Photo reportage from the exhibition ‘Lipstick’ by Gerda Paliušytė at Editorial

“There was a star riding through clouds one night, & I said to the star, ‘Consume me’.”
― Virginia Woolf, “The Waves”

Gerda Paliušytė’s solo show “Lipstick” consists of a sculptural installation specially created for the space and images from the photo series “Guys” and “Blue Flowers” which have been ongoing for several years by now. “Lipstick” is the first presentation of the artist’s work in the contemporary art space in Lithuania.

The bodies observed in “Guys” (ongoing since 2021) are abstracted, fragmented, sometimes almost completely blending into their surroundings. The compositions of the photos depend on each situation and time spent with the subjects. The series “Blue Flowers” (ongoing since 2022), developed in parallel, feature macro images of roses and orchids dyed blue. As flowers bloom, the blue pigment gradually disappears and petals turn pale, opening up new and unexpected color combinations. Although the enlarged images of flowers call for a closer look, they refuse to provide the visual sharpness that macro techniques usually promise.

The relations between material bodies captured in the photographs are further developed in a monumental installation that temporarily transforms the “Editorial” space. “Lipstick” encompasses phenomena such as givenness and change, desire and repression, collective being and personal choices. Emphasising materiality of bodies and surfaces, and the tensions between them, the artist explores how aesthetics are conditioned by social circumstances, economics and time.

Gerda Paliušytė (b. 1987) lives and works in Vilnius. She is interested in various documentary practices, historical and popular culture phenomena and characters, and their relationship to social reality. Paliušytė’s work (films, photography) often explore different forms of intimacy, the magic and fragility of collective existence.

Recent exhibitions include “We Live in Places” (together with Gabija Nedzinskaite) at the former Institute of Physics in Vilnius; Lavender Opener Chair Gallery, Tokyo. In 2023, Six Chairs Books published Paliušytė’s photobook “Guys and Blue Flowers”, (edited by Elena Narbutaitė).

Graphic design: Gabija Nedzinskaitė.
Colour correction and printing of the photographs in the exhibition: “Aust studio”.

Many thanks go to Vitalija Jasaitė, Neringa Černiauskaitė, Gediminas G. Akstinas, Jurgis Paškevičius, Simonas Mackevičius, Antanas Gerlikas.

The exhibition is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture, Vilnius City Municipality.

The exhibition is supported by the metalworking and metal products manufacturing company “Paseta”.

The exhibition is open until the 13th of April.

Artist: Gerda Paliušytė
Exhibition title: Lipstick
Venue: Editorial, Vilnius
Dates: 09.02.2024 – 13.04.2024
Photography: Editorial