Maria Kardash
Performer, dance researcher from Ukraine.
Date of residency: June 9 – August 9, 2024
Ukraine
performer, dance researcher
Date of residency: June 9 – August 9, 2024
An independent researcher and performer working on cultural representation, the construction of difference in public narratives, as well as ‘orientalism’ and ‘exoticism’ outside the canon of Western ‘high art’. She also explores the politics of the body and dance in the USSR, as well as the stage representation of people from the lower classes of the Soviet world, with a focus on Ukraine. Originally from Izmail, Ukraine, Maria has spent several years studying and participating in fellowships abroad and is currently a visiting scholar at the IWM – Institute of Social Sciences in Vienna.
Objective of the residency:
Maria Kardash has explored how different cultures perceive movement forms and what determines whether we consider them to be art. Her research included the political and cultural impact of dance and its role in the construction of difference between social classes, for example through Soviet propaganda. The aim of the residency was to research and write an academic text. Her research during the residency explored the relationship between dance forms and socio-political context, focusing on modern and contemporary dance in Central and Eastern Europe under totalitarian regimes.