Art, Movement, Sound and Place: Natalia Borčić at BIRCA

Croatian artist Natalia Borčić shares an insight into her artistic practice and her experience as part of the Island Connect residency programme at BIRCA, Bornholm.

How can a place influence the way we create?

For Croatian artist Natalia Borčić, the relationship between artistic practice and place is an important part of the creative process. During her Island Connect residency at BIRCA on the island of Bornholm, Natalia had the opportunity to explore this relationship while developing her work in a new environment.

A new film captures moments from her residency, combining interview footage, artwork and glimpses into her creative process.

Exploring the Relationship Between Art and Place

Natalia’s practice brings together different forms of creative expression, exploring connections between visual art, movement and sound.

The film offers an intimate look at this process, showing how ideas can emerge and evolve through experimentation. Rather than focusing solely on a finished artwork, it gives an insight into the journey behind the work — the observations, movement, sounds and moments of discovery that form part of an artist’s practice.

Working within a new environment can create opportunities to look at familiar ideas differently. For Natalia, the residency provided space to explore these connections while surrounded by the distinctive landscape of Bornholm.

A Residency in the Heart of Bornholm

BIRCA is a residency space for artists located on the island of Bornholm in the middle of the Baltic Sea.

Surrounded by some of Europe’s most remarkable natural landscapes, Bornholm offers an inspiring setting for artists to step away from their usual surroundings and immerse themselves in their creative practice.

The relationship between artist and environment is an important part of the residency experience. The landscape, atmosphere and character of a place can become part of the creative process, influencing how artists observe, think and make work.

For Natalia, BIRCA provided a space to explore her practice while experiencing the island and its surroundings.

Creative Exchange Through Island Connect

Natalia’s residency forms part of Island Connect, an international project that creates opportunities for artists to come together, exchange ideas and develop their creative practices across European island communities.

At the heart of the project is the idea of connection — between artists, disciplines, communities and places.

Residencies create time and space for artists to experiment and develop new ideas, while also encouraging creative exchange. These encounters can introduce artists to different approaches and perspectives, creating opportunities for new ideas to emerge.

Natalia’s experience at BIRCA reflects this process of exploration and exchange, bringing together her artistic practice with the unique environment of Bornholm.

A Glimpse Behind the Creative Process

The film provides an opportunity to see Natalia’s work beyond the finished artwork.

Through interview footage, artwork and moments of creative experimentation, we get a glimpse into how visual art, movement and sound can interact and how place can become part of an artist’s creative thinking.

It is also a reminder that artistic development is often a process of exploration — of observing, questioning, experimenting and responding to the world around us.

Watch Natalia’s Island Connect Residency

Watch the film above to hear Natalia speak about her artistic practice and experience at BIRCA, and to discover more about the creative process behind her work.

Her residency is one example of the artistic exchange made possible through Island Connect, connecting artists with new environments and creating space for experimentation, collaboration and creative development.

Island Connect is funded by Creative Europe.