"IN/OUT", Installation, CAC, Vilnius, 1998; Baltic Art Centre, Visby, Sweden, 1999
"The centres of the world/enjoy yourself", 1999. to be continued. Performance. C-Prints
"It is the First One, It is the Last One" 2000.
"Spaces I-VIII " 2001.
"Spaces I-VIII" 2001.
"High culture unexplored dream", 2004.
"This is on of the ways to see the last big project by Dainius
Liškevičius "In/Out", first shown in the exhibitions "Cool Places"
at the Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius. The structure of
several automatic doors operating on the opposite basis is a
metaphor of social context of the post-communist countries. It
Shows a clash between the offer of the social ideals and the fact
the they are not accessible to a bigger part of society. On the
other hand this work really functions only when the spectators
create the playful situation, which is content of the metaphor
mentioned above. The playfulness of this work also reflects the
important aspects of the "societe de spectacle" as described by Guy
Debord. So "In/Out" is critical and descriptive at the same
time".
Jonas Valatkevičius, Curator, Contemporary Art Centre (CAC),
Vilnius, in Baltic Art center, 99// Björkanderska Magasinet, Visby,
1999, s. 7-11.
This project consist of number of short performances in which
the artist stands on his head for around minute at random sites.
The title refers to ancient ideas about the structure of the world:
when standing on his head, the artist is actually holding up the
planet. The human head is the centre of the world. The situation is
generated by the unfamiliar socials context, a new environment
which has to be adapted to. To understand it you have to change
yourself, to adapt yourself to the new social conditions. The
performances are a metaphor for a virtual overturn happening in
your mind. The project is presented as a photo documentation. This
is a work in process. The project is continued in every country
artist visits. There are about 400 photos produced at the moment
(In Holland, Poland, Belarus, Finland, Lithuania, Sweden, Latvia,
India etc.).
In these three performances the artist appears as himself
wearing the black suit and black sunglasses. The artist occupies
the role of his own double
In the video-performance "Restart" Dainius Liškevičius smokes a
cigarette, then melts a piece of chocolate with his cigarette
lighter, smears the chocolate on his face and then wipes his face
with the Lithuanian flag, which is hanging in the background. After
wiping the face, another person appears instead of the artist. This
video-performance was inspired by the excerpt from the comedy of
G.Zidi "The Beast", where the main character is lighting the
cigarette and his double is falling down the steps.
In these three performances the artist appears as himself
wearing the black suit and black sunglasses. The artist occupies
the role of his own double.
In the second performance "It is the First One, It is the Last
One" the artist smokes the cigarette, puts on the fireman's
helmet, hits the wall with his head and falls down. The
performance expresses ironic position towards the concept of
achievement. The helmet transforms the singular act, which is
referenced in the title (It Is the First One, It Is the Last One)
into multiple ones.
In these three performances the artist appears as himself
wearing the black suit and black sunglasses. The artist occupies
the role of his own double.
In the third performance "30 times" the artists takes off his
shoes, then crawls around the carpet thirty times and puts the
shoes back on
The series of photographs titled "Spaces I-VIII"feature the
interiors of eight theater halls in the five cities ofLithuania-
The Lithuanian National Drama Theatre, Russian Drama Theater, Youth
Theater, Kaunas Drama Theater, Kaunas Music Theater, Klaipeda Drama
Theater, Panevėžys Culture Hall and Panevėžys Theater of
J.Miltinis.
The artist occupies an unusual perspective in these photographs:
he photographs the viewer seats of the theater from the position of
a person on stage. Thus the look into a person is replaced by the
look into a society. Apart from that, artist documents empty halls;
hence the focus is not so much on the society, but on its
structure.
The series of photographs titled "Spaces I-VIII"feature the
interiors of eight theater halls in the five cities ofLithuania-
The Lithuanian National Drama Theatre, Russian Drama Theater, Youth
Theater, Kaunas Drama Theater, Kaunas Music Theater, Klaipeda Drama
Theater, Panevėžys Culture Hall and Panevėžys Theater of
J.Miltinis.
The artist occupies an unusual perspective in these photographs:
he photographs the viewer seats of the theater from the position of
a person on stage. Thus the look into a person is replaced by the
look into a society. Apart from that, artist documents empty halls;
hence the focus is not so much on the society, but on its
structure.
Installation "High Culture Unexplored Dream" was presented in
the CAC series of emerging artists' solo shows titled "Emission".
In this work the viewer is invited to enter a dimly light room. The
room is filled with special ambient music created by artist Linas
Rimša, which provides a relaxing mood. The viewers are invited to
lay down on one of the seven round-shaped mattresses and observe
the images in the round screens above. The screens are the
projections of changing slides featuring beautiful compositions of
colorful textiles that resemble spectacular mountain views. The
installation is completed with the repetition of words written on
the wall in one continuous line CULTURE DREAM DRAMA. The following
phrases comment the artwork:
HIGH DREAM UNEXPLORED DRAMA
HIGH DRAMA UNEXPLORED DREAM
HIGH DREAM UNEXPLORED CULTURE
HIGH CULTURE UNEXPLORED DREAM
