"Am I Who I Am?" - Almyra Weigel's 30th Anniversary Exhibition
The exhibition "Am I Who I Am?" (2024) by contemporary artist Almyra Weigel (Lithuania-Germany) commemorates the 30th anniversary of her creative work. Almyra Weigel's art spans a wide range of themes, from information, memory, and ecology to the inner turmoil of the individual, prompting the silent question: "Am I who I am?" For the artist herself, this is not an empty phrase.
"We need to ask ourselves this question, to take time to reflect, so that the abundance and diversity of information doesn't plunge us into inner confusion. I am an artist who observes and discusses environmental aspects, who considers all facets of life, and who believes that the light side is stronger than the shadow side," says the artist.
Innovative Materiality and Conceptual Art
A significant characteristic of Almyra Weigel's works is their preserved textile nature. She works with self-created materials and experiments with matter that easily changes its state – paper, plastic, silicone, coffee, spices, glue. The artist has discovered innovative ways of surface design, including a unique hot glue technique, newspaper threads, and large sculptures formed from printed paper. Manual labor, the constant process of research, and unexpected forms created through combination and recycling have gained the significance of conceptual artistic work in Almyra Weigel's oeuvre.
Embracing Ephemerality
Aware of the fragility of all things, she does not strive for the eternity of her works. Some of the pieces in this exhibition will be destroyed after it concludes. This action is not public. A column containing the ashes of previous installations serves as a reminder of past exhibitions. The artist asks, "Are we who we are, and what will we be?" Almyra Weigel's work is a fascinating combination of delicacy and radicalism. On one hand, it's an image of a modern world yearning for goodness and beauty, yet constantly destroying something.
About the Artist
Almyra Weigel (Bartkevičiūtė) is a contemporary artist working in experimental textile art and interdisciplinary art. She received her artistic education at the Vilnius Academy of Arts and the Kaunas Institute of Fine Arts, where she also taught for about ten years. She has lived in Berlin since 2001, and her works have been exhibited in various formats in both Germany and Lithuania. The artist received an honorary diploma at the European Triennial of Textile Art "Global Intrigue" in Riga (2007), was nominated for the Neukölln Art Prize in Berlin (2018), and received several grants from the Lithuanian Culture Council. In 2019, Almyra Weigel received the Golden Badge of the Lithuanian Artists' Association, awarded to fellow artists.
Exhibition Details
- Curator: Prof. Dr. Rasa Žukienė
- Designer: Darius Petreikis
- Exhibition Organizers: M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art and the Kaunas Branch of the Lithuanian Artists' Association
- Partners: Adomas Mitkus School in Garliava, "Aura" Dance Theater, "Gijų sodai" Textile Studio, "Kauno diena" (information partner)
- Project Funding: The project was financed by the Lithuanian Culture Council.
Text: Rasa Žukienė