Iskra has a background in writing, Ekaterina in graphic design. Together, they expand these narrative toolboxes into a mixed media practice of installation-performances and publications. Interested in the influence of economic and political ideologies on personal life, their research exists of a back-and-forth between anecdotal, theoretical and artistic thinking.

At KAMEN, Ekaterina and Iskra will work on their ongoing project Intuitive Science, an artistic research about the ancient practice of home-producing liquors in Eastern Europe. “By fermentation and distillation, we create a vocabulary through which we communicate with the spirits of our ancestors. In this imagined narrative, manufactured rituals are interpreted as acts of resilience and autonomy. The project explores the way that knowledge is transferred between generations and how ancient practices can guide us in contemporary times.” During their residency, Ekaterina and Iskra will conduct field-research about the ways that trans-generational knowledge is passed on in communities that produce rakija, the popular fruit spirit of the Balkans. This will be developed into a publication and serve as input for an upcoming installation-performance in Amsterdam.