Author: Ana Sofrenović (vocal artist)

Performers: Ana Sofrenović (vocal artist) and Gunnlaug Thorvaldsdottir ( vocal artists and composer)

Collaborator: Dorijan Kolundžija (artist)

Live video editing: Filip Mikić

Live audio mix: Ivan Acović

DP: Milan Tvrdišić

Live performance supervisor: Dorijan Kolundžija

The piece was performed in March 2011 from two locations Belgrade (Serbia) and Rome (Italy)

Duration of the performance: 31′

In between Spaces project itself explores those spaces that keep redefining themselves again and again, in relation to their usage and moment, current and past, prepared and improvised, freed and manipulated, internal and external, present and absent.

Of course, the entire investigation occurs in the context of live performance with the performer present in one space, the audience in another, and the artist-co-author in yet another. The project asks when and how these spaces may overlap and influence one another. That problem is addressed not only within the possibilities of the new platform, but also in the context of exploring the future of live performance in an age of increasingly ubiquitous technology and the phenomenon of the Internet, which allows one to be present almost simultaneously in multiple spaces, in an increasing number of contexts.

For a number of years now, Ana Sofrenović, the author of the project, has been developing her artistic practice and experience in film, theatre, and music, both in Serbia and abroad; over the last five years, Ana has been exploring different approaches to live performance, as well as the human voice as a limitless space of creativity. As her co-author-artist and performer from another region, Ana has invited Icelandic vocalist and composer Gunnlaug Thorvadsdottir, with whom she has cooperated for several years now. Since early childhood, Gunnlaug has been developing her voice by imitating birdsong, whereby she developed her instrument in a rather remarkable way. Since Ana and Gunnlaug live in different countries and rarely have an opportunity to meet, for years now they have been building their artistic and personal relationship mostly in the virtual sphere; therefore, since the very beginning of their friendship and cooperation, they have had to explore the issues of space, presence, and time, as well as their relativity.

Ana Sofrenović

Ana Sofrenović graduated from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Belgrade. After studies she was developing both her acting and music career.  She realized numerous acting roles in Serbian films and theatre productions but also in several important English TV series produced by BBC and ITV. She fulfilled vocal training with Mary Hammond, Head of Musical theatre at Royal Academy of Music in London. Her singing experience extends from rock and jazz music to opera and contemporary avant-garde music. She collaborated with numerous musicians and composers locally and internationally. In January 2006 she performed in Carnegie Hall, New York within the master class of the renowned American composer and vocalist Meredith Monk. In 2008 she was invited by Jugokoncert to set her first play of contemporary musical theatre – CODA. Also, she performed in Invisible Gypsy, opera composed by the composer Zoran Tairović.

In 2009, within the residency program of American foundation ArtsLink, she performed in the new piece by Meredith Monk Songs of Ascension, performed at Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. At the same time, she was a guest at Drama Department of Yale University. She regularly participates in international workshops dealing with interdisciplinary performance, exploring human voice as unlimited creative space.

In the past two years she is also dedicated to educational work in the performance field.

With the support of ArtsLink foundation, Dance Theatre Workshop and Students center from Zagreb, she realized TRACES, the project created in collaboration with American vocalist and choreographer Peter Sciscioli and performed in April 2011 in Zagreb, Belgrade and in famous experimental theatre La MAMA in New York.

Gunllaug Thorvaldsdottir

Gunnlaug Thorvaldsdottir was born in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1976. Very early she started making strange sounds with her voice and only 3 years old, she was first heard talking with birds. As a teenager she gained national attention for her bird’s sound imitations and vocal abilities, appearing both on radio and TV, making performances of original poems and musical improvisation.  Gunnlaug has made number of vocal appearances on CDs and for radio plays and film. In 2003-2005, Gunnlaug got invited to work in the music department at the art and communication research center Fabrica in Italy. There she worked with composer Andrea Molino as a soloist in the orchestral multimedia music theater piece “Credo” (premiered 2004 at the Staatstheater Karlsruhe and then performed at the Stazione Termini in Rome with the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, on the occasion of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates;In July 2005 it opened the Queensland Music Festival in Brisbane, Australia).

In Fabrica Gunnlaug made her first solo c.d. “Survival Machines” which later was developed into a solo performance and premiered at the Pompidou Center in Paris in October 2006. Gunnlaug features among 13 of the world’s most innovating vocal artists in the c.d. “Blood, muscles, air” curated by David Moss. Recently Gunnlaug appeared in the documentary of Ketill Larsen and did the soundtrack for the short films “A’mare”, which was shown at the Sundance film festival 2009 and I-DO-Air which won 2010 BAFTA for best short film and she also did music to the short film Chalk which was premiered in 2011. at the Berlinale film festival. Presently Gunnlaug is based in Rome where she’s been working last years with composer Maurizio Squillante.