“Magic Carpets” project “The Merge”

“Magic Carpets” is a “Creative Europe” platform led by Kaunas Biennial, uniting 16 European cultural organizations that create opportunities for emerging artists to embark on journeys to unknown lands and to create, together with local artists and local communities, new works that highlight local specificities.

This year “Magic Carpets” project “The Merge” in Kaunas is focusing on the newly established but equally important Ukrainian community, who have found refuge in the city. After the large-scale war in Ukraine was started by russian invaders at the beginning of this year, the Lithuanian society felt strongly affected as it still remembers the national trauma caused by the Soviet occupations. Therefore, the main idea of the project is to unite and gather together the Ukrainian community with the local citizens of Kaunas.

For this project the “Magic Carpets” team in Kaunas is collaborating with “Herojus“ school, which is attended by both Lithuanian and Ukrainian children, although students from Lithuania and Ukraine are studying in different buildings.

Three artists Joana BC (Portugal), Barbara Gryka (Poland) and Marija Nemčenko (Lithuania) were leading workshops, as part of their artistic residencies, for a joint Lithuanian-Ukrainian group of students from both branches of “Herojus“ school for a whole month. Together with the students, artists were exploring the architecture of different buildings, creating their own future schools, recycling old materials by creating collages and costumes, and learning about the migratory nature of the fireweed plant.

During “The CityTelling Festival”, we invite you to see the results of the artistic residencies by Joana BC (Portugal), Barbara Gryka (Poland) and Marija Nemčenko (Lithuania)!

Programme:

7th October (Friday) – an open discussion “Community Involvement and Inclusion in Cultural Projects”. Moderator Austėja Bliumkytė- Padgurskienė. Participating artists: Joana BC, Barbara Gryka and Marija Nemčenko.

Location: Caffeine LT, Laisvės al. 89, Kaunas

Time: 17:30–19:00

11th October (Tuesday) – opening of exhibition “The Merge” with presentation by Marija Nemčenko and performance by Barbara Gryka, Joana BC and students from “Herojus” school.

Location: Laisvės al. 55 (“Herojus” school building)

Time: 17:30 Opening of exhibition and presentation by Marija Nemčenko

Time: 18:00 Performance (meeting point in front of the school)

12th October (Wednesday)-16th October (Sunday) – visiting of the “Merge” exhibition

Location: Laisvės al. 55 (“Herojus” school building)

Visiting hours:

Wednesday–Sunday 16:00–18:00 by registration only brigita@biennial.lt

All events are free

More information:

storytellingfestival.eu and www.magiccarpets.eu

Facebook: @kaunobienale @magiccarpets 

Organizers: Kaunas Biennial

Curator: Brigita Bareikytė

“Magic Carpets” is co-funded by the European Union and Lithuanian Council for Culture; partner Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022

The project is possible in collaboration with “Herojus” school