KAH 50: Marija Nemčenko’s exhibition LAK

Marija Nemčenko’s solo exhibition LAK is open at the Kaunas Artists’ House. The artist is presenting her artistic documentary of the same name and the accompanying texts.

LAK is an introductory event for the 50th anniversary of the Artists’ House, which will be celebrated throughout November.

The exhibition will run until December 3. Film screenings take place on weekdays at 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. The film is shown in Lithuanian with English subtitles, duration: 1 hour 15 minutes.

LAK exhibition is a part of a larger project that focuses on white storks (Ciconia Ciconia) and their migration routes from Lithuania, through Palestine, to South Africa, each country seeing a stork in a different context but as a universal symbol. The ‘luck’ that a stork symbolizes can also be read in the title of the film, which is transliterated from the English world luck and understood continentally.

While making the film, M. Nemčenko traveled around Lithuania by bicycle, interviewed ornithologists, talked to people in the villages and towns, workers in the fields, elderly residents of individual farms; she met a closed religious community near the Belarusian border and different other people.

Film includes dialogues, reflections, knowledge, facts and fiction that touch upon the topics of storks, birds, migration, homeland, movement, biodiversity and interdependence, transforming artistic work into a space for the exchange of ideas and cultural knowledge. The musical track for the documentary was created by composer Andrius Arutiunian.

For the two years that took to create the project, artist Marija Nemčenko would like to thank: Karolis Vyšniauskas for the voice, hearing and advice, Rowan Markson for pitching the idea, Simona Žemaityte for the first encouraging nudges, Catalina Barroso Luque and Lizzie Hudson for criticism, Andrius Arutiunian for the sound, Rokas Krilavičius for the stork tattoo. A big thank you to Aistė Ambrazevičiūtė, Laura Garbštienė, and Marius Karlonas, Libertas Klimka, Liutauras Raudonikis, Barbara Helm, Nina Nemčenko, Steponavas family, Lina Saveikytė, Inga Skripka, Ona Birutė from Stakliškės, Nina from Mikniškiai, Tadeus Vallian, priest of the Šlavantai Lord’s Revelation to Virgin Mary Church and all the others, whose names the artist was unable to learn. She also extends her gratitude to A M Qattan Foundation in Palestine and to Tania Nasir, Kaunas Artists’ House team, Rupert center for art, residencies and education, Rumšiškės Ethnographic Open-Air Museum, and the Nature Research Center for institutional assistance and support during the creative process.

The project is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.

In 2021, Kaunas Artists’ House celebrates its 50th anniversary. This anniversary year is dedicated not only to discussing the meaningful history but also for celebrating the long-standing and new friendships and partnerships that are shaping Kaunas Artists’ House today. Every year we create, initiate and implement various cultural processes, events and other activities with almost 200 organizations, individual creators and communities. By building the community of Kaunas culture, we seek to give meaning to culture and its importance to society. Let’s spend the festive year together!