Last week, the International House in Grenoble opened an art exhibition by three leading Lithuanian textile artists as part of Kaunas European Capital of Culture and its sister city, Grenoble, which is the European Green Capital in 2022.
Both cities have maintained a very successful partnership for 25 years.
Lithuanian Ambassador Nerijus Aleksiejūnas, Vice Mayor Emmanuel Carroz and Renée Auzimour, Chair of the Kaunas-Grenoble Sister City Committee, opened the exhibition. They praised the innovative use of materials and techniques in the PHO-TEX exhibition. About 50 students of the local lycee specialised in working with textiles attended a workshop that preceded the opening.
PHO-TEX shows the work of Lithuanian artists Lina Oržekauskienė-Ore, Monika Žaltauskaitė-Grašienė and Lina Jonikė. Curator Keiko Kawashima pointed out that theirs is a unique combination of photography, textile, and various traditional technique and tools.
Lina Oržekauskienė-Ore went in search Madonnas as part of her desire to find a new meaning and religious artefacts. Madonna. And Who are These Madonnas? displays her findings after a two-year quest around the globe. Using medical type gauze, her work displays monochrome facial expressions of Madonnas in a monochrome.
Monika Žaltauskaitė-Grašienė’s conceptual approach bases her works using almost life size models with precise details. Described as a textile architect and master of Jacquard weaving, she achieves a near photographic representation on textile.
Lina Jonikė teaches embroidery at Kaunas Art Academy and is a conceptual embroiderer. Jonikė also experiments with combining photography and textiles. Her fine needlework leaves the illusion of filling an empty canvas.
Several Lithuanian films will also be shown in Grenoble's Cinémathèque: Going Home by Adolfas Mekas, followed by Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania by Jonas Mekas, on April 14 and Nova Lituania by Karolis Kaupinis the following day.
The exhibition will remain in Grenoble until April 15.
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