In the Sapiegi Palace – a famous international exhibition of films by artists | Culture

This exhibition is a significant step towards continued international partnerships and inclusion of the Sapiegi Palace not only on the cultural map of Lithuania, but also of the world.

“Artists’ Film International” is an annual program presented by various art institutions around the world, which was launched in 2008. initiated by London’s Whitechapel Gallery. Since the beginning of the initiative, 32 art organizations have participated in the exhibition, and since 2018 among them is the Contemporary Art Center. This year, AFI is organized by London’s Forma Center for Contemporary Art, which has invited 15 art spaces around the world to participate, from Buenos Aires to Mumbai or the Afghan Center for Contemporary Arts in exile in Germany.

Photo by Mickael Do Couto/Mary Sullivan, The Fine Line (2023).

The new exhibition will significantly expand the geography of the works exhibited at the Sapiegi Palace. Among the presented works are films by artists not only from the West, but also from Argentina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, India and other countries.

The annual alternative program is based on a non-hierarchical, collaborative mentoring approach. Art institutions participating in the exhibition select or commission one film by the artist(s) and present it to visitors together with works selected by other organizations.

Participation in AFI is a great opportunity for art institutions to present their country’s artists to an international audience. “By joining the AFI partner network, the Sapiegi Palace extends the presentation of Lithuanian creators in the world-famous annual program of artists’ films, which was started by the Center for Contemporary Art.

Organizers photo/Ingrid Bjørnaali, Maria Simmons and Fabian Lanzmaier, “Land Bodies, Decomposing Mass”, 2023. A frame from the movie

At the same time, this ongoing project emphasizes the emerging identity of the Sapiegi Palace as a new institution of contemporary art, where the discursive tools of contemporary art allow us to talk not only about modernity, but also about history and heritage,” says Povilas Gumbis, curator of the exhibition in Lithuania. Previously, the audiovisual works of Lithuanian creators Emilija Škarnulytė, Agnė Jokšė, Robert Narkaus and Jokūb Čižiks were presented in AFI programs.

This year, the Sapiegi Palace selected the artist of the young generation, David Vytautas Aukščiūnas, in 2021. The video work “filled up, torn open” (2022-2024) by ŠMC and JCDecaux prize winner, who lives and creates in Berlin. The fabric of the film consists of a wide visual variety, from computer-generated animation to reused, other people’s footage. found footage).

Organizers’ photo/Deividas Vytautas Aukščiūnas, “filled up, torn open”, 2022–2024. A frame from the movie

The formally and thematically dense work intertwines religious and mythological images, highlights modern internet trends and pop culture motifs. Aukščiūnas’s video work, rich in references and images, emphasizes the importance of active participation in the collective creation of the world, thus responding to the main theme of this year’s AFI program – solidarity.

The organizers of the exhibition proposed to explore solidarity in response to current world issues. One of the most important goals of AFI is to create an international platform for exchanging ideas and opening different perspectives on world phenomena. Quoted in the annotation of the exhibition, the American writer bell hooks wrote: “In order to experience solidarity, we must be bound by common interests, beliefs and goals, <...> it requires sustained and ongoing commitment.”

Organizers’ photo/COLLECTIF FAIRE-PART, “Waiting for a transfer” (L’ESCALE, 2022). A frame from the movie

The writer also pointed out that solidarity should not be confused with support, which can be frivolous or casual. Based on bell hooks, the organizers invite to get to know and understand the other better through the films of artists created in the contexts of different cultures, social systems and political regimes. This year, in the films of the AFI program, the universal need and aspiration for community is evident all over the world, and the creative power of the feeling of solidarity is emphasized. Diverse in form and style, AFI’24’s selection of films provokes the radical imagination and reminds us of the importance of collective experiences.

in 2024 In addition to the Sapieha Palace, the AFI program will be presented at 14 other curatorial institutions around the world, including the Neuer Berliner Kunstverein Video-Forum (nbk) in Berlin, Germany, the Bergamo Gallery of Contemporary and Modern Art (GAMeC) in Italy, the Fundación PROA” in Buenos Aires, Argentina and others.

In each country, the films can be shown in the format chosen by the art space – together or individually. In the Sapiegi Palace, 3 films of the artist(s) will be presented and shown continuously every week, the program will change every Wednesday. Visiting the exhibition is free.