Maja Simišić is a multimedia artist focusing on everyday battles and finding ways to turn them on their head. As a female from the Balkans living and working in the western world, her artistic practice is deeply influenced by, on the one hand, the perception of the eastern European in western society, and on the other, the way in which people in the Balkans are raised, their fundamental beliefs, and the role of women in both these contexts.
Maja carries heavy subject matters with lightheartedness and humour specific to her character. She seeks to escape this great Kafkaesque machine of oppression by building a fortress of collective imagination.
In “To Be Doggo,” Maja, a non-EU citizen, embarks on an unconventional journey to obtain a Dutch passport by exploring the possibility of becoming a dog and getting adopted by a Dutch family. Inspired by a real-life experience where a friend’s dog held more rights than she did, Maja delves into the absurdities of identity, bureaucracy, and human rights. As she interviews Dutch families who have adopted dogs from non-EU countries and immerses herself in the daily life of a dog, Maja investigates whether legally identifying as a dog could be her ticket to European citizenship.
