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alina sokulska

A Ukrainian with Syrian roots, based in Barcelona, i am a contemporary artist who works through the media of dance, choreography and performance. i hold a PhD in Comparative Literature from the Universitat de Barcelona, an MA in Literary Studies from Kyiv State University, and training in choreography from the Conservatori Superior de Dansa at the Institut del Teatre in Barcelona. continuing my research, i navigate the liminal spaces of art, relating to the topics of identity, memory and knowledge, and approaching the body as a medium that can disturb our understanding of the complexities within the current epistemic framework. with a background in choreographing live alongside jazz and improvisational music, i have developed an interest in spontaneous composition, that i use as a research, creation and pedagogical method. as i step into the upcoming year as a Graner resident, my focus aligns with the development of my new project, “the book of sand”.

ttps://alinasokulska.com
@alina_sokulska

Photography ©Juan Carlos Gómez Villamor

Residency project

In J. L. Borges’ short story, The Book of Sand, we find a mysterious book, that, like the sand, neither has a beginning, nor an end. pages literally multiply between the pages, and once you open the book you never encounter the same content in it. the book of sand is conceived as a macromodular performance project that sets body as its central medium in a spontaneous composition dialogue with visual art, choreography and music. proposing a reading of the Borgesian concept of the infinite knowledge, the project reflects upon what, how, when, and until where is it, “to understand”? trying to figure out a formula to approach the liminal / erased identity, the pieces of the project conjure up a corporeality that is set as a divination capsule thought at the same time as a place, a space, and an articulator of all possible narratives unfolding out of it.

concept, direction & choreography: alina sokulska / digital painting: THE BEAUTIFUL FORMULA COLLECTIVE / choreographic assistance: Víctor Aicua / style & costumes: @socoolska, Tabi footwear / music: Steve Coleman / accompaniment: Constanza Brncic, Roberto Fratini / support: AIR Munich programe, the Department of Culture of the City of Munich, Institut del Teatre Diputació de Barcelona, Nunart Guinardó, Graner Fábrica de Creació, O Espaço do Tempo.

Residency Archive Graner

  • 2025 · open call · the book of sand