THE SHROUD OF TIME – Lithuanian contemporary textile art exhibition was opened at Kaunas Picture Gallery this Friday (14th November, 2014). The exhibition offers a view of contemporary culture in two overlapping dimensions: materiality (as warps) and the flow of time (as wefts). The shroud, if we are to think along the metaphorical lines of the Shroud of Turin, marks culture, heritage, customs, habits and beliefs. From a material perspective it plays an integral part in its tactile relationship to our body: enveloping, wrapping, protecting, concealing, bandaging or simply being there. In these categories time is the connecting, experiential and site-specific link. Thus, in this Lithuanian textile collection the metaphor of the shroud of time surfaces as a reflection of life and history through tactile, readily available mediums, such as textiles, lace, needlework, thread and clothing. The title of the exhibition was determined by observation of Lithuanian artists’ practice over the last three years, which has shown that the meanings of the works are influenced by textile tools or their symbolic values.
21 Lithuanian artists’ works have been selected on the basis of studio visits, the attendance of degree-granting shows of young artists, and open invitations for participation. The curators then worked closely with the artists to select the pieces. In “The Shroud of Time”, textile works are not restricted by techniques, sizes or tools – they range from large-scale computerised jacquard woven wall hangings to delicate needlework objects, video animations and performances, traditional tapestries, and embroidery techniques combined with photography, video or dance.
There are clear explorations of identity and self-discovery in most of the artists’ works. They contain a material reality that seems as intimate as our own skin. Various garments, fabrics, cloths or rags and their representations, and maybe even the materials’ scents, become vehicles for ‘weaving’ the artists’ personal stories into visual forms. A dress, suit, jacket, shirt, headscarf, bed sheet, bib or sash would not be items requested/suggested by the curators. They express the current point of view uniting many different artists. In this collection textiles are used as a shield, cloak or shroud concealing fears, feelings, sensations, compassions, unfulfilled dreams, hidden passions and pains of longing. The vitality, dynamism and sensuality, previously accentuated in the “passionate” textiles exhibit, now in “The Shroud of Time” exhibition are replaced by nostalgia, mature self-reflection and efforts of placing oneself in specific histories. The poetry and lyrical quality of the works in the collection are so evident that even the art historian dr. Odeta Žukauskienė, who was invited to write a summary of the collection for this catalogue, places the works of art face-to-face with Lithuanian poets and prose writers.
We kindly invite you to take your time when exploring this exhibition. We invite you to read the catalogue texts, to take part at the educational programme meeting artists and exploring your own creativity.
Curators: Virginija Vitkienė, Neringa Stoškutė
Participating artists: Laima Oržekauskienė, Severija Inčirauskaitė – Kriaunevičienė, Lina Jonikė, Aušra Kleizaitė, Inga Likšaitė, Loreta Švaikauskienė, Renata Vinckevičiūtė, Monika Žaltauskaitė – Grašienė, Ernesta Dikinytė, Danguolė Bečelytė-Čechavičienė, Eglė Ganda Bogdanienė, Vita Gelūnienė, Dovilė Gudačiauskaitė, Zita Inčirauskienė, Virginija Kirvelienė, Violeta Laužonytė, Jūratė Petruškevičienė, Daina Pupkevičiūtė, Eglė Ridikaitė, Jelena Škulienė, Almyra Weigel.
Project supported by: Lithuanian Council for Culture and Kaunas City Municipality
Project partner for educational programme: Department of Textiles, Kaunas Faculty, Vilnius Academy of Arts
Educational Programme / Time spent with artist(s):
Venue: Kaunas Picture gallery (K. Donelaičio g. 16, Kaunas)
27th of November, 2014 (Thursday) 17:30 Curators‘ tour
29th of November, 2014 (Saturday) 12:00 Creative Lecture „Acknowledge, Learn, Create“ (for pre-school and school age children)
2nd of December, 2014 (Tuesday) 17:30 Open discussion „Intimate on Textile” (For adults. Venue: Cafe „Kultūra“)
11th and 12th of December, 2014 (Thursday, Friday) 11:00 – 17:00 Workshop „Put (the Creativity) into Your Pocket“ (school children, school classes, groups)* Organiser: Textile Department of Kaunas faculty of Vilnius Academy of Arts
* registration in advance recommended (e-mail: info@kaunas.biennial.lt, ph.: +37062998182)
Check the programme online: www.biennial.lt
