Vilnius

 MG 8308-001
Climbing Invisible Structures. Ritualized Disciplinary Practices in Social Life, exhibition view, Underground Water Reservoir, Vilnius, 2016
 
Climbing Invisible Structures. Ritualized Disciplinary Practices in Social Life. Part 1: Vilnius
29th April–15th May, 2016
Underground Water Reservoir,  20 Liepkalnio Street, Vilnius, Lithuania
 
Artists: 
Tanya Busse, Victoria Durnak, Saulius Leonavičius & Vida Strasevičiūtė, Robertas Narkus,  Kristin Tårnesvik
 
Curators:
Eglė Mikalajūnė and Samir M’kadmi
 
Exhibition designer:
Rokas Kilčiauskas
 
Designer:
Indrė Klimaitė
 

There are at least two major ways of understanding the word discipline. In the first case, discipline means training people to obey rules or codes of behaviour. The second, indicates a branch of knowledge, like those studied in higher education, such as art, medicine or anthropology. The second implicates somehow the first. Learning entails the acquisition of knowledge and skills through experience and study. Teachings necessitate not only some kind of consent and submission to rules and conventions, to what is taught, but also trust and belief.

We are more likely to adopt propositions and conventions if we believe in them, then not. But if we look closer, then it seems that some of the beliefs we trust are based on justification and proofs, while other do not. Not because they are self-evident or tautological, but only because they involve teachings, i.e. beliefs. Yet, believes could also be acquired through revelation or by means of ritual use of hallucinogens. In other words, the question of belief and knowledge is both metaphysical and epistemological.

These are some of the invisible structures that shape our understanding and daily lives. In this exhibition we are looking at ritualized disciplinary practices that has become so intrinsic and pervasive that they have become invisible. But, they are still there, they didn’t completely disappear – we still have to climb them, in other words, to experience them and to feel them shape, produce and reproduce our behaviours and identities. However, it is important to keep in mind that these practices are not inherited immutable traditions. They are both agents of change and creativity.

The works in the exhibition point to a wide range of ritualized practices, connecting performances executed by people who lived ages ago, and whose activities can only by traced by means of archaeology, to contemporary rituals. Stretching from symbolic gesture familiar to everyone, such as binding a gift – a jewel with a promise of love, to art exhibitions such as biennales or visits to museums. These practices are questioned, interpreted, disrupted, modified and fictionalized. New understandings of past rituals are proposed, and directions for new ones are set up.

The broadcast sound will fuse ancient mode of existence with contemporary ways to experience music. Intimate love stories will be sold with jewellery to become part of some strangers’ lives in faraway countries. New recipes of especially distilled spirits will be born not from professional experimentations but from condensing inspiration into a bottle. A biennale conceived as an untold saga will be announced. A costume will open up possibilities to change usual patterns of behaviour and to find other ways to relate to nature.

The works are installed in a space that once was a part of a new and ambitious project – a modern system of water supply, constructed in 1912-1916 in Vilnius. It was an invisible underground structure of the city that made a big impact on everyday lives of the citizens. However, over the time its meaning for the city has changed and after one hundred years it is used for a different activity, as an art venue, for the first time.

------------------------------------------

The exhibition is part of a two-years-long residency and exhibition project between six institutions in three countries, Iceland, Lithuania and Norway. Ten artists-in-residency created works for four exhibitions in Vilnius, Nida, Žeimiai (Lithuania) and Lillestrøm (Norway). This exhibition presents works of five artists and invites to see larger shows in other locations. Most of the works presented in this show will be developed further and will take different forms in next exhibitions.

Partners of the project:

Akershus Art Centre, Lillestrøm, Norway
Office for Contemporary Art, Oslo, Norway
Nordic Artists' Centre, Dale, Norway
Residency Centre YO YO, Žeimiai Manor, Jonava district, Lithuania
Skaftfell Center for Visual Art, Seyðisfjörður, Iceland
JSC “Vilniaus vandenys”, Vilnius, Lithuania

This Vilnius Academy of Arts‘ project “Discipline Today. Residency Exchange and Exhibition” project No. EEE-LT07-KM-01-K-01-035 is supported by a grant through the EEA Financial Mechanism and Lithuanian State Programme LT07 “Promotion of Diversity in Culture and Arts within European Cultural Heritage”, project is also supported by Lithuanian Council for Culture.

EEA paprastas LTK Originalus Logotipas anglu  VDA-NAC herbas blue EN
 
10-001
Climbing Invisible Structures. Ritualized Disciplinary Practices in Social Life, exhibition view, Underground Water Reservoir, Vilnius, 2016
 
11-001
Climbing Invisible Structures. Ritualized Disciplinary Practices in Social Life, exhibition view, Underground Water Reservoir, Vilnius, 2016
 
 MG 8721-HDR-001
Robertas Narkus, Atlantic Biennale: Untold Saga, 2016
 
 MG 8726-001
Robertas Narkus, Atlantic Biennale: Untold Saga, 2016
 
 MG 8711-HDR-001
Victoria Durnak, Ex-boyfriend Jewellery, 2016
 
 MG 8374-001
Victoria Durnak, Ex-boyfriend Jewellery, 2016
 
 MG 8345-HDR-001
Climbing Invisible Structures. Ritualized Disciplinary Practices in Social Life, exhibition view, Underground Water Reservoir, Vilnius, 2016
 
 MG 8749-001
Kristin Tårnesvik, Popular hour of death, 2016
 MG 8766-001
Kristin Tårnesvik, Popular hour of death, 2016
 MG 8355-001
Kristin Tårnesvik, Popular hour of death, 2016
 
 MG 8454-HDR-001
Kristin Tårnesvik, Popular hour of death, 2016
 
 MG 8771-HDR-001
Climbing Invisible Structures. Ritualized Disciplinary Practices in Social Life, exhibition view, Underground Water Reservoir, Vilnius, 2016
 
 MG 8729-HDR-001
Saulius Leonavičius & Vida Strasevičiūtė, Fuck Language. The Costume of a Psychonaut, 2016
 
 MG 8743-001
Saulius Leonavičius & Vida Strasevičiūtė, Fuck Language. The Costume of a Psychonaut, 2016
 
13-001
Saulius Leonavičius & Vida Strasevičiūtė, Fuck Language. The Costume of a Psychonaut, 2016
 
17-001
Tanya Busse, Sandgazer Radio, 2016
 
 MG 8746-001
Tanya Busse, Sandgazer Radio, 2016
 
Photos by Andrej Vasilenko