Olga Ganzha

I got my first degree in Linguistics and Literature in Russia, where I was researching color preferences in poetry and so called 'linguistic personalities' through their texts. Moving to the Netherlands I graduated as a graphic designer from St. Joost Art academy in Den Bosch. Nowadays I work on self-initiated projects, balancing on the edge of design and art. In works I often look for balance, connecting disjointed elements or elements of different grounds in interdisciplinary way. I use texts, photography, mixed media and graphical arts; I make art-books based on personal stories, site-specific video installations, prints and collages.

Lately personal stories got involved in my artworks. Personal observations raised a new theme that deals with cults and rituals. The point of departure for this comes from the biographical ground. USSR was providing lots of 'fairytales' and mythology together with various cults created by the Party (war, power, communism, common wealth etc.) These cults combined with the local folklore (being passed over by grandmothers) created a mythological, often irrational, view on life. Having this as a starting point for research I connect it with witchcraft and other mystical and spiritual practices.

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2012: AKV|St.Joost ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. Graphic Design Department (HBO degree)
2011: Camberwell College of Arts London, UK. Graphic Design Department (Erasmus exchange program)
2003: Volgograd State University Russia. Department of Philological sciences and Journalistic (Master degree)

2016
'Want to see my etchings?’// Waar&Kunst pop-up gallery, Amsterdam (group);
'Want to see my etchings?’// during West Wednesdays, Amsterdam (group);
'Want to see my etchings?’// AGA LAB, Amsterdam (group);
'Want to see my etchings?’// Bookstore Space, Amsterdam (solo);
‘InsideOut’’exhibition // Corridor Project Space, Amsterdam (group);
‘InsideOut’’film screening // Bookstore Space, Amsterdam (group);
‘InsideOut’, film presentation and symposium program // Petra Ark Space (PAS), Amsterdam, NL (group);
‘InsideOut’, video-documentation presentation, West Wednesdays // Tetterode, Amsterdam, NL (duo).

2015
‘InsideOut’, video-documentation presentation, Museum Night, Jugendstiltheater Klagenfurt, AU (duo);
‘InsideOut’, 6th Moscow Biennale, special program, Moscow, RU (duo);
‘Impermanent Spaces’, The Waterhouse cultural space, Amsterdam, NL (group);
‘Vibrant Island’, M4 in Tetterode for SOTU festival pre-event program, Amsterdam, NL (group);
‘Secret doctrine’, A-Lab, Amsterdam, NL (group);
‘Secret doctrine’, Bookstore project gallery space, Amsterdam, NL (duo).

2014
‘Reflection’, Lithuanian/Dutch Art-event, Amsterdam, NL (group);
‘Between Us, PuntWG gallery, Amsterdam, NL (solo);
‘Secret doctrine’, Breda OFF-Fot...