Exploring the plethora of narratives that cosmic imaginaries can provide us with, “There is still room in the bag of stars” is an immersive installation created by non-binary artist Ana Lipps. Inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin’s “Carrier bag theory of fiction” Lipps invites us to step into the bag of stars and explore alien as well as terrestrial temporalities. This astral projection of humanity into the future creates new possible worlds that can be brought back to our current reality. On the other hand, space travellers should be cautious of flying too far from earth’s orbit, lest they forget the problems that lie beneath their feet.
Normativity thrives on the belief that there exists a singular ‘correct’ way for everything to function, encompassing objects, spaces, human and non-human life. It’s truths are perceived as unassailable. Normativity is a homogenising force that turns everyone and everything that dares to resist it invisible, or in a much more dangerous way, becomes ostracised for being different. It is a fear based belief system that punishes deviation violently and without mercy, making the world less livable for everyone. Science fiction allows us not only to escape rigid reality, but provides us with new futurities that re-think how we feel and act, how we live and love.
In her essay Le Guin raises the question of how we structure narrative and the way it influences us towards reproducing specific worlds. She introduces the idea of narrative as a space in which to collect and carry forward berries, grains, ideas; a bag of stars, to be rummaged through. Similarly, Lipps’ installation showcases an array of sensory stimuli—from bones and scents to liquids and celestial bodies—inviting visitors into a realm of sensorial deviation and exploration.
Ana Lipps (they/them) is a Lithuanian-German artist (b. 1997, Vilnius) currently living between city and village. Through large-scale interactive installations combining objects, smells, tastes, and sounds, they aim to queer predominant reality narratives and create cracks in which liminal spaces can flourish. Lipps understands the liminal as a spatial tool through which ideas of resistance to normativity can be challenged, facilitating a shift in perception.
Since graduating their master’s degree from the Sandberg Institute in 2022, Lipps has participated in various exhibitions and projects, including Rupert’s Alternative Education programme, a three-month workshop at Kaunas Artists’ House, and the Media Art Friesland LUNA Young Masters Exhibition. They have also developed a curatorial practice by setting up a DIY artist-run space called Ubiškės3, which will host its second international residency on the theme of Harvest this year.
Coordinator: Augustė Verikaitė
VDA Telšių Gallery Coordinator: Emilija Globytė
Graphic design: Ana Lipps, Augustė Verikaitė
Production manager / Sound architect: Danielė Liepa Baudrillier
Light design: Justas Bø
Olfactory design: Emilija Povilanskaitė
Copy-editor: Emilija Globytė
Communication: Karolina Augevičiūtė
Technical support: Jonas Norvilas, Gintautas Kėras
‘There is still space in the bag of stars’
Ana Lipps
2-20 July, 2024
VDA Telšiai Gallery
Photography: Lina Margaitytė, Marius Krivičius
