'Masterclass' by Emilija Filipenkovaitė at Pamėnkalnio gallery

2023 06 05 at Pamėnkalnio gallery
Author Echo Gone Wrong
Published in Events in Lithuania

On Monday, June 5, 2023, at 6 pm Pamėnkalnio gallery will host the premiere of Emilija Filipenkovaitė’s work “Masterclass”. The gallery space will be filled with music written in emoji signs.

The author’s work will be performed by the contemporary music ensemble “Artisans”: Liepa Vozgirdaitė, Kristupas Gikas, Lukas Butkus, Kornelijus Pukinskis, Dominykas Snarskis. Karolis Dabulskis (noh theatre improvisation) will also join this performance.

“Masterclass” is a series of nine miniatures for ensemble performance. The work continues (and breaks) the tradition of graphic music in that classical notation, as a dominant way to represent sound, is deliberately eschewed. The use of the new graphical notation allows the audience to see the work as a performer would, that is, they can follow the score and interpret it in their own way. “Masterclass” is written only for the instruments that have their own symbol in the „Unicode Standard“.

The name “Masterclass” was inspired by the desire of corporations, organizations, and influencers to adapt to the new trends of communication and use emojis strategically. In other words, the piece explores the ways in which colors, symbols, and visual ornaments are used to increase consumer engagement and sales. The name of this peace is also a commentary on online learning platforms and the video-based courses of their speakers.

By elaborating on the history of the development of emojis, the work explores common emotional problems that affect the modern man, for example, our society’s weakening ability to verbalize emotions. The use of emojis, says the author, allows for multiplication of meanings, misinterpretations in an ever-increasing variety of media.

The musical miniatures examine themes of representation, cultural monopolization, and capital. To what extent do technologies, markets and contingencies determine the interaction amongst humans? How does the profit motive and the growth of ranks of influencers encourage the proliferation of different modes of expression to increase sales?

“Masterclass” is part of the “Graduation Show” series in collaboration with Vilnius Academy of Arts.

Emilija Filipenkovaitė is a transdisciplinary artist living and working in Vilnius. She works with montage manipulations, audio-visual translations and imagery artifacts.

Her work explores the power of images, the diversity of interpretations inherent in the contemporary world, and questions of schizophrenia. She is interested in the unique experiences of repressed groups in society and the problem of representation.

Her work explores the power of images, the diversity of interpretations inherent in the contemporary world, and questions of image schizophrenia and communication. She is interested in the unique experiences of repressed groups in society and the problem of representation.

Co-organisers: Pamėnkalnio Gallery, Vilnius Academy of Arts.

Sponsor: Lithuanian Artists’ Association.