Saulius Leonavičius & Vida Strasevičiūtė, Fuck Language, Oslo city centre, 2017
The expression “Climbing Invisible Structures” invokes something steep and hidden, something vertiginous and inaccessible. The idea of coping with such constructions, invites us, artists and participants, to reflect on the complex, multilayered and often imperceptible relationships that govern our lives and relationships. For what sort of social structures dictate things like career choice, way of life, or art productions? And can we be sure that our human relations, in fact, are not already organized according to pre-established power relationships, unstated rules and rituals? How can we know that what we take for granted, that which appears so natural, are actually social constructions and false consciousness?
The various works in this exhibition, each in a very distinct way, investigate different modes of existence, aspects of art production, and social life. They explore deep-rooted practices, conceptual systems, and rituals. They manipulate, disorganize, and disrupt fixed ways of thinking and patterns of behavior. Of course, the aim is not to establish new ones, but to puzzle, to make us wonder, and by the same token to raise questions about the legitimacy of existing conventions and established institutions.
The works in this exhibition point to a wide range of ritualised practices, connecting actions by people who lived a long time ago with contemporary rituals. Ranging from social and spiritual practices, which are familiar to everyone, to contemporary strategies framing the conditions of art production and management, they investigate, explore, question, disrupt, modify and fictionalise established beliefs, disciplines and daily habits, and outline directions for new ones.
The exhibition is open for visitors on Wednesdays to Sundays from noon to 5pm.
This exhibition is part of a two-year-long residency and exhibition project involving six institutions in three different countries: Iceland, Lithuania and Norway. Ten artists have been invited to do residencies and to create works for four exhibitions in Vilnius, Nida, Žeimiai (Lithuania) and Lillestrøm (Norway). This exhibition presents works by all participating artists. This is the fourth and the last exhibition of the project.
Vilnius Academy of Arts‘ project “Discipline today. Residency Exchange and Exhibitions”, project no. EEE-LT07-KM-01-K-01-035, benefits from a grant through the EEA Financial Mechanism and LithuanianState programme LT07 “Promotion of Diversity in Culture and Arts within European Cultural Heritage”. The project is also financed by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.
Organised by: Nida Art Colony of Vilnius Academy of Arts
Venue: Akershus Kunstsenter, Lillestrøm, Norway
Date: 10th February – 12th March, 2017
Artists: Mo Abd-Ulla, Eglė Budvytytė, Tanya Busse, Victoria Durnak, Gunnhildur Hauksdóttir, Berglind Jóna Hlynsdóttir, Saulius Leonavičius & Vida Strasevičiūtė, Robertas Narkus, Augustas Serapinas, Kristin Tårnesvik
Curators: Eglė Mikalajūnė and Samir M’kadmi
Photography: Andrej Vasilenko, Jonas Vaitiekūnas
Climbing Invisible Structures. Ritualised Disciplinary Practices in Social Life. Part 4: Lillestrøm. Exhibition view, Akershus Kunstsenter, Lillestrøm, Norway, 2017
Augustas Serapinas, Climbing Structures, 2016
Augustas Serapinas, Climbing Structures, 2016
Gunnhildur Hauksdóttir, Five Drawings, 2016
Gunnhildur Hauksdóttir, Five Drawings, 2016
Kristin Tårnesvik, Popular hours of death. Stones sometimes fall from sky, 2016
Kristin Tårnesvik, Popular hours of death, 2016
Kristin Tårnesvik, Popular hours of death. Stones sometimes fall from sky, 2016
Berglind Jona Hlynsdóttir in collaboration with the band Dora (Gatis Zakis and Jānis Šipkēvics), Stitching and Mending, 2016
Berglind Jona Hlynsdóttir in collaboration with the band Dora (Gatis Zakis and Jānis Šipkēvics), Stitching and Mending, 2016
Eglė Budvytytė, Skateboard Prayer, or Head Below the Heart, 2016
Climbing Invisible Structures. Ritualised Disciplinary Practices in Social Life. Part 4: Lillestrøm. Exhibition view, Akershus Kunstsenter, Lillestrøm, Norway, 2017
Tanya Busse, Sandgazer Radio, 2016
Tanya Busse, Sandgazer Radio, 2016
Tanya Busse, Sandgazer Radio, 2016
Robertas Narkus, Atlantic Biennale. Decks, 2016
Robertas Narkus, Atlantic Biennale. Eurostar, 2016
Mo Abd-Ulla, Today’s Menu: What do Dictators Eat? Side-table, 2017
Mo Abd-Ulla, Today’s Menu: What do Dictators Eat? Vases (middle shelf), 2017
Mo Abd-Ulla, Today’s Menu: What do Dictators Eat? performative dinner, 2017
Mo Abd-Ulla, Today’s Menu: What do Dictators Eat?, 2017
Mo Abd-Ulla, Today’s Menu: What do Dictators Eat?, 2017
Victoria Durnak, Ex-Boyfriend Jewelry, 2016
Saulius Leonavičius & Vida Strasevičiūtė, Fuck Language, 2017
Saulius Leonavičius & Vida Strasevičiūtė, Fuck Language, Oslo city centre, 2017
Saulius Leonavičius & Vida Strasevičiūtė, Fuck Language, Oslo city centre, 2017
