "Social Processes: The City as an Organism": Artist's Book and Research Project with Aleksandar Battista Ilić and Miško Šuvaković 2017. – 2018. – Ilica Gallery, exhibition in the street gallery called "Messages of the City" 2017 – present – "Network of Creative Cities of Croatia": an initiative for the development of creative industries in Croatian cities 2016 – present – "Project Ilica: Q'ART": a festival-action that connects artists, community and public space Q'ART Zone – a model of urban revitalization through art FeminART – a series of art-therapeutic workshops for empowering women through the creative process Publications and research A Look into the Future (2019) - a collaborative article for the edition of Večernji list on the future of art under the influence of digital transformation Project Ilica: The Book of Artists (2018) – research work on empty spaces, community and urban art Fragments of Transformation (2015) – a series of 208 coloristic miniatures, an exploration of colors and vibrations