ARTVILNIUS’18 /Sla307 Art Space at ArtVilnius’18 International Art Fair
SLA307 ART SPACE AT ARTVILNIUS’18
JUNE 7 – 10, 2018
9th International Contemporary Art Fair
LITEXPO Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre
Address: Laisves av. 5, Vilnius Halls 3, 4, 5
You will find us at Hall 5 / 5.24 + Visiting information
Sla307 is honored to announce our participation in ARTVILNIUS'18. Art Vilnius is an international contemporary art fair in its 9th year. It takes place in Congress Centre Litexpo, Vilnius, Lithuania, from June 7-10. Visit us at Hall 5 / 5.25.
ArtVilnius’18 is featuring 55 galleries and showcasing 200 artists from 20 countries (Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Poland, Estonia, France, Denmark, Italy, Russia, the US, Ukraine etc).
We can’t express enough excitement and appreciation to the Director of Art Vilnius, Diana Stomiene, and her team for inviting us to participate.
Thank you ArtVilnius!
Our mission during the 4 years of our existence has gotten more pronounced as we gained more knowledge and experience over time. At the fair we will be presenting 9 Lithuanian American artists that live and work in New York City. All of the selected artists work in different mediums and individually explore different artistic challenges, issues, and ideas.
Sla307 Art Space - founded in 2014, is a platform dedicated to promoting and sharing Lithuanian art and diaspora through inclusive and mutual cultural exchange. Sla307 curates a number of contemporary art exhibitions throughout the year that showcases local and international contemporary artists and provides a forum to explore critical issues within art and culture in New York City. We also feature a series of public programming, which includes lectures, performances, and film screenings, in order to further encourage cultural interactions between artists and audience.
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Lithuanian Alliance of America (LAA) is an organization established in 1886 in Pennsylvania. Since 1910 the headquarters of organization remain in New York city, Chelsea district. Wanting to renew its activities as a non-profit organization, the Lithuanian Alliance of America launched its art program, Sla307 Art Space. The goal of the arts initiative is to facilitate a broader display of mutual cultural exchange in New York and harbor cultural dialogues created through the display of contemporary artistic expression and engaging public programming from a minority perspective and are open to the world.
THE ARTISTS: DAINA MATTIS, JULIUS LUDAVIČIUS, IEVA MEDIODIA, AIDAS BAREIKIS, LAIMA SPRANGAUSKAITĖ, NIJOLĖ KUDIRKA, ASTA JONYTYTĖ, RASA PRANCKŪNAITĖ, LAURA ZAVECKAITĖ
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DAINA MATTIS
Daina Mattis, Kraft (Black Marble), 2017. 16" x 24". Oil on linen mounted to board
Daina Mattis (b. 1984, Los Angeles, CA) is a Brooklyn based visual artist who works across the mediums of drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Her choice of materials and imagery creates sub-dialogues connecting time, patterns, and humanity, while also exploring innovative methods of visual communication.
Mattis has exhibited nationally as well as internationally, and her work can be found in many private and public collections. Notable exhibitions include the Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY; the Charles Allis Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI; Art Miami - Context, Miami, FL; the Cooper Union A.I.R. Exhibition, New York, NY; Marymount University of California, San Pedro, CA; Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut, CA; Sla307 Art Space, New York, NY; the Blue House Gallery, Dayton, OH; J. Cacciola Gallery, NY, NY and Frances Keevil Gallery, Sydney, Australia. Mattis has instructed as an Adjunct Professor at Syracuse University, as a visiting Assistant Professor at Kutztown University, PA, and as a Drawing Instructor at Cooper Union.
Mattis is currently a lecturer at Parsons the New School of Design in New York, NY. She is represented by High Noon Gallery in Manhattan, NY, and Sara Nightingale Gallery in Sag Harbor, NY. Mattis is preparing for a solo show in October of 2018 at High Noon, as well as a solo show in March of 2019 at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, GA as a visiting artist.
/ dainamattis.com /
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JULIUS LUDAVIČIUS
Julius Ludavicius, Harmony/Homicide, 2018. Various sizes. An installation of 7 small, oil panels. The number o panels can be limitless
Harmony/Homicide, 2018
Julius Ludavičius (b. 1969 Vilnius, Lithuania) is a Brooklyn based painter.
1980 - 1987, Vilnius M.K. Čiurlionis Art High school, painting; 1987 - 1993, Vilnius Art Academy, painting; 1994 - 1997, Hunter College of New York City, MFA in painting.
During his studies in Vilnius, Julius Ludavičius participated in art movements such as "Žalias Lapas" and "Geros Blogybės". They included many exhibitions of paintings, installations, and often Fluxus type performances, concerts, and events. In 1993, he received the Fulbright Scholarship for studies in New York, USA. In 1993, he received the Soros Grant.
From 1993, Julius Ludavičius has been living and working in New York. During the past 25 years, he created many paintings and drawings. He had numerous solo exhibitions, and also participated in some group shows in New York. In 2015, he had an exhibition at Sla307 art space. His last project in Lithuania was the "Geros Blogybes" show at Jonas Mekas art center, which was organized by Lewben foundation in 2014.
In 2013, Julius Ludavičius became involved in SLA/LAA (Lithuanian Alliance of America) activities. Sla307 Art Space is a non-profit, artist-run, volunteer-based art program and a cultural department of Lithuanian Alliance of America. Starting from 2014, Julius Ludavičius has been the director of Sla307 Art Space. In 2016, Julius Ludavičius became involved in the board of directors of SLA/LAA.
/ juliusl.com /
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IEVA MEDIODIA
Ieva Mediodia, Second Life, 2014, 20" x 20”. Acrylic and airbrush technique on canvas
Ieva Mediodia (b.1968 Lithuania) lives and works in upstate New York.
1993 graduated from Vilnius Academy of Art. Since 1992 exhibited with art group "Good Evils", in major Lithuanian cities.
Moved to NYC in 1996 to receive her MFA at Hunter College in 2001.
She has exhibited installations, drawings and paintings internationally – Biennials at Vilnius CAC,(Lithuania), Triennial in Iasi (Romania), International women artists show at the Scuderie Aldobrandini Museum in Italy, and other venues/galleries in Paris, Rome, Bologna, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and Hudson, NY. Her work is mentioned in Flash Art, The New York Times, Art Forum, L.A. Weekly, Times Union, Albany, NY and Italian and Lithuanian art catalogues.
Awards:
2012-2017 artist in residency, studio space by Robert Pardo and Agora Foundation at 101 Paul street, Hudson, NY (USA)
2001 Graf Travel Grant to Pompeii, Hunter College, New York (USA)
1996 Grant of the Westerly Trust, London (UK)
1994-1995 Annual State Scholarship of Lithuania (Lithuania)
1994 Soros Foundation Grant in Lithuania
Mediodia's first New York solo show "Biomorphic Automata" was exhibited at Annina Nosei Gallery in Chelsea, where she was represented from 2003-2006 and after the gallery moved to Harlem, NY from 2006-2008. Mediodia's work is included in the private collection of the prominent art dealer Annina Nosei and in other collections across the US and Europe, as well.
In presented work ideas unfolded through painting the process of the ever changing reality of life existence – being born, giving birth and the presence of growing daughter. Through painting process I contemplate the fragility of life pulsating in an aggressive environment of advancing artificial intelligence.
I expressed it in a luminescent and contrasting color scale like computer screens.
In my painting practice the intention is to make a connection between my memories – emotional, bodily and mental experiences, and the matrix of the elusive "external" physical reality. It is a map – a portrait of my internal mentation.
In the process of painting, composition emerges organically – a mark on a blank surface-random spill of paint. My choice – fluid acrylics and ink using paintbrush, pen and airbrush techniques. I introduce contrasting languages – organic and mechanical: the pools of paint forming into random shapes are overlaid with gestures of paintbrush and pen and gestures using a machine – an airbrush.- I.M.
/ ievamediodia.com /
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AIDAS BAREIKIS
Aidas Bareikis, The Death of the Young Wind, 2018. 30" x 22". Sanguine, sepia, marker, pencil
Aidas Bareikis (b. 1967 in Vilnius, Lithuania) currently lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.
Aidas Bareikis holds a MFA from Hunter College and Vilnius Art Academy. He is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and a Soros Foundation Grant.
He exhibited extensively at Leo Koenig Gallery and Canada Gallery in New York. He also exhibited at MASS MoCA, Mass; MOMA PS1, NY; the Kunsthalle Wien, Austria; Migros Museum, Zurich, Switzerland; Zacheta Center for Contemporary Art, Warsaw; CAC Vilnius, Lithuania; Center for Contemporary Art, Berlin; Grand Arts, Kansas City, MO. In 2017, his work was selected in the first Athens Biennial "Destroy Athens".
/ aidasbareikis /
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LAURA ZAVECKAITĖ
Laura Zaveckaitė, 5 panel installation 1/1 Fellow Countrymen, 2018. 80" x 24". Silk screen print on paper mounted on aluminum
Animated GIF of 5 panel installation 1/1 Fellow Countrymen, 2018
B. 1979 Kaunas, Lithuania Since 2003 lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. 1997 - graduated Kaunas Art Gymnasium. 2001 - Vilnius Academy of Arts - bachelors degree in print making.
Exhibitions: 2018 - Laura Zaveckaite is invited to participate in “Kaunas Mene” art festival as a guest artist, Lithuania. 2017 - An installation of intaglio prints from Lithuanian Aliance of America archives of over 2000 photogravure plates to commemorate organization’s 130th milestone. Exhibition entitled Tėvynė/Patria, Sla307 Art Space, New York, NY. 2015 - Solo show “Installation” at Sla307 Art Space, NY; An installation piece at Labanoras forrest “In Between”, Lithuania. 2013-16 group shows in New York: 2013 - Bushwic Open Studios, Brooklyn, NY; Big Irv’s Collective Gallery, Brooklyn, NY; Paddle8 online auction, to rise funds for Sla307 Art Space. 2004 - group show “Lithuania As Is” at Lithuanian Consulate General in New York. 2003 - Solo show at “ Čiurlionis Art Gallery”, Chicago, IL.
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Fellow Countrymen, ( 2018) is a 5-panel artwork, that I made, inspired by archival photogravure plates that I found in the Lithuanian Alliance of America (SLA/LAA) archives, after joining the organization in 2015 as a volunteer for Sla307 Art Space, NY. SLA is the acronym in Lithuanian for LAA, the Lithuanian Alliance of America (Susivienijimas Lietuvių Amerikoje - SLA). This particular plate’s date could be estimated to be from end of 19th century to the beginning of 20th century. Photogravure is an intaglio printmaking or photo-mechanical process printing invented in 1879 and the basic process is to photographically transfer an image to a metal plate, etch the image on the plate and then print from it. It was widely used for brochures, magazines, and newspapers at the time.
The presumption is since1896, in an attempt to maintain Lithuanian culture and language, the SLA organization launched a newspaper Tėvynė. It’s main purpose was to keep American Lithuanians abreast of pertinent information related to Lithuanian culture, politics, economics, etc. In 1910 it’s headquarters were relocated from Pennsylvania to New York, NY., where it exists today. It would be assumed that these photogravure plates where used for the Tėvynė newspaper or other publication published in the printing house at SLA facility.
The very fact that these plates were made (photographed) a century ago and were never revealed until the Tėvynė/Patria exhibition in 2017, was what sparked my curiosity. The anonymity of the content, made me question the importance of belonging to a group (community) in terms of ethnicity’s identity in these times of globalization. It was like touching mummified remains of our ancestors, an “X” factor moment. My goal became to resurrect these images and see where they would take me. It took 2 years to clean, store and organize most of the 2000 remaining plates. Then began the printing process.
While in the process of reclaiming the plates, I kept thinking who were these people, though seemingly Lithuanians. The fact that I was exploring this plot as an artist, not as an archivist nor an historian, but also as a 4-th wave immigrant from Lithuania, let my imagination travel in time. My feelings were acute to that very fact that I was free to choose my destiny and never forced to immigrate. Every portrait’s appearance on paper made me question if there is a family line still carrying the person’s bloodline?
Is there another photo in their family album? Is there a name? Of what significance is it to a person to know one’s roots?
Imagery plays a significant role as means to record history, photography becomes a factual evidence, fingerprint or blueprint of the past. This data even though is susceptible to manipulation that can corrupt that very information that is left for future generations, it is sometimes the only facts that we become dependent on to define the reality of the past.
In conclusion, this project and investigation brought me to this thought: as long as we share the stories of our ancestors verbally, share them in a circle of friends and family, know and say their names, they remain alive and the stories can pass on to other generations. All these individual stories are an emotional history of a nation.
History is a "cult of facts" based storytelling, viewing historical facts as information that is assembled to produce an objective picture of the past. Memory is sort of the opposite of it, it’s an emotionally charged story. That is from where all the folklore, heroism, freedom, enthusiasm, patriotism and pride germinates, memory gives a base for mythology to be born and national anthems to be written.
If you delete memories, you create a mankurt.
Fellow Countrymen, 2018. I artificially (purposefully) enlarged the original image x 4 times as to enlarge the “unknown”. If you enlarge something, or use magnifying glass, a microscope above something in order to see, “the image” should be clearer, but in this case the fuzz of “unknown” overtakes the image, it dissolves individuals into one black block as if to remind that individuality, like the names are lost. This is an allegorical piece. - L.Z.
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NIJOLĖ KUDIRKA
Nijolė Kudirka, Moon Walk 1, 2017. 18” x 22”. Photo encaustic
Nijole Kudirka, who is Lithuanian by birth, is a photographer based in New York City. She worked first in sculpture and painting, and later on turned to photography. After obtaining her Ph.D. in Psychology at Yale University, she studied in New York City at the Studio School, School of Visual Arts and International Center for Photography. She has traveled extensively and photographed various sites around the world.
She has had many exhibitions including at Sla307 Art Space, New York; Alex Ferrone Gallery; Cutchogue, New York; Ecco Space Cultural, Brasilia, Brazil; Joyce Towbin Chasan Fine Arts, New York; Querini Stampalia Foundation, Venice, Italy; A.I.R. Gallery, New York; and National Arts Club, New York.
My images are inspired by the flowing, painterly tradition of the poetic, lyrical landscapes, as portrayed by those such as Camille Corot or Albert Pinkham Ryder. The encaustic medium combines wonderfully with photo images to produce a layering transparency with depth and tonality. The product is therefore a combination of printmaking and photography. I use handmade Japanese rice papers to print the images. I then combine them with layers of gold leaf, all fused with wax, to produce the final effect. Throughout the process, I aim to convey some of the transient effects of the ever-changing light. These landscapes are about memory, mood, and atmosphere, rather than depictions of reality. - N.K.
/ nijolekudirka.com /
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LAIMA SPRANGAUSKAITĖ
Laima Sprangauskaitė, from The Moon series. The Moon II, 2013. 22” x 30” paper size, 15” x 15” image. Monotype
Laima Sprangauskaitė (b.1959 Vilnius, Lithuania). Since 1992 lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.
Graduated from the Vilnius Academy of Arts in Lithuania with a MFA in painting. She has studied printmaking in New York City at the National Academy of Design and received scholarships from Valerie Delacorte, Antanina Kunigonis Bachielis, and the J.B & Margaret Blaugrund Foundation.
In addition, Laima has received the Award of Excellence from Manhattan Arts International, an award at "The Healing Power of Art" competition, and the Bruce Museum Choice Award. Her work has been exhibited at National Academy Museum of Fine Arts and in various galleries throughout Europe and the United States.
My artistic expression is drawn from the oldest traditions of mystical intuition: the unity of Void, Plenum and Self, and their pulsing interconnectedness. My art attempts to display this intrinsic unity and harmony that exist everyday and everywhere. - L.S.
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ASTA JONYTYTĖ
Asta Jonytytė, Tranquility, 2012. Photograph: Giclee archival print. Image size: 30 x 30 cm, Paper size 32.5 x 32.5 cm
Asta Jonytyte was born in 1972 in Vilnius, Lithuania, and currently lives in New York City. Her practice in photography is focused on what happens everyday. She often works on the street, and finds beauty in flaws and imperfection, which are then documented. Asta’s curiosity for the unknown has brought her to various places around the globe. She currently has ongoing personal projects in New York City, California, and Lithuania.
Asta mostly shoots with black & white 120mm film using Holga or Yashica Mat 124G cameras.
/ astajonytyte.tumblr.com /
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RASA PRANCKŪNAITĖ
Rasa Pranckūnaitė, My Beloved Trees, 2018. 11" x 16". Mixed media