Julija Pociūtė, "I am only interested in the moment of reality; reality experienced in various aspects" 3
In brief: Although J. Pociūtė often uses glass to express her ideas, she treats it conceptually. Artist is interested in the semantics of material, the connotations it emanates and aims at exposing it in her works. We are talking with the author about the topics she analyzes in her work - change, death, transience, memory and connections between them that reveal themselves in her works presented at the exhibitions.
In the exhibition The scale of the wave open at Pamėnkalnio Gallery in Vilnius until May 17, the artist presents photographs, video performances and object art. I asked the author to tell more about the exhibition.
"This exhibition is a story made up of separate references, which, by joining in one space and interacting with each other create a continuous connection. To me, the ratio of space and artworks is important; exhibiting them in a specific space allows one to create a seamless field of connections. Here I focus on the constant change, development and degradation; in search for differently manifesting intensity of experience. In the presence of continuous striving for something, I am interested in the scale of rise and decline," explains Julija Pociūtė.
I wanted to know whether the phenomenon of death interested author as a philosophical question or the need to talk about it stemmed from a personal experience.
Julija Pociūtė says, "Probably the primary excuse, like a starting point, is personal experience which inevitably accumulates over time. But the oeuvre, in my mind, is not the best form of rehabilitation. I simply think, that some experiences lead to reflections, in which you linger and then they extend in completely different contexts.”
In the video works the artist wearing a white robe is holding a burning candle. In one video it is vertical and in another - horizontal. Despite the position of the candle the flame is still thrusting up... Julija Pociūtė says that the flame in this case visualizes breathing, as if capturing the existence of life. "I think this artwork is the best to interpret and has quite a direct effect and at the same time you can grasp the hint of illusion, the line between seen and the unseen, a kind of surreal game with the viewer, which often appears in my works."
I wanted to know what aspect of this relationship between reality and fiction interests the artist. Julija Pociūtė explains, "That establishing of reality, based on experience determines what is to be considered a real moment and what simply fades into oblivion. The aspects of recording reality using memory is a reaction affected by the memories of the past. The emerging links between the past and the present moments, in which the new impulses are being born or the old ones get deleted."