Lea Vidakovic is an artist, who works in the field of animated installations, expanded media practices and traditional puppet animation. Her research interests include fragmented narratives and storytelling approaches for animated installations and expanded cinema. She holds a BA/MA as graphic artist and painter (Academy of Arts, Zagreb); BA in animation (HVO, Norway); MA of audio-visual arts (Royal Academy of Art, Belgium); PhD in animation studies (NTU/ADM Singapore). Her works were shown on exhibitions and 200+ animation festivals, winning numerous art and film awards. She is an assistant professor at Lusofona University, and a member of CICANT, SAS, HDLU, and SULUV.

Education:

2003-2007. BA/MA graphic arts and painting, Academy of Fine Arts, Zagreb, Croatia
2006. Student exchange, performance department, FAVU, Brno, Czech Republic
2007-2010. BA animation, Volda University College, Norway
2008. International Summer Academy, performance – installation, Hallein, Austria 2009. Student exchange, specialising in puppet animation, Glamorgan University, Cardiff, UK
2011-2012. MA of audio visual arts/animation, Royal Academy of Arts (KASK), Gent, Belgium
2014-2020 PhD in animation studies, Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design and Media, Singapore.

A member of CICANT (The Centre for Research in Applied Communication, Culture, and New Technologies), SAS (Society for animation studies), HDLU (Croatian association of artists) and SULUV (association of artists from Vojvodina).

Languages: English, Croatian/Serbian, Hungarian

Filmography:

2023. The Family Portrait, Adriatic Animation, Croatia and Vivement Lundi! France (animated film and installation)
2020. HOME, short film, Croatia/Serbia
2014. The Vast Landscape – porcelain stories, AKC Attack!, Zagreb, Croatia (animated film and installation)
2012. Sisters, Royal Academy of Art KASK, Belgium (animated film and installation)
2012. My Love, music video for Liesa van der Aa, Belgium
2010. Crossed sild (with I. Bosnjak), HVO Norway (animated film)
2009. Splendid Isolation, Glamorgan University, Wales, UK (animated installation)

Awards:

2024. Best sound and music award (The Family Portrait), Emile – European animation awards
2024. Special award (The Family Portrait), 7th Animfilm Int. animation festival, Baku, Azerbeijan
2024. Best of the best film award (The Family Portrait), T-short film festival, Germany
2024. Best short film, Bang awards, Torres Vedras, Portugal
2024. Animated short film nominee for Cezane2025, Paris, France
2024. Best Balkan film (The Family Portrait), Anibar, Peja, Kosovo
2024. Millie Young Award, honorable mention, for best practice as research in animation, awarded by the Society for animation studies
2024. Honorable mention (The Family Portrait), SMOF, Stop motion our fest, Argentina
2024. Rigo Mora Award (The Family Portrait), Festival Int. de Cine en Guadalajara Cineteca FICG, Mexico
2024. Exhibition of the year award, for the Family Portrait animated installation, Gallery Prsten, HDLU, Zagreb, Croatia, by the Croatian association of artists
2024. Best animation award, Martovski festival Documentary and short film festival, Belgrade, Serbia
2024. Tricky women – Tricky realities award, Tricky women festival, Vienna, Austria
2024. Best Animation film, Ismailia International film festival, Egypt
2024. Best performance and animation – Paris International Film Festival PIAFF, France
2023. Silver Brick award – Animafix Skopje Animation festival, Macedonia
2023. Best animation film award (The Family Portrait) – Aguilar Film Festival, Spain
2023. Grand prize (The Family Portrait) – MORC Stop-motion Animation Festival, Tokyo, Japan
2023. Best film for adults (The Family Portrait) – Tofuzi International Animated Film Festival, Tbilisi, Georgia
2023. Jury’s Special Award (The Family Portrait) – CINANIMA, Espinho, Portugal
2023. Special Jury Award (by Tabaimo) (The Family Portrait) – New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival, Japan
2023. Honourable mention (The Family Portrait) – Kuandu International Animation Festival, Taipei, Taiwan
2023. Grand Prix (The Family Portrait) – 20th Balkanima festival of European animation films, Belgrade, Serbia
2023. Grand Prix (The Family Portrait) – 19th world festival of animated films, Varna, Bulgaria
2023. Grand Prix (The Family Portrait) – Animist Tallin – International animation festival, Estonia
2023. Special mention (The Family Portrait) – Linoleum – Contemporary animation and media art festival, Kyiv, Ukrain
2023. Special mention (The Family Portrait) – XI Insomnia International Open-Air Animation Film Festival, Russia
2021. Award for the animation workshop film during Museum’s night in Serbia, at the Gallery of Contemporary Art, Subotica, Serbia
2020. ANIMARKT pitching forum winner (The Family Portrait), Lodz, Poland
2019. Animateka PRO pitch winner (The Family Portrait), Ljubljana, Slovenia
2019. Animation sans Frontiers award for the pitch (The Family Portrait), CEE Animation forum, Trebon, Czech Republic
2018. Emru Townsend Award, Society of Animation Studies, Canada
2017. Best animated film special mention (The Vast Landscape) – Zsigmond Vilmost Film Festival, Hungary
2017. Best animation (TheVL) – Global Short Film Awards Film Festival, Cannes, France
2017. Special mention – FIFFA, Formosa Festival of Int Filmmaker Awards,Taichung, Taiwan
2016. Special mention (TheVL) – 7th Balkan Beyond Borders Film Festival, Sofia, Bulgaria
2016. Distinction(TheVL) – 2nd Animation Marathon, Greece
2016. Honorable mention (TheVL) – XI festival international de cine rural + indigent arica nativa
2016. Best first film (The VL) – Festival International du Film d’Animation de Paris, France
2016. Narrative award (The VL) – Rush process festival of handcrafted animation, Texas, US
2016. Award for outstanding set design (Sisters) – Autumn Shorts Film Festival Somerset, Kentucky, US
2016. Audience award (Sisters) – Start Film Fest, Sisak, Croatia
2016. Third award – short film category (Sisters) – Fem Tour Truck, Spain, Portugal, Colombia, Ecuador 2016. Nomination for best film (Sisters) – Autumn Shorts Film Festival Somerset, Kentucky, USA
2015. Best experimental animation film (Sisters), Encontrarte Amares, Portugal
2015. Honorary mention (The Vast Landscape) – Athens International Digital Film Festival AIDFF, Greece
2015. Special mention (The Vast Landscape) – Videomedeja, Novi Sad, Serbia
2015. Second award (The Vast Landscape) – International Festival of Puppet Theatre and Animated Film for Adults, Warshav, Poland
2015. Best animation film (The Vast Landscape) – III Festival Brasil de Cinema International, Brasil
2015. Best animation film(The Vast Landscape) – WatchOut! Film Festival, Tetovo, Macedonia
2015. Honorary mention (The Vast Landscape) – Animfest, Athens, Greece
2014. Best narration (Sisters) – Multivision, Video Installations Competition at the Erarta Museum of the Contemporary Art, Russia
2014. Best animation (Sisters) – Early bird student film festival, Bulgaria
2014. Best cinematography (Sisters) – Early bird student film festival, Bulgaria
2014. Best animation short (Sisters) – III Dona i Cinema- Mujer y Cine- Woman & Film, Valencia, Spain 2014. Best artsy short film (Sisters) – Cine Campus – international student’s film festival, Puerto Rico
2014. Audience choice award (Sisters) – Cinema Monsters Film Festival, Huntingdon, Pensilvania, USA
2014. Special mention (The Vast Landscape) – Filmski Front, Novi Sad, Serbia
2013. Award for best animation film (Sisters) – Watch Out Film Festival – Tetovo, Macedonia
2013. Honorary award (Sisters) – International film festival ZOOM ZBLIZENIA, Jelenia Gora, Poland
2013. Best sound decision (Sisters) Unprecedented cinema, Nevidanoe kino, Tallin, Estonia
2013. Nominated for award (Sisters) – 13 Festival Int. de Cine y Video Experimental VALLECAS PUERTA DEL CINE, Madrid, Spain
2012. Dr Ferenc Bodrogvari award for art, Subotica, Serbia
2012. Second prize (Crossed sild) – Athens international animation festival, Greece
2011. Best art installation (Splendid Isolation) – at Art festival ŠUND, Art Center, Belgrade, Serbia
2011. Best stop motion animation movie (Crossed sild) – student animation festival, Toronto, Canada
2011. Brozn Pegasus (Crossed sild) – animation festival ANIMATOR, Poznan, Poland
2011. Special prize (Crossed sild) – 14. International Film Festival ‘Zoom Zblizenia’, Poland
2009. Nomination for best stop motion animation (Splendid Isolation) – Glammies, Cardiff, UK
2008. Rector’s award for the exhibition ‘Interior of a heart’, Zagreb, Croatia
2007. Dean’s award for works in 2006/2007, Academy of Fine Arts, Zagreb, Croatia 2005.
2006. Dean’s award for works done in 2004/2005, Academy of Fine Arts, Zagreb, Croatia

Conferences and Publications:

2024. “Emerging interactive narrative techniques” presented at the 4th FilmEU Summit: Navigating the Future, VŠMU, Bratislava, Slovakia
2024. “Trembling” 8th performance conference, ZeKaeM, Zagreb, Croatia
2023. “Expanded memories” exposium (exhibition+symposium), Luca school of Arts, Brussels, Belgium
2023. 34th Annual conference of Society for animation studies, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey, US. “Exploring and Re-articulating Visual Storytelling for Animation in Spatial Context: The FamilyPortrait animated installation”
2023. JSAS with SAS conference “Gaps and Spaces”, Yokohama national university, Japan “Narrative aspects of animated installations”
2023. FMX conference – Film and media exchange, Stuttgart, Germany “Traditional animation in contemporary contexts – animation in art galleries and museums (Case study: The Family Portrait)”
2022. “Animated installations in hospital environment: applied animation in the service of healthcare” presentation with Melinda Sefcic, Animafest Scanner IX, Zagreb, Croatia
2022. “On Gaps and Silences: Sound Experiments in Multi-screen Animated Installations”, Sound and Screen Conference 2022, NTU/ADM, Singapore
2021. “Fragmented Narratives: Exploring storytelling approaches for animation in spatial context”, International Journal of Film and Media Arts, Vol 6, no2, 2021, p. 112-132
2021. Bringing Legacy to Life – Stop Motion Conference, Animation Research Network Scotland, Edinburgh College of Art. Presenting a paper: “Expanding bodies: Re-imagining the place of puppets in contemporary animation”
2019. 31th Annual Conference of the Society of Animation Studies: Animation is a place, Lusofona University, Lisbon, Portugal. Presenting a paper “Handwoven tales in contemporary context: the transformation and transposition of traditional animation techniques to environments beyond the screen”
2018. 30th Annual Conference of the Society of Animation Studies: Then, Now, Next, Concordia University, Montreal, Kanada, Presente: “Telling Without Telling: Animated Stories Beyond The Screen”
2018. Symposium at Animanima animation festival, Čačak, Serbia. Presenting a paper “Fragmented narratives in animated installations: telling a story in space”
2016. 28th Annual Conference of the Society of Animation Studies: The Cosmos of Animation, NTU/ADM Singapur, Presented: “Alternative narrative structures in a spatial context: new approaches in animation storytelling
”
2016. Symposium Narrative Structures and Visual Storytelling, Literaturhaus Stuttgart, Germany Presented: “Animation installation and spatial storytelling”

Artist residencies:

2022. CICLIC animation residency, april-august, Vendome, France
2022. Artist colony Ecka, Zrenjanin, Serbia
2020. NEF Animation residency, Fontenvraud, France
2020. Masterclass artistic research “Globe playhouse – expanded animation worlds”, online, Filmuniveristat Babelsberg Konrad Wolf, Germany
2019/2020. ASF – Animation sans Frontiers program Filmakademie Baden Wuttemberg; Gobelins School L’image Paris, MOME Budapest, The Avnimation Workshop Viborg, Denmark
2019. 2 months Open workshop animation residency, The Animation workshop, Viborg, Denmark
2018. Zagrebfilm stop motion animation workshop with Tim Allen, Komiza, Croatia
2016. MQ21, Museumsquartier artist residency, supported by Tricky Women and BMEIA, Vienna, Austria 2016. Milkwood artist residency, Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
2016. At home gallery residency, Samorin, Slovakia
2014. Saaren Kartano Artist Residence, Finland
2012. NES Artist residency, Skagastrond, Iceland
2012. Between stillness and motion, workshop on puppet animation with Susie Templeton, Netherlands
2011. Animacampus, Tallin, Estonia
2011. Visegrad Exchange Production Forum, AniFest, Czech Republic

Jury member:

2021. Preselection committee member for student films, Animafest Zagreb, Croatia
2019. Balkanima, jury for best student animation films, Belgrade, Serbia
2018. Animanima, Jury for best children animation film, Cacak, Serbia
2018. Constantin’s golden coin animation festival , jury for animated films, Nis, Serbia
2022. Jury for short film competition, MONSTRA animation festival, Lisbon, Portugal

Solo exhibitions:

2024. Three Families (with Alain Ughetto and Emanuel Nevado). In collaboration with the Monstra festival, curated by Fernando Galrito. Museu de marioneta, Lisbon, Portugal
2023. The Family Portrait – HDLU, Gallery Prsten, Zagreb, Croatia
2021. Splendid Isolation, Galeria de Biodiversidade – Centro Ciencia Viva, Porto, Portugal. Organised by CINANIMA
2021. Sisters, Espinho Parish Council, Portugal. Organised by CINANIMA animation festival
2021. Rhyzom: Female poetics of space, belonging and grounding with Maja Rakocevic Cvijanov and Jelena Grujicic, Gallery Knifer, Osijek, Croatia
2021. Rizom: zenske poetike prostora, pripadanja i uzemljenja (Rhyzom: Female poetics of space, belonging and grounding) with Maja Rakocevic Cvijanov and Jelena Grujicic, Gallery Centar, Podgorica, Montenegro
2020. Rizom: zenske poetike prostora, pripadanja i uzemljenja (with Maja Rakocevic Cvijanov and Jelena Grujicic), Gallery of contemporary art, Pancevo, Serbia
2020. Rizom: zenske poetike prostora, pripadanja i uzemljenja (Rhizom: female poetics of space, belonging and grounding) with Maja Rakocevic Cvijanov and Jelena Grujicic, Contemporary art gallery Zrenjanin, Serbia
2019. Memento, Museum of Subotica, Serbia
2019. Memento 75, Municipal Museum of Backa Topola, Serbia
2019. The Family Portrait pilot animated installation, during 31 conference of the Society for 2019. Animation Studies, Lusofona University, Lisbon, Portugal
2019. Sisters, with Matija Debeljuh, Gallery Podroom, Cultural Center of Belgrade, Serbia
2016. Anatomy of a Hug, Gallery Kranjcar, Zagreb, Croatia
2014. The Vast Landscape porcelain stories – Gallery Karas, Zagreb, Croatia
2014. The Vast Landscape porcelain stories – Gallery SULUV, Novi Sad, Serbia
2014. Sisters, Gallery ‘Matica Hrvatska, Zagreb, Croatia
2014. Sisters, MMC Luka, Pula, Croatia
2014. Sisters, Modern Gallery Lazarevac, Lazarevac, Serbia
2012. Splendid Isolation – Gallery of cultural center of Belgrade, Serbia
2012. No7/The familiar landscape (with L. Migic), Gallery Vladimir Nazor, Zagreb, Croatia
2012. Splendid Isolation – Gallery ‘Mali likovni salon – kulturnog centra Novog sada’, Novi Sad, Serbia
2011. Crossed sild (with Ivana Bosnjak), Gallery Vjekoslav Karas, Karlovac, Croatia
2011. Crossed sild (with Ivana Bosnjak), Gallery 52, Art Center, Belgrade, Serbia
2011. Splendid Isolation, Gallery Elektrika, Pancevo, Serbia
2011. Splendid Isolation, SECONDroom, Ghent, Belgium
2010. Splendid Isolation, Gallery SC Student Center, Zagreb, Croatia
2010. Crossed sild, (with Ivana Bosnjak) sets and puppet exhibition, Fredrikstad animation festival, Norway
2009. Paralel Processes (with Goran Kujundzic, Srdjan Milodanovic and Vera Djenge), Modern Gallery Likovni susret, Subotica, Serbia
2009. The Public Bath/documentation’,with Boban Matz, photography exhibition, Gallery in motion Guerilla Art, Summer3p, Subotica, Serbia
2008. Roberta/Carlos, (with Suzana Flock), Gallery in Alcatraz, Alte Saline, Hallein, Austria
2008. The Public Bath, performance/multimedial instalation, in the ruins of the old public bathroom,Subotica, Serbia
2007. Swann sister, performance, Gallery Vladimir Nazor, Zagreb, Croatia
2007. Interior of a heart, installation, Modern gallery Likovni susret, Subotica, Serbia
2006. The overnight shelter, performance, Faculty of arts, Brno, Czech Republic
2005. Bathers, graphics in space, women and men beach, Palic lake, Serbia

Group exhibitions:

2024. Touch on an Absence, collaborative animated installation TABAIMO, Josh Shafner, Stephen Villemin, Lea Vidakovic, TERRADA Warehouse, Tennoz Art Week, Tokyo, Japan
2023. Peripheral Perspectives – Artistic research exhibition, C-mine design center, Genk, Belgium
2021. Missing stories – Forced labour during the nazi occupation. Artists’ view. Museum of Contemporary Art of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia
2021. Image Movement – Paris – Subotica, Contemporary Art Gallery Subotica, Serbia
2020. Slavonian Biennal of Art, Museum of fine art, Osijek, Croatia
2020. Annual exhibition of the members of HDLU, Zagreb, Croatia
2020. Umetnice: Artworks by female artists in the collection of Contemporary gallery Subotica, Serbia
2020. Document from isolation (Dokument iz izolacije), gallery SULUV, Novi Sad, Serbia
2020. Split video art festival, Split, Croatia
2019. Image-Mouvement, Gallery Rivoli 59, Paris, France
2019. Slikom Zajedno, Gradski muzej Senta, Serbia
2019. Skok i Zaron, Contemporary women new media artists from Vojvodina, Museum of contemporary art of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia
2018. Mediji su u vazduhu, pod zemljom, nad vodom, u vatri, Museum of contemporary art of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia
2018. Slikom zajedno, Savremena galerija, Subotica, Serbia
2018. Slikom zajedno, Dvorac Eđšeg, Novi Sad, Serbia
2018. Slikom zajedno, Mali salon kulturnog centra Zrenjanina, Serbia
2017. Visualising the City, exhibition during the Visual method international conference, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore
2017. Izložba audio-vizuelnih radova,10ta godišnjica galerije “Magacin u Kraljevića Marka”, Belgrade, Serbia
2017. Retrospective exhibition of art colony Kruparart and Croart, Gallery Vinko Perčić, Subotica, Serbia
2016. International exhibition of miniatures in Kursalon, Lipik, Croatia 19th international exhibition of miniatures, Zapresic, Croatia
2015. Konflikti, provokacije, relacije, izazovi, strepnje, energije, odlucnosti – Museum of contemporary art, Novi Sad, Serbia Loop videos, Medrar for Contemporary Art, 7th Cairo Video Festival, Egypt
2014. 235km/100 years – Serbian and Austrian Artists Now, Haus Der Kunst, Baden, Switzerland
2014. Puppets in Croatian animation films, Galelery LUPUH, Zagreb, Croatia
2014. 2. pogled – Modern Gallery Likovni susret, Subotica, Serbia
2014. Fondation Danilo Kiš, Night of museums 2014, a work from the collection of Moder gallery Likovni Susret, Subotica, Serbia
2013. T-HT award exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia
2013. Situacije (art installations in Vojvodina) – Museum of Contemporary Art, Novi sad, Serbia
2013. Exhibition of new members of SULUV (Association of Artists from Vojvodina) Gallery SULUV, Novi Sad, Serbia Annual exhibition of members of Croatian artist association, Galley HDLU, Zagreb, Croatia
2013. USB-shuffle-show 2013, INSTITUT FÜR ALLES MÖGLICHE, Berlin, Germany
2013. Tehnologija narodu, (screening Sisters), Museum of Contemporary Art, Novi sad, Serbia
2013. Art festival S.U.N.D, Lisboa, Portugal
2013. Videosfera, trienale mixed media, Krusevac, Serbia
2013. Exhibition of Cro-Art group and guests, Gallery of Open University, Subotica, Serbia
2012. Myse en abyme – CCD Dilft, Bornem Belgium 4thcoming, Kapel Ster der Zee, Koksijde, Belgium
2012. NES artist residency exhibition – Skagastrond, Iceland
2011. Crossed sild with (I.Bosnjak), exhibition of animation festival KUFER, Museum of contemporary art of Istria, Croatia Duplex exposition, Aux chais Magelis, Quai de la Charente, Angouleme, France
2011. Art festival Š.U.N.D (Šta Umetnost Nudi Društvu), Art Center, Belgrade, Serbia
2011. After the magic has gone, Modern gallery Likovni susret, Subotica, Serbia
2011. Parallel Processes, foaje HNK, Varazdin, Croatia
2011. Parallel Processes Gallery Matica Hrvatska, Zagreb, Croatia Parallel Processes, Gallery Sv Krševana, Šibenik, Croatia
2010. After the Magic Has Gone, Volda Kunstlag, Volda, Norway
2010. Paralel Processes, Gallery Magis, Osijek, Croatia
2010. Autoportert u maticnom mediju, Gallery Marisal, Zagreb, Croatia
2010. Self-portraits of contemporary artists from Subotica, Bas Kuca, Subotica, Serbia
2009. 43. likovni susret – graphic art and new media, Modern gallery Likovni susret, Subotica, Serbia
2009. Exhibition with a key, graphic exhibition of students work, Gallery of Academy of fine arts, Zagreb, Croatia
2008. Identity, performance/installation in the group of Gulsun Karamustafa, Alte Saline, Hallein, Austria
2008. From ashes to the museum, burning the works of art, part of the exhibition Space for the new dialogue, Chines quarter, Novi Sad, Serbia
2007. Supertourist, Gallery Miroslav Kraljevic, Zagreb, Croatia
2007. Gues why?, Modern gallery ‘Likovni susret’, Subotica, Serbia
2007. Gues why?, center for visual culture ‘Zlatno oko’, Novi Sad, Serbia
2007. 25 years of graphic atelier, Modern gallery ‘Likovni susret’, Subotica, Serbia
2006. INTER(AKTIV), workshop and exhibition, in the group of Zlatko Kopljar, ‘Student center’ gallery, Zagreb, Croatia Engrawing graphic workshop and exhibition, with Daniel Clochey, Academy of Arts, Zagreb, Croatia
2005. Pasionska bastina, exhibition of Art Academy student’s works, Gallery Kristofor Stankovic, Zagreb, 2005. Croatia Exhibition of graphic department student’s works, Gallery Galzenica, Velika gorica, Croatia
2005. Black on Black, velesajam kulture, performance, theatre caffee ITD, Zagreb, Croatia
2022. Traces of contemporaneity: 60 years of travel through art, Contemporary art gallery, Subotica, Serbia