TRANSFIGURATION | performance by Branko Milisković
@ International Museum of Surgical Science
1524 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60610
Opening Friday, October 17th, from 7PM - 9PM
Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery proudly presents
Performance: TRANSFIGURATION (PAIN)
A performance by international visiting artist from Serbia
Branko Milisković
Friday, October 17, 2025 | 7PM [doors at 6:30]
International Museum of Surgical Science
1524 North Lake Shore Drive | Chicago
TRANSFIGURATION derives from Branko Milisković’s earlier work STABAT MATER, inspired by a 13th-century hymn to the Virgin Mary mourning Christ’s death. In this performance, Milisković recites the hymn’s first three lines in Latin while alternating between standing, sitting, and slowly walking through the library of the International Museum of Surgical Science. Through these ritualistic gestures, he creates a meditative, operatic environment that explores the tension between scientific inquiry and religious dogma in understanding the human body. The work examines suffering and endurance as vehicles for transcendence, positioning pain as a physical and spiritual passage toward transformation. Duration: 2 hours
Branko Milisković (b. 1982, Belgrade, Serbia) studied Sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade and 3D Art at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, graduating in 2009. He earned his MA in Extended Media from the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg (2012). His practice spans live performance, mono-opera, photography, text, sound, and video, presented internationally at venues including Kampnagel (Hamburg), Halles de Schaerbeek (Brussels), TENT Rotterdam, CIRCA – Art Actuel (Montreal), LADA (London), The Tank (NYC), and Kunsthaus Graz. His work has been discussed in the book, Performance Art in Eastern Europe since 1960, by Dr. Amy Bryzgel.
Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery [DFBRL8R] is an international platform dedicated to performance art. Based in Chicago and founded in 2010, DFBRL8R fosters global dialogue around time-based and ephemeral practices through exhibitions, festivals, and residencies. Committed to risk-taking and experimentation, the gallery supports artists who challenge conventions and expand the boundaries of performance.
Image: TRANSFIGURATION, CZKD, Belgrade, Serbia 2021. Photo by Vladimir Opsenica
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Tags: Branko Milisković, Chicago, Defibrillator Performance Art Gallery, IMSS, International Museum of Surgical Science, Near North Side, Performance: TRANSFIGURATION (PAIN), TRANSFIGURATION | performance by Branko Milisković
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