OLEG KASUMOVIC / OLEG KASS

Born in Zagreb; lives in Vienna. 1960 practice as assistent at Opera Cologne; 1962 painting study, Artacademy Zagreb; 1963 continuance study of stage-design at Teo Otto, Artacademy Düsseldorf; 1967 worked as a steward on a german freighter; from 1971 freelance stage-designer in Ex-Yugoslavia, numerous equipment for theater, opera and ballet; Price of Zagreb for „Saved" by Edward Bond; numerous exhibitions of his own stage-designs (layouts and photographies), coeval intensive engagement with photography; 1991 moved to Vienna; some Stage-designs and one year employment at UNO-City Vienna.

His produced and collaged self-portraits are a poetic and at the same time relentless unification and compression - a sort catharsis - from personal life story, artistic biography and personal outing.

The youth in Tito's Yugoslavia, the longings and/or influences of Hollywood films, the work as stage designers - the photography as mirrors to the self-perception and self reflection in the beauty and transience, as well as sexual orientation and desire are in the fore.

After the hysterical practice of theaterdirection to transform each period to present day worldwide takes dominance, Oleg Kasumovic turns his back to theatre and works following years on his big photoproject.