Interview, Šilainiai myth

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Recent interview for Artnews.lt (in Lithuanian).

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Images by Vytautas Paplauskas

 

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ŠILAINIAI PROJECT 2017 Events

I am thrilled to announce this year’s creative actions timetable. Some dates are still to be confirmed and I am sure more events will pop up, but this looks very exciting!

MARTYNAS_01_web.jpgImage: Martynas Kliučininkas, 2017 (Šilainiai Photo school workshop)

ŠILAINIAI PROJECT 2017

16 June – Šilainiai Project happening at BeePart in Vilnius, Lithuania / Culture night

14 July – Šilainiai [PARIS] Project

15 July – Šilainiai [FORTAS] Project

July – October – Šilainiai Photo walks and workshops at schools (dates to be confirmed)

August – Šilainiai Project artist residencies and ‘Tea with the artist’ meetings (dates to be confirmed)

11 September – Šilainiai [RESEARCH] Project

4 December – 31 January 2018 – Šilainiai Photo exhibition at Šilainiai library

 

This year Šilainiai Project artist residencies are partly financed by the Lithuanian Culture Council and Šilainiai Photo project is partly financed by ‘Initiatives for Kaunas’ and the Lithuanian Culture Council. Thank you.

The European Capital of Culture 2022 – Kaunas!

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Image: judges visiting Šilainiai Project last month. Artwork by local artists Lukas Šiupsinskas (sculpture) and Tadas Šimkus (drawings).

Kaunas has been declared the European Capital of Culture for 2022. 

At this point I would very much like to thank the most resilient, hardworking home team, my creative colleagues and everyone who supported Šilainiai Project through it’s first couple of years. It has been a surreal experience and I cannot wait to start this new chapter for the project.

Next five years the activities in Šilainiai will continue and expand into other neighborhoods. I am very pleased that Šilainiai Project was one of the inspirations for ‘Fluxus Labs’ that are part of Kaunas 2022 programme.

“The Fluxus Lab, involving both local inhabitants and international cultural workers, are state of the art of creative participatory neighbourhood development.” – The Selection Panel’s report Final report, available: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/creative-europe/sites/creative-europe/files/ecoc-2022-lithuania-selection-report_en.pdf

This is a huge challenge and an immense opportunity, that can only be achieved by working together. So let’s start a conversation: https://www.facebook.com/FluxusLabs/

 

Fundraising for 2017

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Photograph by Artūras Bulota

I invite you all to support the continuation of an amazing, community based art project in Šilainiai post-war housing estate in Kaunas (LT). In 2016, with minimal resources I was able to organise a global artist residence in the neighbourhood, several exhibitions, public walks introducing residents to their seemingly generic but actually extremely diverse community, poetry readings and photography workshops. I would like to continue doing amazing things for the community in 2017 too! Please support and/or share. Thank you very much.

https://www.gofundme.com/silainiai

Kind regards, Evelina

In the press

Šilainiai Project was extensively covered by Lithuanian press this year. Here are a few highlights. More radio and TV interviews you may find in the Press section.

Publications

Evelinos Šimkutės Šilainiai – balta drobė kūrybai. Kaunas pilnas kultūros. December 2016. Online: http://pilnas.kaunas.lt/2016/12/14/evelinos-simkutes-silainiai-balta-drobe-kurybai/

Audronė Meškauskaitė, Gyvenimą keičiantis menas. 2016 11 24 – 2016 12 07. Nemunas, Nr. 20 (980) Online: http://www.nemunas.net/archyvas/20%20mazesnis%20.pdf

Vaida Stepanovaitė, Decentralizacijos projektų patirtys Lietuvoje. 2016 11 25. Online: http://literaturairmenas.lt/2016-11-25-nr-3591/3625-daile/5588-vaida-stepanovaite-decentralizacijos-projektu-patirtys-lietuvoje

Pokalbis apie kultūros decentralizaciją Lietuvoje. 2016 11 21. Online: http://www.letmekoo.lt/author/vaida-stepanovaite/pokalbis-apie-kulturos-decentralizacija-lietuvoje/

Neringa Krikščiūnaitė, Kitoks Šilainių veidas2016 11 25.  Online: http://literaturairmenas.lt/2016-11-25-nr-3591/3625-daile/5587-neringa-kriksciunaite-kitoks-silainiu-veidas

Šilainiai driokstelėjo: forto tuneliuose – kaukianti sirena ir menininkų projektas. 2016 10 15. Online: http://kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/kaunas/menas-ir-pramogos/silainiai-driokstelejo-forto-tuneliuose-kaukianti-sirena-ir-menininku-projektas-776600

Evelina Šimkutė: „Šilainių fasadas tėra viena dėlionės dalis“. 2016 09 28. Online:http://kamane.lt/Kamanes-tekstai/Kinas-ir-fotografija/Evelina-Simkute-Silainiu-fasadas-tera-viena-deliones-dalis;

Tyrimų laukas – Šilainių mikrorajonas. 2016 09 19. Online: http://kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/kaunas/menas-ir-pramogos/tyrimu-laukas-silainiu-mikrorajonas-771776

A sleeping district of poets and painters: redefining Kaunas’s Šilainiai. Deep Baltic Blog. 2016 10 31. Online: https://deepbaltic.com/2016/10/31/a-sleeping-district-of-poets-and-painters-redefining-kaunass-silainiai/

Evelina Šimkutė: „Kūryboje ir darbuose Šilainiai visada buvo su manimi“. 2016 08 31. Online: http://kalbasilainiai.lt/evelina-simkute-kuryboje-ir-darbuose-silainiai-visada-buvo-su-manimi/

Daugiaaukščių Šilainių istorija domina net japonus ir australus. 2016 08 28. Online:http://kultura.lrytas.lt/meno-pulsas/daugiaauksciu-silainiu-istorija-domina-net-japonus-ir-australus.htm?utm_source=lrExtraLinks&utm_campaign=Copy&utm_medium=Copy;

Kaip miegamasis rajonas virsta kultūriniu židiniu. 2016 08 09. Online: http://www.15min.lt/kultura/naujiena/asmenybe/kaip-miegamasis-rajonas-virsta-kulturiniu-zidiniu-285-666627;

Kokie yra tikrieji Šilainiai? 2016 08 05. Online: http://klaipeda.diena.lt/naujienos/kaunas/menas-ir-pramogos/kokie-yra-tikrieji-silainiai-763975

Evelina Šimkutė: „Šilainių ilgesys išaugino idėją surengti rajono nuotraukų parodą“. 2015 10 22. Online: https://www.silainiubustas.lt/index.php/puslapiai/kalba-silainiai/naujienos/ evelina-simkute-silainiu-ilgesys-isaugino-ideja-surengti-rajono-nuotrauku-paroda/336770

 

Šilainiai Project: exhibition of international art residency

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Šilainiai Project: exhibition of international art residency
31th of October – 14th of November, 2016
Opening on 31th of October, 6 p.m.
Project space ‘Kabinetas’ in Kaunas (A. Mapu str. 20)

On 7th of November, 6:30 p.m. we are inviting to a discussion led by project director Evelina Šimkutė with other artist-led initiatives of cultural decentralization in Lithuania.

Project curated by artist Evelina Šimkutė is one of the first who stepped into Šilainiai micro-district of block multistory houses, culturally separated from the city centre. The artists were staying in this micro-district by means of ‘couch-surfing’ in summer of 2016, where they developed new artworks. Also they made connections with local community, presenting their creative work publicly and participating in open meetings in a public library of Šilainiai.

Šilainiai Project is an initiative oriented to the local community of various generations and in this way is part of other Lithuanian and foreign practices seen in micro-districts – open creative social platforms, community and participatory arts and others. International artist residency is one of the many activities led by Evelina Šimkutė in Šilainiai, which help and start to reveal the cultural identity of the last developed micro-district in Kaunas in Soviet times. The project conducts an artistic, also historical and social research of Šilainiai, communicating with the people who created it and examining the collected archival material.

Works created during the residency will be presented in the exhibition. Brooke Carlson (Australia) joins performativity, materiality of drawing and will present documentation of performance shown in Šilainiai. Francis Olvez-Wilshaw (Great Britain) connects abstract sculpture with graphic. The Lake Twins (Great Britain) use drawing as their medium. Milda Gailiūtė (Lithuania) reveals landscape of Šilainiai in paintings based on photography. The landscape is also a theme for Marija Nemčenko (Lithuania/Scotland) in her screen prints. Evelina Šimkutė (Lithuania/Great Britain) transfers objects from Šilainiai.

More information: silainiaiproject.com, Silainiai Project, Instagram@silainiaiproject. Partners: Public library of Kaunas municipality of Vincas Kudirka subdivision of Šilainiai, PE Arts Management Platform. Šilainiai project gives thanks to supporters of Crowdfunding platform Vanessa Kilduff, Niamh Grogan and Anonymous.

The exhibition is on view I-V, 1-7 p.m. For more information info@arthesis.lt, +37061183444.

LT

Šilainiai Project tarptautinės meno rezidencijos paroda
2016 10 31 – 11 14
Atidarymas 10 31 18:00
Projektų erdvėje ’Kabinetas’ Kaune (A. Mapu g. 20)

Lapkričio 7 d. 18:30 kviečiame į projekto vadovės Evelinos Šimkutės vedamą diskusiją su kitomis menininkų organizuojamomis kultūros decentralizacijos iniciatyvomis Lietuvoje.

Menininkės Evelinos Šimkutės kuruojamas projektas yra vienas pirmųjų, įžengusių į šį kultūriškai nuo centrinės miesto dalies atskirtą blokinių daugiaaukščių Šilainių mikrorajoną. Jame ‘couch-surfingo’ būdu 2016 metų vasarą apsistoję menininkai įgyvendino kūrinius ir mezgė ryšius su vietos bendruomene, pristatydami savo kūrybą viešai bei dalyvaudami susitikimuose viešojoje bibliotekoje Šilainiuose.

Šilainiai Project kaip į įvairių kartų vietos bendruomenę nukreipta meninė iniciatyva įsilieja į Lietuvoje ir užsienyje vis plačiau veikiančias praktikas miestų mikrorajonuose – atviras kūrybines socialines platformas, bendruomeninius ir dalyvaujamuosius menus bei kita. Tarptautinė menininkų rezidencija – viena iš daugelio Evelinos Šimkutės vykdomų veiklų Šilainiuose, kurios p(r)adeda atrasti šio paskutinio sovietmečiu Kaune išplėtoto mikrorajono kultūrinį identitetą. Projektas atlieka ir meninį, ir istorinį, socialinį Šilainių mikrorajono tyrimą, bendraujant su jį kūrusiais asmenimis ir nagrinėjant surinktą archyvinę medžiagą.

Parodoje bus pristatomi rezidencijos metu dalyvių įgyvendinti kūriniai. Brooke Carlson (Australija) jungia performatyvumą, piešinio materialumą ir pristatys video performanso Šilainiuose dokumentaciją. Francis Olvez-Wilshaw (D. Britanija) sieja abstrakčią skulptūrą su grafikos kūriniais. The Lake Twins (D. Britanija) kaip priemonę pasitelkia piešimą. Milda Gailiūtė (Lietuva) fotografija paremtuose tapybos darbuose atskleidžia Šilainių peizažą. Apie jį kalba ir Marija Nemčenko (Lietuva/Škotija), pasitelkdama šilkografiją. Evelina Šimkutė (Lietuva/D. Britanija) iš Šilainių perkelia betoninius objektus.

Daugiau informacijos: silainiaiproject.com, Silainiai Project
ir Instagram @silainiaiproject. Projekto partneriai: Kauno miesto savivaldybės Vinco Kudirkos viešoji biblioteka Šilainių padalinys, VšĮ “Meno vadybos platforma”. Šilainiai Project dėkoja Crowdfunding platformos rėmėjams Vanessa Kilduff, Niamh Grogan ir Anonymous.

Paroda veikia I-V, 13-19 val. Papildoma informacija: info@arthesis, +37061183444.

Exhibition from the sculpture series ‘Objects’

Evelina Šimkutė / Exhibition from the sculpture series ‘Objects’

Opening / 22nd August / 7 p.m.
Discussion with the author / 30th August / 6 pm. Participating: Evelina Šimkutė, Jurijus Dobriakovas, dr. Aušra Trakšelytė, Vaida Stepanovaitė.

‘Objects’ fits in various discourses – cultural, urbanistic, architectural, historical and others. The author researches her native Šilainiai micro-district that has dramatically changed. This research is imbued with personal and more extensive experience of a historical epoch as well. Abandoned children’s’ playgrounds, almost seized by nature, are brought back to their original physical form through sculpture. By stopping the decay and also highlighting it, a new relationship with the familiar surroundings is being created. Copies of public objects handmade from stainless steel and concrete can be seen at this enclosed project space. Both these and originals often do not serve their direct function but mark a change of reality, memories and place.

The creative work of Evelina Šimkutė (b. 1985) acts in the field of visual art and curatorial practice and is based on the research of space and time. In 2012 an author graduated from the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. ‘Objects’ in Kabinetas project space is the first personal exhibition in Lithuania of the artist,currently working between London and Kaunas. The author is also leading two socio-cultural projects based on the practice of de-centralization: ’Šilainiai Photo’ (silainiaiphoto.com) and ‘Šilainiai Project’ (silainiaiproject.com) in the micro-district of Šilainiai, Kaunas. The final exhibition of the latter project will take place at Kabinetas on 31st October – 14th November, 2016.

More about the author: Evelina Simkute, evelinasimkute.com

‘Objects’ will be on view 22nd – 31st of August, Monday to Friday 1-7 p.m. (A. Mapu st. 20, Kaunas). For special appointments and other information please contact +37061183444, info@arthesis.lt

Evelina Šimkutė / Objects
Photography / Rūta Stepanovaitė

Solo Show – Save the Date

Please save the date for the Evelina Simkute solo show

at ‘Kabinetas’ project space, Mapu g. 20 Kaunas, Lithuania

22 – 31 August 2016.

This exhibition will present Evelinas’ sculptural work to Lithuanian audience for the first time.

Invitation to follow.