Boris Glamocanin

The decision to explore performance as a form of artistic expression arose from an invitation by Majda Turkic to participate in the “Crea Cubity” project, which was supported by the United States Embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. This project aimed to introduce performance art to a broader audience across Bosnia, with outdoor installations in cities like Sarajevo, Banjaluka, and Mostar. These installations, in the form of cubes, played videos of artists whose work empowered racial, social, and gender identities.

The driving idea behind the project was to bring American culture—known for initiating societal changes and progressive ideas—to the Balkans, a region where such ideas often face resistance from conservative forces. The project also drew inspiration from the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought about a sense of immobility and isolation affecting artists and people worldwide.

Having been born in a country that no longer exists, Yugoslavia, I was forced to confront questions of belonging from an early age. The Balkan war displaced my family from Croatia to Bosnia, raising complex questions of nationality and religion. This, coupled with my experience as a gay man in a conservative society, eventually led to my journey as an immigrant in America, where I am now a legal resident. Feelings of rejection, displacement, and the constant rethinking of identity are recurring themes in my work.

The cube, square, or framed space has always represented a familiar mental state—one of confinement, instability, and insecurity. In this performance, my body becomes the subject as I attempt to fit into different box sizes, symbolizing how the body memorizes trauma and where the past intersects with the present. As the performance progresses, my body adapts to these varying shapes, learning and evolving with each repetition. This transformation almost turns the performance into a dance or an intimate battle, revealing trapped memories and a process of healing through the forgiveness of trauma.