Portraiture strategies in long term documentary projects

My postdoctoral internship project is part of a complex program that spans more than 20 years of research and artistic practice, including doctoral studies at the Vilnius Academy of Arts. It is a methodical development of my long-term projects based on repetition and continuity.

17th November 2022 my personal exhibition “Questions for the Future” (working title) will open in the Great Hall of the National Gallery of Art in Vilnius. Along with the most important projects of the last decade, including those which were part of my doctoral research programme, the exhibition will feature continuation of the story, presenting new works that have never been shown before. New productions are being developed and preparations for the exhibition are underway. Conceptually, using documentary tools, the exhibition will reveal the theme of time and the essential issues of human existence. How geopolitical processes affect human life, and how human life unfolds in the background of global world events and phenomena. How individual destinies are embodied in various scenarios of social exclusion, emigration, personal resignation or success. It will also touch on issues of age and generations, of the human relationship with cultural identity and other relevant topics. The exhibition will formulate a visual commentary based on visuals, summarizing a specific era, at the same time chronicling the dynamics of the media development and our relationship to ever changing imaging technology since year 2001. It should present my most important ongoing projects and summarize the creative path of the last two decades, at the same time opening new creative and research possibilities for the future. The works that will be exhibited will not be limited to a one single show, but will continue to participate in the formation of the Lithuanian cultural ecosystem and broader artworld, representing Lithuania abroad.

This exhibition is intended to be the first part of my post-doctoral fellowship program, which continues and expands on my artistic research, held during my doctoral studies. The show will be followed by continuous work on the body of texts and new writings, including the creation, preparation for publication, publishing and presenting to the audience of two artist’s books. At the final stages of post doctoral fellowship program I am planning to create a functional artist’s website as well, which will help to spread the information about my research and practice among art professionals, participating communities and interested audiences. As an important part of my post doctoral research I also plan to do a two-month internship in Ukraine, focusing on people from the formerly occupied territories of the state, with the aim of creating and implementing a new project that should not be limited to single heart breaking series of portraits in photographic and video mediums, but will have the prospect of developing further in the future, following unpredictable yet geopolitical scenarios. The creation of a new project should be accompanied with writings that will also be included in one of the books, finalizing my post doctoral fellowship programme.

This project has received funding from the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT), agreement No. S-SP-22-107.