Kristina Kusmina Dreit born in Kazakhstan and working between Berlin and Vienna, is an artist and researcher with an interdisciplinary approach. Her work spans and intertwines performance, installation, and film, presented in galleries, museums, theaters or public spaces. Kristina is particularly interested in the intersections of body, class, and gender, as well as sensory and choreographic approaches to labour and tools. In her practice, seemingly contradictory moments of sensuality and the creation of experience are intertwined with a conceptual approach, reflecting on the act of perception itself.

Her artistic process often takes shape through collaboration, where questions of working conditions and mechanism of art production play a crucial role. Since 2024 writing and publishing have become an important aspect of her practice.

Together with her sister Karolina Dreit, she published the book Working Class Daughters. Talking about Class in 2024 with Mandelbau Verlag Vienna-Berlin. The book consists of Interviews they conducted since 2017 with friends and acquaintance around working conditions and class issues. The publication was nominated for the Hotlist Prize for Books of the Year from independent publishers.

To date, her works (collective and independent) have been showcased, among others, at Berlinische Galerie (as part of the exhibition Klassenfragen), Galerie Saalbau Berlin, Kunstverein Harburger Bahnhof Hamburg,  District – School without Center Berlin, Sophiensaele Berlin, Schwankhalle Bremen, Performing Arts Festival Berlin, PACT Zollverein Essen, Exhibit Studio Vienna, Het Veem Amsterdam, Batard Festival Brussels, Lehnbauchhaus Munich, and others.




Education

2019-2024
M.A. Critical Studies/ Performative Arts
Academy of fine arts Vienna

2019
M.A. Dramaturgy
Zurich University of the Arts

2010-2017
B.A. Scenic Arts/ Cultural Science
University of Hildesheim



Awards/ Fellowships

LIVE WORKS Fellowship 2025/26, Centrale Fies, Dro/ Italy.

Nomination Hotlist award – Books of the Year from independent publishers with Working Class Daughters. Talking About Class.

Residency Grant Fonds Darstellende Künste 2021/2022 in collaboration with Europäisches Festpielhaus HELLERAU Dresden.

Residency Fellowship at Tanzquartier Vienna 2020.

Residency Fellowship at Frankfurt Lab 2019.

Fellowship of the International Forum of
 Theatertreffen 2019


Work at Werkunion Fellowship at Favoriten Festival Dortmund 2018 


Jury and Audience Award
Körberstudio for Young Directors 2014, as well as Jury Prize of 100° Berlin Festival 2014
 at HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin together with the collective The Social Fiction for prairie chants.




Collaborations

Since 2017

Working Class Daughters, collective together with Karolina Dreit and Anna Trzpis-McLean. Co-founder and artistic direction of numerous installations, performances, and publications.
www.workingclassdaughters.com

2023

Thank you for the Services, International Coproduction Fund Goethe-Institut.
Artistic direction together with Riyadhus Shalihin, consisting of an exhibition, and performance. Work locations: Festspielhaus HELLERAU Dresden, galeri indeks Bandung/ Indonesia, atelier automatique Bochum.

www.goethe.de/en/kul/foe/int/ikf/023/wcm.html

2013-2016

The Social Fiction, collective.

Co-founder and artistic direction with Anna Froelicher, Marten Flegel, Mike Dele Dittrich Frydetzki. Work locations included Treibstoff Theatertage Basel, Bâtard Festival Brussels, Het Veem Amsterdam.