Darius Bogdanowicz

Literature

Ka bacteria or Helicobacter calimarius. Illustration generated by AI

My current research in literature centers on the development of a new magical realist speculative novel, Calima, my most ambitious work to date. Conceived between 2020 and 2021 during an art residency at Fabra i Coats thanks to the research grant Premios Barcelona 2020, and later initiated in 2021 during an eight-month residency at the Antonio Gala Foundation (Córdoba), the novel explores the transformative arrival of a sand-laden cloud over Spain’s Mediterranean coast. This cloud unsettles everything: it alters our visual perception of the world, reshapes our experience of public spaces, and eventually challenges the borders we draw between the Global South and Global North.

Calima in the mosque of Cordoba in 2021, photo by Darius Bogdanowicz

Calima on the roman bridge of Cordoba in 2021. Photo by Darius Bogdanowicz

In this setting, we follow Saúl Sánchez and Frida Seiss, two childhood friends from a small village in southern Spain, whose lives diverge as they grow up in different social classes and with unequal access to the privilege of clean air. Saúl remains in the village, striving to continue his everyday life while developing as an amateur scientist, curious about the dynamics of the calima. Frida, on the other hand, moves to Berlin to pursue her studies, joining a resistance movement that advocates for the unity of Mediterranean communities.

A Mediterranean forest and the Strait of Gibraltar as seen from the great dune of Bologna (Cadiz) in 2022. Photo by Darius Bogdanowicz

Mediterranean tree crown, buried by the sand of the great dune of Bolonia (Cádiz) in 2022. Photo by Darius Bogdanowicz

The novel delves into the impact of global catastrophes on territories and social classes, with a focus on human adaptability, coexistence with other forms of life and non-life, and peaceful resistance against the negligence embedded in the idea of perpetual "progress" and "modernity." Taking inspiration from Bruno Latour's reflections in Gaia 2.0 (who takes in consideration the previous works of Lynn Margulis and James Lovelock, among others) it poses a critical question to contemporary times: Now that we recognize life on Earth as a self-regulating system, isn’t it time for human technology—an integral part of life—to orient itself toward self-regulation?

PERFORMANCE

Poster for social media of the tour of performative readings of “Festival” across Spain in 2024

Over the past years, my main focus in performance art has been the co-creation of the nomadic platform IMPORT/EXPORT, which has allowed us to host large-scale, traveling events, including IMPORT/EXPORT Livorno in 2023, IMPORT/EXPORT Berlin in 2024, and in 2025, IMPORT/EXPORT Belgrade.

The team of IMPORT/EXPORT co-creators. From left to right:Enrico L'Abbate, Sharon Estacio, Tiina Lehtimäki, Maria Novella Tattanelli, Darius Bogdanowicz, Aleksander Zain

IMPORT/EXPORT has proven to be a powerful platform, enabling me to develop and present my own performances alongside the work of my colleagues while managing the organizational reins. This has been made possible through the support of three international partners and co-funding from Creative Europe. The work is intense, but the reward is building a rare pearl: a live art production system rooted in values that resonate with us. This collaborative process has also been instrumental in shaping my evolving language in performance art.

Performative lecture of “Festival” at Jaleo Bar de Mercado (Seville) in 2024

Since stepping away from performing with the Marina Abramović Institute (2017-2020), and as I continue to distance myself from opera houses and similar venues, I’ve been increasingly drawn to performance as a natural extension of my writing. The 2024 tour of performative readings of Festival, my latest novel, was a revelation—it made me realize that I could happily dedicate my life to only writing books and performing them for audiences. If only I could make my entire living that way!

Copies of “Festival” in the showcase of the Antonio Machado bookstore (Madrid), the day of my performative reading, 2024.

Occasionally, I still create site-specific performances that are independent of my primary research. Gold Diggers, a collaboration with Danaï Galeou, is a recent example. In general, these pieces share a common thread: they are visually simple yet layered with multiple meanings for the audience to interpret.