The exhibition ‘Rose Garden’ by Dovilė Gudačiauskaitė ran at the VAA Gallery ‘Artifex’ until 25 September.
The word “rosary” derives from the Latin word ‘rosarium’, meaning ‘rose garden’. This term explains the origin of prayer to the Virgin Mary, dating back to the 13th century when knights pledged loyalty to the Mother of God by placing a wreath of roses on her image or offering a spiritual wreath — the rosary prayer. Old, moth-eaten scarves, once the adornment of devout grandmothers, are becoming a rarity. Though they can still be found in provincial churches, they are fading along with the elderly women who wear them. During the Soviet era, faith was often secretly passed down by grandmothers, who saw the rosary prayer as the strongest weapon against the evils of the world. There are many accounts of how, during years of exile and imprisonment in Soviet labor camps, the faithful clung to the rosary prayer for survival. The bomber jacket—now a popular everyday clothing item—was originally derived from the uniform of American Air Force pilots. I repurpose old, memory-laden textiles, transforming them into garments as metaphors—uniforms of peace. Using special knots from the Orthodox tradition, I weave rosaries—symbols of peace.
I extend my gratitude to:
• Aistis Mickevičius, founder and creator of niche perfumery brand Fum par Fum, for creating a special scent for the installation;
• poet Indrė Valantinaitė for contributing her poetry to this project;
• Baltabalta, whose symposium “Experiences of Wonder in the Land of Mary,” held in the summer of 2023, inspired this idea.
• and I thank all the wonderful people who donated their scarves.
2024, October, Dovilė Gudačiauskaitė
Dovilė Gudačiauskaitė (b. 1979) is a textile artist and fashion designer. She completed her Bachelor’s (2006) and Master’s studies (2014) at the Vilnius Academy of Arts. The recurring theme of clothing in Dovilė’s work extends beyond questions of function or design trends, transcending conventional boundaries to become metaphors and art objects that explore existential themes — humanity, time, memory, birth, and death. Dovilė consistently presents her work in exhibitions and has been designing theater costumes for performances for over a decade. In 2022 participated in Art fair ArtVilnius with the project “Legatum Spe”. That year, Artifex gallery earned a TOP7 nomination for this exhibition.
Photography: @LightStrokePhoto (Valerija Semeniuk, Justas Gulbinovičius)
