On 6 March, Julija Pociūtė’s exhibition opens at the ‘apiece’, a gallery strategically focused on autonomous artistic expression.
The work ‘Forest Border Line’ continues the artist’s recent research which explores various ways of establishing a connection with the forest and, in some cases, reflecting on the absence of such a connection. According to Pociūtė, she is interested in how a close relationship with nature fosters a deeper understanding of the environment, encourages new interpretations of human interaction with their surroundings, and how past events become an inseparable part of the landscape.
The installation at the ‘apiece’ gallery is a field study focusing on a Holocaust site in Kaišiadorys, on the edge of the Strošiūnai forest. During her research, the artist visited the site to collect organic materials, observed plants and trees, and documented them through photography. ‘Forest Border Line’ is a visual narrative that weaves together an exploration of the Holocaust site, gathered and recorded materials, read and heard stories, and an experienced emotional response.
The installation features a metal structure with open ends, from which carved wooden pieces from the Strošiūnai Forest extend. A camouflage-like fabric, made from leftover leather scraps from label production, hangs from the structure. Plastic fragments, embedded in the fabric’s folds and coated with wood dust, mimic the texture of tree bark. Bringing together different materials, the artist invites the viewer to rethink fundamental ways of experiencing the environment, to understand the layers of human and natural reality, and their interconnections.
The title ‘Forest Border Line’ (in Lithuanian ‘Pamiškė’) was chosen as a reference to an in-between space that belongs neither to the settlement nor to the forest. Historical memory is central to the work, shaping people’s perception of their surroundings and their relationship with a place marked by a painful past.
Julija Pociūtė is an interdisciplinary artist known for her mixed media installations based on interaction between video art, sculpture, design elements and photography. She is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Lapland in Finland, where she focuses on the impact of mindfulness and art-based practices, collaboration with trees, and interconnection with the forest.
Major exhibitions: ‘BlackBox gallery’, Munich, Germany; ‘Toruń Centre for Contemporary Art’, Poland; ‘SIM Residency’, Reykjavík; ‘OSTRALE Biennial O21’, Dresden, Germany; Gallery LEVANT, Shanghai (China); ‘Kai Art Centre’, Tallinn; ‘Latvian National Museum’, Riga.
Exhibition curators: Milena Černiakaitė and Aušra Trakšelytė
Graphic design: Marek Voida
Text translated by: Martynas Galkus
Exhibition partly funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture
Exhibition open until 18 April 2025
More about the gallery: www.apiece.lt
