The retrospective of 2018 and the perspectives in 2019
- Published on Tuesday, 15 January 2019 15:10
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From the smallest to the most significant events – this year was especially abundant and peculiar. We have nourished present connections and promising projects that will continue to grow in 2019, too. So once again, by beginning new year, we have prepared a short review that will acquaint those who were not there and let us turn the page as well as take a peek to the future events and open calls together. |
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EXIBITIONS  Dark Drawn, 2018, opening of the exhibition, Vilnius. Photo by Laurynas Skeisgiela.
Through recent decades drawing had fortified its position as a challenging opponent to other media, capable of astounding audiences with untraditional and unexpected manoeuvres. In order to present this to a wider audience, throughout 5 May–10 June the exhibition Dark Drawn had attempted to compile artworks that combine traditions with contemporaneity.Artists: Vanna Bowles, Ian Damerell, Algirdas Jakas, Robert Johansson, Bas Ketelaars, Lynette Smith.
Curator: Ian Damerell.
Producer: Rasa Antanavičiūtė.
 Teleport to Nida. Rites and Terrabytes, 2018, VilniusArtists: Žilvinas Landzbergas, Tessa Zettel and Sumugan Sivanesan.
Curator: Vytautas Michelkevičius.  (Per)forming Scapes, 2018, exhibition view, Nida Art Colony, Nida, Lithuania. Photo by Laurynas Skeisgiela
As from May, VAA Nida Art Colony and the entire area of Curonian Spit had turned into a testing ground and a research laboratory where the participants of the exhibition (Per)forming Scapes were discussing the relationship between human and nature on various scales: from vast geological landscape to symbiosis with smallest plants, from park and other regulations to psychophysical provisions. Throughout 30 July–31 August, landscape architecture, geography, biology, sculpture, work ethics, choreography, new media, and performative practices all came together under one roof.
Participants: Lina Lapelytė, Ona Lozuraitytė & Petras Išora, Špela Petrič, Anna Romanenko & Björn Kühn
Curator: Vytautas Michelkevičius We are happy about the variety of reviews and reportages by Tomass Parups „(Per)forming Scapes at Nida Art Colony“, Margus Tamm „The Geopolitics of the Sublime“, Goda Aksamitauskaitė „Žmogus ir gamta Kuršių nerijoje“, Dalia Aleksandravičiūtė „Performuoti peizažus ir ne tik“, Eglė Mikalajūnė „Nuo kolosalumo link integralumo. Paroda „Perfor(m)uoti peizažai“ Nidos meno kolonijoje“, Denisas Kolomickis „Utenos, Nidos ir Vilniaus parodos: nuo scenos maištininkų iki perkuriamų peizažų“, Austėja Kuckienė „Ryto allegro 2018-07-27 08:10“.
Conversations with participating artists Anna Romanenko & Björn Kühn and Špela Petrič.
 Procumentation of the exhibition (Per)forming Scapes, 2018, Vilnius, Lithuania. Photo by Andrej Vasilenko
On 6–29 September, the procumentation (proactive documentation) of the exhibition (Per)forming Scapes in Nida once again (per)formed the landscape of Curonian Spit, only this time in the cityscape of Vilnius Old Town, VAA/Outdoors Expo pavilion of Ceramics Creative Centre.
Participants: Lina Lapelytė, Ona Lozuraitytė & Petras Išora, Anna Romanenko & Björn Kühn, Špela Petrič.
Curator: Vytautas Michelkevičius.
INTER-FORMAT SYMPOSIUM
 Liturgy for Electronic Waste by Adrian Demleitner during the 8th Inter-format Symposium on Rites & Terrabytes, 2018, Nida Art Colony, Lithuania. Photo by Andrej Vasilenko
Throughout 20–24 June, the 8th Inter-format Symposium on Rites & Terrabytes at VAA Nida Art Colony brought together over 50 artists, researchers, philosophers, scientists, ritualists, musicians, and other kinds of practitioners to critically reflect on notions of indigenous culture today as well as reinvent traditional knowledges. EXHIBITIONS AT THE TEMPORARY PROJECT SPACE KIOSK
 Sojourners R01 T02 by Teena Lange and Claudia Rohrauer, 2018, Nida Art Colony’s project space Kiosk, Lithuania. Photo by Julija Navarskaitė27 January‒19 February, exhibition The Invisibility of Huge Things by Pedro Hurpia. 27 February–26 March, exhibition Come and Go by Heike Schäfer. 11–29 April, exhibition Literally There by Marie Raffn and Signe Boe. 5–29 October, exhibition The Path Ahead by Hanna Schaich . 27–28 November, exhibition Day Tripper by Katherina Heil, Cecilia Hultman, Norbert Tukaj, and Demelza Watts. NIDA DOCTORAL SCHOOL
 Participatory performance by Paul Cegys during 6th Nida Doctoral School, 2018, Nida. Photo by Andrej Vasilenko
The 6th Nida Doctoral School Naked on the Beach. On the Exposition of Artistic Research took place at Nida Art Colony of Vilnius Academy of Arts throughout 26 August–2 September. Gathered for one intensive week 17 DA and PhD students, 8 speakers and tutors were tackling questions that revolve around the exposition and communication of artistic research. Invited speakers and tutors: Prof Dorita Hannah, Dr Michael Schwab, Prof Henk Slager, Dr Mika Elo, Assoc Prof Dr Lolita Jablonskiene, Dr Teemu Leinonen, Assoc Prof Dr Vytautas Michelkevičius, Dr Joanne Morra.
RESIDENCY EXCHANGES  Photo from Saulius Leonavičius' residency at MASS Alexandria in Egypt. Photo by Saulius Leonavičius
In 2017, Nida Art Colony had started its collaboration with the residency MASS Alexandria in Egypt. In the Autumn of 2018, this collaboration resulted in the exchange of artists Amira Hanafi arriving to Lithuania as well as Saulius Leonavičius and Laima Kreivytė travelling to Egypt and also being the first participants of the exchange organized by the residencies and the project 4Cs. Amira Hanafi had completed her residency with the exhibition The Science of a Good Lie at the Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association’s project space Sodų 4 in Vilnius running throughout 25 October–9 November. Lithuanian artist Saulius Leonavičius on 26-31 October had presented the exhibition Mickey Is My Home including an installation The Temple of Mickey as well as an event-happening Breakfast on Sour Grass. The exhibition Waiting by Laima Kreivytė seeking to activate two particular architectural spaces through an audio walk, a live performance and an installation took place in the villa of the Cavafy Museum in Alexandria and the building of SOMA Art School & Gallery in Cairo on 28–30 November. VAA Nida Art Colony has been collaborating with the AIR Krems residency programme by exchanging artists since 2013. Irma Stanaitytė-Bazienė resided at the residency AIR KREMS in Austria and Claudia Rohrauer arrived to Nida Art Colony in October. Participating in the exchange with the culture department of Düsseldorf municipality, Alexandra Klawitter stayed at Nida Art Colony in November as Vita Opolskytė spent May-June in Düsseldorf.
COLLABORATIONS  Sun of the City by Haruka Yamada, 2018, Nida, Lithuania
Now when you're in sunny Nida, don't forget to check the time! Haruka Yamada (JP) this May had carried out her site-specific project Sun of the City on the southern wall of the 4A Taikos st. The project was produced by Skaistė Marčienė with the help of Julija Navarskaitė. The fellow of 2018 Neringa City Municipality’s scholarship Norbert Tukaj (LT) during his residency at Nida Art Colony developed his project Hidden Architecture. By congratulating Neringa city with its 57th birthday, the artist shared his interest in the uniqueness of Neringa's resort architecture, built in the second half of the 20th century, and immersed it in the colourful clouds of smoke.
PUBLICATIONS & CREATIVE WORKSHOPS  During the creative workshop The Baltic Sea: A Liquid Memorial. Photo by Andrej Vasilenko
On 5 February, we oficially greeted the 8th Log on Newness edited by Jogintė Bučinskaitė with a discussion Residencies. Everything was new until it became usual inviting representatives from other residencies and artists-residents to discuss the new and the old in the lives of residencies.Download the issue here At the other end of the year, the freshly printed study by dr Vasilijus Safronovas on the emigration and immigration patterns of Curonian Spit inhabitants after WWII had finally reached Nida Art Colony. The book is predetermined to be published in English. The study and the residency of dr Vasilijus Safronovas ir part of the project 4Cs. Throughout 16–23 September, a creative workshop The Baltic Sea: A Liquid Memorial led by Horst Hoheisel & Andreas Knitz reflected upon the questions of territorial borders, migrating memories, and intercultural encounters at Nida Art Colony. The creative workshop was a part of the programme 4Cs.
STUDENTS' CREATIVE WORKSHOPS  Students' workshop SCULPTURAL RESEARCH. Photo by Lina Martinkėnaitė
In 2018, Nida Art Colony hosted 21 creative workshops for students broadening their knowledge and skills in the supervision of professionals from higher education institutions in Sweden, Germany, and even Iceland. Here are some highlights of the workshops in Nida gathered to these albums: International workshop for fashion designers and scenographers Sculptural Research by Cirrus Express and curated by VAA Monumental painting and Scenography department. International Students' Workshop The Volume "/" Is Out of Space by VAA KF Glass Art and Design Department and The Large Glass Department of Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. International students’ symposium Walk and Talk with participants from Textile Art & Design at VAA Vilnius Faculty, Applied Textile at VAA Kaunas Faculty, and Textile programme at Academy of Design & Crafts of Gothenburg University. International workshop Finds and Findings in Nida by Vilnius Academy of Arts Ceramics department in Vilnius Faculty with Ceramics department at Muthesius University of Fine Arts and Design. International creative workshop/summer practice Environmental Graphic Design: Local Context initiated by Graphic design department of Vilnius Academy of Arts. International design workshop at VAA Nida Art Colony 8+8 involving a team of students from Vilnius Academy of Arts Faculty of Klaipėda and a team of students from the MA Interior Design of NABA, Milano.
RESIDENTS GLIMPSE TO 2019
The upcoming year, like no other before, is promising few, but very big projects and events: One of the most cheerful and most promising news this year is the opportunity to organize and represent Lithuania at the 58th Venice Biennale with a contemporary opera-performance Sun & Sea by Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė, Vaiva Grainytė, and Lina Lapelytė. The project, which may appear lighthearted at first glance – but which addresses some of the most pressing ecological issues of our time - will be curated by Lucia Pietroiusti, Curator of General Ecology at the Serpentine Galleries, London. This year along with other partners of consortium, Goethe-Institut, Institut Français, and Izolyatsia, we will begin creating a new mobility scheme for individual artists and culture professionals initiated by the European Commission. We are preparing our abdominal muscles and smiles - this year the 9th Inter-format symposium throughout 28–30 June 2019 will be on Fluidity of Humour & Absurdity! The deadline of the Open Call is15 March. The summer exhibition taking place in 19 July–31 August at Nida Art Colony will be curated by Dovilė Tumpytė. This year’s Nida Doctoral School called Fight The Power 2019/1989: We, the Ungovernable will be held at the 58th Venice Biennale on 26–31 August, the Lithuanian Pavilion, the Research Pavilion, & additional environments in Venice. The search for the new Director of NAC is moving forward as we have chosen six finalists and will be announcing the winner on 18 February. By continuing our collaboration with the project 4Cs, in the Autumn of 2019, Eglė Budvytytė, Paul Maheke, Jin Mustafa, and Mark Ther will be residing at Nida Art Colony. Complementing the programme, workshops will be led by Candice Hopkins, Jesse Darling, Joanna Warsza & Kristina Norman. To become part of our residency programme in 2019-20 please stand by for our Open Call that will be announced at the end of January!
SENDING OUR GRATITUDE TO Partners in the project 4Cs
All friends and supporters of the Lithuanian pavilion in Biennale Arte 2019
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