11th April at 2 p.m. Monika Dirsytė, a doctoral student in Fine Arts, will defend her art project „From Performance to Transperformance: The Role of the Artist in the Posthumanist Era“ (Fine Arts V 002) at Vilnius Academy of Arts, Room No. 102 (Malūnų Str. 3, Vilnius).
The dissertation defence meeting will be held in Lithuanian.
Art project supervision:
Prof. Artūtas Raila (Vilnius Academy of Arts, Visual Arts, Fine Arts V 002)
Thesis supervision:
Prof. Dr. Vytautas Michelkevičius (Vilnius Academy of Arts, Humanities, Art History and Theory H 003; Social Sciences, Communication and Information S 008)
The Artistic Research Project will be defended at a public meeting of the Academic Board of Fine Arts at Vilnius Academy of Arts composed of the following members:
Chairperson:
Prof. Eglė Ganda Bogdanienė (Vilnius Academy of Arts, Visual Arts, Fine Arts V 002)
Members:
Prof. Dr. Amy Bryzgel (Northeastern University, Art History / Performance Art in Eastern Europe, Humanities, Art History and Theory H 003)
Prof. Dr. Arūnas Emeljanovas (Vilnius University, Faculty of Medicine, Social Sciences, Educology S 007)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sandra Skurvida (Art critic, curator, State University of New York (SUNY), Humanities, Art History and Theory H 003; Visual Arts, Fine Arts V 002)
Vita Zaman (Artist, poet, Visual Arts, Fine Arts V 002)
Abstract
This art project examines the boundaries of the human being and their transcendence in posthumanist culture, using artistic research where the central figure is the artist herself – Monika Dirsytė. The work is based on performance art as a research method, allowing for the analysis of human identity, its transformation, and potential extension beyond traditional concepts through trials of the body, emotions, and psyche.
Monika Dirsytė's performances are characterized by endurance-demanding long-term actions in which the body, emotions, and mind reach their extreme states. In this way, the artist not only explores her own boundaries but also invites the viewer to reconsider them, reflecting on these performances: „I Am Your Sun“, „Complex“, „Do Not Defile the Circle of Life“, „Pan/demos“, „Co2“, „Ice Podium“, „Axis Code“, „Boundaries“.
Posthumanist culture, where the traditional boundaries between humans, technology, and the environment are increasingly fading, encourages a new reflection on the role of the artist. The contemporary artist is no longer limited to the traditional creator figure – they become their own material, researcher, and hybrid being, combining the biological body, mental experience, and technological aspects. In this context, art functions as a tool not only for self-expression but also for self-transformation, and performance becomes a living experiment with humanity and its boundaries.
__________________
Monika Dirsytė, „Pan/demos“, 2023, photo by Andrej Vasilenko.
