A Trick of Light
curated by Gerda Paliušytė and Ona Kotryna Dikavičiūtė

exhibited at
Meno Avilys Cinematheque, in collaboration with Rupert Residency

photographed by
Monika Jagusinskytė and Alanas Gurinas

INT. LIVING ROOM—AFTERNOON
Through the window of an abandoned manor, we see a park with dense trees bathed in the evening light. From time to time, a few people walk by. The window is dirty and the lights are hazy, rendering people’s faces indistinguishable.

PERSON 1 (V.O.)
No one seems to notice how the sun is bathing that patch of grass in the park, illuminating it in an unreal way. The sun is slowly setting and the patch of warmth gradually fades away. The shadow of the trees unnoticeably slides out of view.

The interplay between the distorted house and the feeling of familiarity is an intricate one. It involves glimpsing fictional places in dreams and encountering what has vanished amidst the darkness. Through conjuring phantasmagoric visions, the installation brings forth light as an immaterial layer to envelope the space, projecting fragments of film negatives from the artist's 8mm recordings. Within the celluloid, intimate close-ups of forsaken neoclassical mansions scattered across Vilnius lingers, remnants of a bygone era are left in states of abandonment and decay. Like a lifeless entity, within which yet flicker animations of the spirit, the projected images overlap with the exquisite corpse of the abandoned apartment. Architecture thus becomes a haunting ground, reflecting the unsettling nature of societal transition and symbolizing the metamorphoses of societies and geopolitical landscapes.

Sandcastle
2023
17.5 x 12.8 cm
riso print, glass frame

Sandcastle
2023
20 x 20 cm
riso print, glass frame

Sandcastle
2023
dimensions variable
collage imprint on aluminium, plastic wrap, found glass, artificial candle

Ghost Eye-View
2023
looped, digitized 8mm film