Laurynas Skeisgiela
Liump!
Ultraviolet, Gobelin, and Wine

August 21–September 12, 2024
Opening Evening: August 21, 7 PM

I found a dried-up moth on my windowsill in my studio. Two large green and purple eyes rested on its wings. I started to take pictures of it. Curiously, the patterns on its back were made of fur, and it appeared to have squares of different colours, like pixels.

From an entomologist, I borrowed one of his nocturnal moth collections — a few “tiger moths” of the Arctiinae family. Some of these genetically related Arctic moths are poisonous, making the visual puzzle between them remarkably intricate. (L. S.)

Deception, charms, and trickery are universal experiences, both among human beings and all kinds of other organisms. The phenomenon of mimicry has led to the emergence of many patterns found in nature. By resembling other species or objects in their external qualities, creatures are able to prolong their survival. Non-poisonous animals pretend to be poisonous, winged insects use their patterns to mimic the physiological traits of wild mammals, while the tigers, a species of nocturnal moth, borrow pelts from zebras and wild cats, paint themselves with bright markings, or wear the eyes of raptors. There are ways to attract them — certain lights and scents are the best lures for night moths.

Laurynas Skeisgiela, driven by coincidences and in pursuit of creating situations for observing the phenomenon of mimicry, has combined a nocturnal moth-watching session with the Austrian Heuriger tradition, which dates back to the 18th century. The Heuriger are temporary wine bars and taverns, organised at certain times during the wine growing season. Following a centuries-old tradition, local winemakers can sell their young wine under a special license here. This format and the pleasant gatherings attract many locals and tourists. The idea of inviting both people and insects to the same table is appealing for its simplicity, its naivety, and its almost guaranteed failure.

Laurynas Skeisgiela's installation "Liump! Ultraviolet, Gobelin, and Wine" leads to an observation space, a session with overheard conversations and thousands of moths in the Krems an der Donau cityscape.

Laurynas Skeisgiela (b. 1994) is an artist, filmmaker, and curator living in Vilnius. From 2013 to 2017, he studied at the Vilnius Academy of Arts (Department of Photography and Media Art) and the Stuttgart State Academy of Art (photography). He is a co-founder and curator at the curatorial duo and meeting room “Lokomotif” (2019–2021, together with Milda Dainovskytė), which combines contemporary art practices and strategies of urban identity formation. Recently, Laurynas (together with film director Anne Hovad Fischer) has been making a documentary musical, “To Live a Little Longer”. While cinema and curating are a collaborative space, his solo artistic practice most often takes the form of video and light installations, currently exploring mimicry in nature and culture.

Milda Dainovskytė is a contemporary art curator, lecturer, and artist. She usually chooses to hold exhibitions in spaces of personal importance or peripheral places that are not specifically intended for this purpose. Dainovskytė’s creative work is based on historical archives, sound, moving images, graphic technologies, and scents. She is a co-founder and curator at the curatorial duo and meeting space “Lokomotif” (2019–2021, together with Laurynas Skeisgiela), which combines contemporary art practices and strategies of urban identity formation.

Curator: Milda Dainovskytė.
Project director: Kotryna Džilavjan.
Graphic design: Marek Voida.
Consulting architect: Dominykas Daunys.
Analog photography lab: Spongė.
C-Print technician: Jonas Čiurlys.

Organiser: Pamėnkalnio Gallery.
Partner: Improper Walls.

Sponsors: Lithuanian Council for Culture, Vilnius City, Embassy of Lithuania in Vienna, Lithuanian Artists’ Association.

Special thanks to: Darius Mikalauskas, Joana Kairienė, Andrius Sinkus, Rufcut, Martyna Šulskutė, Bon Alog, Christian Berkes, Sophie Wohlgemuth, Inès Lisser, Sandile Radebe, Klaus Krobath, Lisa Saahs, AIR – ARTIST IN RESIDENCE Niederösterreich.