SELMA SELMAN
Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1991
Selma Selman (b.1991) comes from Bosnia and Herzegovina and is of Romani origin. Her work embodies the struggles of her own life as well as her community, employing a plethora of media such as performance, painting, photography and video installations. Selman defines herself as an
artist of Roma origins, and not a Romani artist, a subtle, yet critical distinction in her work. Her aim is to break down the prejudice which essentializes her community to the lowest common denominator denying them the right to self expression. Selman utilizes her personal background as a lens through which she can understand the universal human condition and its idiosyncrasies. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2014 from Banja Luka University’s Department of Painting. She is currently pursuing her MFA at Syracuse University where she is also teaching art.
EDUCATION
2015 Syracuse University, MAF-Transmedia, Visual and Performing Arts, Syracuse, New York State
2014 Central European University, Roma Graduate Preparation Program, Budapest, Hungary (courses in Sociology, Anthropology, Academic Writing)
2010-14 Academy of Fine Arts, University of Banja Luka (Specialization: Academic Painter)
2013 International Summer Academy, 3-week class ’Arte Util’ with Tania Bruguera (course on making useful art projects)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2017 AEG Vampyr 1400, acb Attachment, Budapest
You Have No Idea, agnès b. Galerie Boutique, New York, (USA)
2016 I exist, Gallery Schleifmühlgasse 12-14, Vienna, Austria
I exist, Gallery Dreamland, Buffalo, New York
2015 You have no idea, Gallery Epeka, Maribor, Slovenia
2013 Poetics of the soul, Gallery Udas, Banja Luka, BiH
Love is the most beautiful when you are waiting for it, Gallery San Fedele, Milan, Italy
2009 First solo exhibition, Gallery Una, Bihac, BiH
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2018 Proof of Existence: An Exhibit of Work by Contemporary Artists of Bosnian and Balkan Origin, University Gallery, Kentacy (USA)
2017 3.Berlin Herbesalon, Maxim Gorki Theatre, Palais am Festungsgraben, Kronprinzenpalais, Berlin (GER)
AS FAR AS I CAN GO” - radical movements, UNTERER Galerie Michaela Stock, Vienna (AUS)
Identification – Field exercises after Katalin Ladik, acb Gallery, Budapest (HUN)
Horsecross collection of contemporary art, Threshold artspace, Scotland (UK)
2016 Contemporary Thesaurus, Museum of contemporary art in Vojvodina, Novi Sad
The Works Art and Design Festival in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Conquer the Beauty, New Children Gallery, New Orleans
Hero Mother curated by Bojana Pejić and Dr. Rachel Rits-Volloch, in Kunstquartier Bethanien, at MOMENTUM & Studio 1 in Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin, Germany
Group show at Fullersta Gård, – “Bakro” Stockholm, Sweden
2015 Biennial of Contemporary Art D-O ARK, Sarajevo, BiH
“ZVONO” exhibition of the finalists and winner at gallery Duplex, Sarajevo, BiH
2014 Apartman, Banja Luka, BiH
Calling Cards, Gallery 8, Budapest, Hungary
We want you, The 10th Berlin International Directors Lounge, Berlin, Germany
Minimum/Maximum 3, International group exhibition of miniatures, Banja Luka, BiH
2013 Asymmetrical me, group exhibition of intermedia arts, Trebinje, BiH
FESTIVALS, RESIDENCES AND PERFORMANCES
2016 Mikser festival, (performances: I will laugh and You have no idea), Belgrade, Serbia
“Hero Mother” curated by Bojana Pejić and Dr. Rachel Rits-Volloch, (performance: You have no
idea) in Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin
2015 Open screen –‘’Modernity – loved, hated or ignored’’ (participated with works: Saltwater at 47
and What is my role in all of this?) Luxemburg city film festival
Spark Performance Vol.6 “A Few Other Nows” (performance: Do not look into Gypsy eyes)
Syracuse, New York
Public Open Studio ComArt (participated with work “16000 Parts”) Syracuse, New York
PichWise festival (participated with the work “two chickens, two fishes’’) Sarajevo, BIH
15. Art performance art festival “to continue=to be” (participated with performance “The
cycle”) Osijek, Croatia
Residence at ISCP center, New York
“Body in danger” (discussion, presentation at gallery Dreamland) Buffalo, New York
Performance “You have no idea” at gallery Dreamland, Buffalo, New York
2014 Workshop III at Moderna Museet, (presentation of art works: “16000 Parts”, “Do not look into
Gypsy eyes”, “Roma Performing the Flag Act 1”, “Anew”) Malmö
International Festival of Performing Arts, “My country, Staglinec”, (participated with the works
titled “You Do Not Have an Idea” and “Love is the most beautiful when you are waiting for it”) Croatia
International Festival of Performing Arts, “Week of live art”, (participated with the
performance titled “You Do Not Have an Idea”) Dubrovnik, Croatia
Project “BAUHAUS Goes South East Europe, 1914/2014” (performance titled
“Changing Identities”) Sarajevo, BiH
Video Art Festival Miden, Kalamatas, (the video work “Roma Performing The Flag Act 1”
was selected for this art festival) Greece
Multimedia art project,1st video edition, Museum of Contemporary Art, (participated
with two video works: “Roma Performing The Flag Act 1” and “16000 Parts”) Banja Luka, BiH
2013 Regional Festival of Independent Art Scene, “BL-ART”, (performance titled “Sister Be
Aware Of Criminals”) Banja Luka, BiH
International Land Art Festival “Straw”, (made a sculpture with my friends using
straw as material. We made golden braids of 4 meters and hung them on trees) Osijek, Croatia
Feminist Cultural Festival “Be-Fem”, (participated with the performance titled
“Do You Have a Boyfriend?’’) Belgrade, Serbia
International Congress of Contemporary Art and Theory “FORMER WEST”, (attended lectures
by famous theorists, artists and philosophers like Boris Groys, Boris Buden, Mladen
Stilinovic) Berlin, Germany
AWARDS
2015 Commendation of the Cultural Center for outstanding achievements in art, Bihac, BiH
2014 “Zvono” art award for the best young artist in BiH
Award for the best work in the field of painting at the Academy of Arts, Banja Luka
Award for the best work in the field of graphic design at the Academy of Arts, Banja Luka
2013 Award for the best work in the field of intermedia arts at the Academy of Arts, Banja Luka
“Dogma arts” award for the best work of fine art, Banja Luka
2ndnd place in the painting contest “BiH in the EU”, Zenica, BiH
