Projects on institutional critique in the context of contemporary art practice:
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Black Out Box - are photographs taken in different time and space. Black retains information, white (over-exposed) does not. Aspects of technological and media self-reflective paradigms are predominant in this project. If digital photograph is printed - it looses all data (and metadata). Exhibited on black box wall.
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White Out Cube - over exposed photographs collected over artist's practical experience. Almost completely white photographs hanged on white cube wall. Pictures contain no data, just remains of forgotten time.
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Collaborative performance with Evaldas Stankevičius - Loop Reference.
The referent, of defence ceremony of practice art project Toys and Games for MA degree, E. Stankevičius, a deputy director of CAC, made a performance according to an institutional critique in academic surrounding, repeatedly reading the same short theoretical text several times (the idea was to loop the reference as long as possible) till he was shut down by evaluation commitee members. The reference was written on highly theoretical level with academic articulation values and with many internation words and critical overviews about abstract issues, it was hard to reach topics and ends of ideas and sentences. Abstract reference became subject of matter for studens and young contemporary followers oppositing academic professorship and members of the evaluation commitee.
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Being Background. Iconic art institutional plain and plane environment do not appeal to creativity but invite for an official recognition compromising between academic and market segments. In our days enforcement and formal organizations collapse, a white cube phenomenon mingled with a black box, walls of museums vanished, boundaries between different art media disappeared, archives went online, and even photographing in museum became a norm, perhaps touching of an exhibit is already allowed, and even stealing of masterpiece is welcomed – just for a reason to promote a museum, etc. Institutions got stuck in their own policy to preserve structures and mechanisms, fake names and kitsch works from meta-creative pollution. Belonging to an institutional discourse in a way means disappearance of your private and personal data beyond any comparison. White camouflage comes into consideration for being invisible in the institutional milieu and artist’s withdrawal for researching and recognizing institutional periphery with many stark situations.
Disappearance into a white background was successfully realised at the interventional performance for artists’ community at Ice Hotel in Kiruna, Sweden. Art residency, located several hundreds kilometers behind the Arctic Circle, and local Lapland surroundings were covered with a complete white. Firstly, video documentation of the performance and photography series were produced in a residential period as well as interventions in public space. Secondly, hacking white cube spaces of major art organizations became a great adventure deconstructing institutional phenomenon.
Interventions in Moderna Museet, National Museum, Magasin3, Liljevalchs and Fotografiska Museum in Stockholm, Sweden.
Hacking institutions by exhibiting artworks and collecting their great names for representative Curriculum Vitae is one of the institutionalized artists' activities. Being Background interventions in major art institutions cover phenomenon of presenting artistic practice by presenting list of great art institutions. Branding your artistic CV with corporate institutionalism is equal to consumer audience of museum with any knowledge on its program.
Exhibition in Mejan gallery, Stockholm, Sweden.
Digital photographs, slide show, 16:9.
Film, documentation of performative intervention, HD, 6'48''.
