Yugo Yoga (2008 – ongoing) is a series of participatory performances that fuse elements of yoga, archived physical exercises (fiskultura), poses from contested socialist-realist sculptures, revolutionary slogans and New age messages of self improvement. It is performed both as a solo and as a group performance in site specific settings.

Coined from ‘Yugoslavia’ – the country of the artist’s birth that no longer exists & ‘yoga’, the union, the performance revisits European communist cultural heritage whilst raising issues of collectivism & social happiness in contemporary society. Led by a female character dressed as socialist factory worker the performance references ideologies of 20^th century, modernist aesthetics of Constructivist and Futurist performance, the concept of ‘the body as moving sculpture’ and New Age practices.

Yugo Yoga is drawing a parallel between physical effort and determination of spirit – a need for theory to manifest itself as a practical deed. It ultimately communicate through an act of embodiment – directly to and through the body. The viewers are invited to immerse themselves into the artwork thus arousing the spirit of egality and collaboration.

Since 2008 Yugo yoga has featured at Museum of Contemporary Art of Istria, Croatia; Uniqlo Tate Lates at Tate Modern; Assembly of Disturbance Festival, London ; City of Women Festival, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Emergency at Castelfield Gallery, Manchester ; Museum of Yugoslav History Belgrade, Serbia; Late at Tate Britain and many more…

Photos above taken by Richard Glynn Roberts during durational performance at Castelfield Gallery, Manchester, October 2012.