Kaunas Biennial and Chroniques: Lithuanian Artists Explore the Boundaries of Pleasure in France

The Chroniques Biennale (Biennale des Imaginaires Numériques), a digital arts festival opening on November 8th in Marseille and other cities in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France, will feature the work of Lithuanian artists and groups presented by the Kaunas Biennial. This partnership between the two contemporary art festivals is part of the Lithuanian Season in France program, which aims to introduce international audiences to the diversity of the Lithuanian contemporary art scene.

This marks the second partnership of the Kaunas Biennial in France this year and the third in Europe. It presented works by four Lithuanian artists at the Lyon Biennale, and currently, the “Superorganism” exhibition, part of the “Magic Carpets” platform of Creative Europe curated by the Kaunas Biennial, is taking place in Tartu 2024, the European Capital of Culture.

“I joke with my colleagues that this year the Kaunas Biennial is taking place not in Kaunas, but in France and Estonia,” says Neringa Kulik, director of the Kaunas Biennial. “Although in Lithuania we are better known as organizers of the largest contemporary art festival, for several years now we have been implementing not only local, but also international projects, collaborating with contemporary art field operators across Europe. These are essential experiences for our team, but more importantly, we can contribute to the representation of Lithuanian artists in the world.”

About Pleasure in the Pleasure Society

This year, Chroniques explores the concept of pleasure in contemporary society and delves into the influence of digital technologies on human emotional states, the body, and interpersonal relationships. The festival program includes exhibitions, performances, concerts, virtual reality experiences, and discussions for both the general public and art professionals.

In this environment of innovation and digital imagination, Aistė Ambrazevičiūtė will invite viewers into a virtual garden of plants, where digital technologies intertwine with decorative art and architecture. In her new work, “Plantasia Lab,” the artist explores the relationship between natural beauty and the digital world, opening a new perspective on the possibilities of contemporary art.

Emilija Škarnulytė, who penetrates beyond the limits of visible reality in her multi-layered films and installations, will present her existing work “Riparia” to visitors of the Chroniques Biennale. It is a visual journey along the Rhone River through Lake Geneva, using underwater sensors and photogrammetry techniques. The artist studies waterways and human impact on nature, raising questions about the past and future of our landscapes, exploring the depths of time and the invisible structures of geological formations, ecological and political systems.

In Maximilian Oprishko’s new installation “Epique,” viewers are immersed in an audiovisual exploration of the aesthetics of war. Three screens recreate slow-motion images of explosions, massive shock waves turning into deadly traps reminiscent of golden petals. Each screen pulsates with a different soundtrack, together creating the impression of an orchestra, deceiving the senses and hiding the true reality of war – shattered lives and destroyed cities. “Epique” challenges our perception of war, reminding us that the roots of pleasure should always be questioned.

Gabrielė Labanauskaitė, Gailė Griciūtė, and Viktorija Damerell will present the musical performance “Sports Group” produced by the contemporary music theater company Operomanija to the French public. This work is the result of five years of exploring the laws of self-improvement and creation of modern man. In the performance, sports equipment turns into unique musical instruments, and the heated air, saturated with trained bodies and pulsating veins, becomes a mirror of contemporary society.

From the gym to the city streets and intimate spaces, Simona Žemaitytė brings the video work “Love Binge / All You Need Is Love” to Chroniques. It is an urban “black box” opera about love, intimacy, and diversity. Filmed in London after the first wave of the pandemic, the work explores the possibilities of embodied storytelling on screen. Five people share their experiences of passion, sex, avoidance, and addictive behavior. Led by composer Uranas Apaka and choreographer Tania Soubry through movement, conversations, and musical improvisation, they look at their vulnerability and celebrate diversity.

And, of course, Monika Zenkevičiūtė-Monikaze arrives for the spectacular opening of the Biennale, combining synthetic experiments with acoustic explorations on stage. A heavenly voice floating above electronic sounds, unpredictable electronic compositions, ambient landscapes, buzzing bass, and heavy rhythms will hover somewhere in Marseille at midnight.

The Chroniques Biennale will also host a project curated by Vytautas Michelkevičius – the improvisation sessions “A/V Jam Session.” They will be created by students and lecturers from the Vilnius Academy of Arts and the Aix-en-Provence Higher School of Art, working with sound, programming, artificial intelligence, performance, and other media. A program of short films and multimedia installations will also be presented during the sessions.

Chroniques is a rapidly growing biennial that explores the influence of technology on contemporary creation. The contemporary art festival held in 2022 attracted more than 98,000 visitors from all over the world and became one of the most significant digital art events in Europe.

The 15th Kaunas Biennial, which will feature new works by Aistė Ambrazevičiūtė, Andrius Arutiunian, Lina Lapelytė, Maximilian Oprishko, and Anastasia Sosunova presented at Chroniques and the 17th Lyon Biennale, will take place in autumn 2025.

The Chroniques Biennale (Biennale des Imaginaires Numériques) will be held in Marseille and other cities in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region from November 8th, 2024 to January 5th, 2025.

This collaboration is part of the Lithuanian Season in France 2024. The season is organized by the Lithuanian Culture Institute together with the French Institute in Paris.