This exhibition presents the first institutional solo show in Austria by the Polish-Lithuanian duo Dorota Gawęda and Eglė Kulbokaitė. The show's title references lines from a lament used in their video installation 'Mouthless Part II' (2021), exploring themes of liminality, mourning, and the connection between humans and nature through references to Slavic-Baltic traditions.
Kunstraum Niederoesterreich opens its 2022 program with the first institutional solo exhibition in Austria by the acclaimed Polish-Lithuanian duo Dorota Gawęda and Eglė Kulbokaitė. The exhibition, titled "Oh, make your fingernails into spades, Your palms into shovels," directly references lines from a lament that forms the basis for their video installation "Mouthless Part II" (2021). The title evokes a powerful image of direct, unmediated contact between humans and nature, where natural elements like earth are transformed into tools for digging and shoveling. This imagery extends to a broader understanding of relationality that challenges conventional dichotomies. Gawęda and Kulbokaitė draw upon Slavic-Baltic traditions, including the ancestral celebration of 'Dziady,' to explore the permeability of boundaries between the living and the dead, inviting a collective mourning of present-day losses. This solo exhibition aligns with Kunstraum Niederoesterreich's 2022 annual program, 'Stages of Grief,' which addresses the liminal state of our present times and the collective trauma stemming from recent health crises.
Dorota Gawęda and Eglė Kulbokaitė have been collaborating since 2013, following their meeting at the Royal College of Art in London. Their multimedia practice encompasses performances, videos, sculptural and installation works, and even perfumes. Their approach is characterized by extensive historical and theoretical research, a deep sensitivity to materials, and intellectual openness. They are also the founders of the nomadic reading circle YOUNG GIRL READING GROUP and have received accolades such as the Swiss Performance Art Award and the Collide Residency Award, facilitating residencies at CERN and Hangar Barcelona.