Nika Radić on Berlin's International Art Scene and Her Meditative Urban Works

In a 2021 interview with Sven Spieker for ARTMargins Online, artist Nika Radić discusses her life and work in Berlin since moving there in 2008. Radić, born in Zagreb, Croatia, explores themes of urban anonymity, communication, and interpretation through video works, multimedia installations, and photographs. Her projects like "Other People's Windows" (2011) and "We Travel a Lot" (2017) examine shared urban gestures and the fragmentary glimpses into others' lives, noting differences in European, Japanese, and American city densities. She highlights Berlin's international art scene, contrasting it with New York's centric mindset, and describes the city's acceptance of diverse backgrounds without erasing origins. Radić details her use of public space in works such as "Office Cleaning" (2008), a video projection on the Hungarian Cultural Institute in Berlin, and a 2020/2021 video installation for the "Berlin_Lokal_Zeit" exhibition at CLB gallery on Moritzplatz. She also discusses her interest in hypnosis, inspired by psychology literature from libraries, and her skepticism about institutional activist art, preferring art that prompts new ways of thinking. The interview touches on Berlin's infrastructure, funding challenges, and Radić's meditative approach to the city, referencing her area near Anhalter Bahnhof and the film "Berlin, Symphonie of a Metropolis" (1927).