Dream | group exhibition | Hyde Park Art Center | Winter 2021
I for Nested Pattern (No. 3, No.1 & No.6) photo works / Hyde Park Art Center / Chicago, IL / 2021
In I For Nested Pattern works, I document myself through photo-based performances in natural environments resembling landscapes of my homeland of Lithuania. Landscapes imbued with deep sentimental value and a sense of longing for a place or a past. Drawing inspiration from Baltic Pagan mythology and its reverence for nature gods, I explore ancient modes of communication rooted in the body and ritual practices, seeking a connection with my ancestors. I adorn myself with woven or collaged paper latticework inspired by traditional Lithuanian weaving designs, composed of countless replicas of my own body. Each figure, a risograph-printed cut-out, mirrors the poses of different Baltic Pagan symbols. Employing the concept of Nested Pattern which signifies patterns within patterns, I draw parallels between traditional Lithuanian weaving patterns, patterns found in nature, and the universal language encoded in the structural patterns of our DNA. Through this interplay, I aim to forge a link connecting past and present, self and collective.
Memories Through an Infinite Canon sound piece (5:12 min) / Hyde Park Art Center / Chicago, IL / 2021
The sound piece 'Memories Through an Infinite Canon" was specifically created to accompany the photo works. The style of the songs heard throughout the piece, is called ‘rounds’ or ‘infinite canons’. The theme of the music is sunrise and sundown. I found these songs on a Lithuanian folk record which was recorded in 1971 (in USSR). For Lithuanians, rounds are archaic, mostly used for daily activities as well as ritual purposes, and contain elements of pagan faith. During the sound piece, the background songs intertwine with my dreams, memories of my grandparents, and ancestral connections, exploring themes of life and death. The narrative unfolds poetically, creating a symbiotic relationship between the music and my spoken reflections.
*Images by Tom Van Eynde
In I For Nested Pattern works, I document myself through photo-based performances in natural environments resembling landscapes of my homeland of Lithuania. Landscapes imbued with deep sentimental value and a sense of longing for a place or a past. Drawing inspiration from Baltic Pagan mythology and its reverence for nature gods, I explore ancient modes of communication rooted in the body and ritual practices, seeking a connection with my ancestors. I adorn myself with woven or collaged paper latticework inspired by traditional Lithuanian weaving designs, composed of countless replicas of my own body. Each figure, a risograph-printed cut-out, mirrors the poses of different Baltic Pagan symbols. Employing the concept of Nested Pattern which signifies patterns within patterns, I draw parallels between traditional Lithuanian weaving patterns, patterns found in nature, and the universal language encoded in the structural patterns of our DNA. Through this interplay, I aim to forge a link connecting past and present, self and collective.
Memories Through an Infinite Canon sound piece (5:12 min) / Hyde Park Art Center / Chicago, IL / 2021
The sound piece 'Memories Through an Infinite Canon" was specifically created to accompany the photo works. The style of the songs heard throughout the piece, is called ‘rounds’ or ‘infinite canons’. The theme of the music is sunrise and sundown. I found these songs on a Lithuanian folk record which was recorded in 1971 (in USSR). For Lithuanians, rounds are archaic, mostly used for daily activities as well as ritual purposes, and contain elements of pagan faith. During the sound piece, the background songs intertwine with my dreams, memories of my grandparents, and ancestral connections, exploring themes of life and death. The narrative unfolds poetically, creating a symbiotic relationship between the music and my spoken reflections.
*Images by Tom Van Eynde