bio
Artist
I am known by many names and names have influenced my patterns of creation, therefore it is not easy to introduce myself. Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa's writings helped me understand that there is no need to be fully understood...Since 2016 I go under the name Gudrita Lape or gudri-ta-lape, which could also be translated as wise-that-fox.It should come as no surprise that I work with identity, but big part of my inspiration comes from collective memory, femininity, ecology. I am inspired by the spiritual world, symbolism and rituals. The indescribable beauty of passed-on rituals led me to performance and body art and the objects from these ceremonies brought me to creating tactile works using mainly my own textile and up-cycling techniques. Just like rituals, my works contain a lot more than can be seen with bare eyes or with a camera lens, therefore I was against fully documenting my works for many years, but slowly breaking the habit by collaborating with skilled photographers.
Nomad
The multilingual brain of mine enjoys changing locations. The rest of my body isn't sure if that's the right decision. However, I was a nomad before I stepped on this earth in my current, ever-changing physical body. My first trip outside my mother's womb was to Russia and a few years later, when I had just finished the 3rd grade, to Iceland. That is the home country of my wondering soul and where I studied until I got my degree in Visual Arts in 2012. That same summer two life-changing offers appeared. I was chosen to be one of the volunteers in Jerusalem's convent in 2014 and the Leonardo Da Vinci grant gave me the chance to move to Lithuania to be an intern of the Vilnius Art Academy's vice-dean and textile artist Eglė Ganda Bogdanienė. Half a year spent in Lithuania gave me the opportunity to understand the history of my parents' motherland as well as experiment with textile art. Shortly after I was off to Tuscany, Italy where I spent 9 months as a volunteer in an elderly home learning, observing and teaching various skills such as coloring methods for elderly Parkinson's patients and inclusion of immigrant workers through art.Israel/Palestine followed with intense religious services and visual trickeries. The list goes on.Catalunya. In various cities with Roman heritage and my hope is to be a part of that positive change by doing circles of women and creating collective art.
Conscious-being
Life can be a rollercoaster, even if you don't buy the ticket to the ride. It is easy to forget what one is here for and what one wants to leave on this Earth. Art is useful as a therapy, in the sense of making art, but what about therapy through experiencing art? I am not this body but this body gives me the opportunity to create experiences for others to feel:
• understood, a part of a tribe, collective memory• connect to divine energies, feel the divinity within• get inspired, create and be a conscious-being • hear and trust one's inner voice or inner child
I am known by many names and names have influenced my patterns of creation, therefore it is not easy to introduce myself. Portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa's writings helped me understand that there is no need to be fully understood...Since 2016 I go under the name Gudrita Lape or gudri-ta-lape, which could also be translated as wise-that-fox.It should come as no surprise that I work with identity, but big part of my inspiration comes from collective memory, femininity, ecology. I am inspired by the spiritual world, symbolism and rituals. The indescribable beauty of passed-on rituals led me to performance and body art and the objects from these ceremonies brought me to creating tactile works using mainly my own textile and up-cycling techniques. Just like rituals, my works contain a lot more than can be seen with bare eyes or with a camera lens, therefore I was against fully documenting my works for many years, but slowly breaking the habit by collaborating with skilled photographers.
Nomad
The multilingual brain of mine enjoys changing locations. The rest of my body isn't sure if that's the right decision. However, I was a nomad before I stepped on this earth in my current, ever-changing physical body. My first trip outside my mother's womb was to Russia and a few years later, when I had just finished the 3rd grade, to Iceland. That is the home country of my wondering soul and where I studied until I got my degree in Visual Arts in 2012. That same summer two life-changing offers appeared. I was chosen to be one of the volunteers in Jerusalem's convent in 2014 and the Leonardo Da Vinci grant gave me the chance to move to Lithuania to be an intern of the Vilnius Art Academy's vice-dean and textile artist Eglė Ganda Bogdanienė. Half a year spent in Lithuania gave me the opportunity to understand the history of my parents' motherland as well as experiment with textile art. Shortly after I was off to Tuscany, Italy where I spent 9 months as a volunteer in an elderly home learning, observing and teaching various skills such as coloring methods for elderly Parkinson's patients and inclusion of immigrant workers through art.Israel/Palestine followed with intense religious services and visual trickeries. The list goes on.Catalunya. In various cities with Roman heritage and my hope is to be a part of that positive change by doing circles of women and creating collective art.
Conscious-being
Life can be a rollercoaster, even if you don't buy the ticket to the ride. It is easy to forget what one is here for and what one wants to leave on this Earth. Art is useful as a therapy, in the sense of making art, but what about therapy through experiencing art? I am not this body but this body gives me the opportunity to create experiences for others to feel:
• understood, a part of a tribe, collective memory• connect to divine energies, feel the divinity within• get inspired, create and be a conscious-being • hear and trust one's inner voice or inner child
curriculum vitae
curriculum vitae
Exhibitions2022 – “Solo Exhibition "solidus liquidus" at Gallerý Úthverfa, Ísafjörður, Iceland.2020 – Food Performance at Festival de las Americas, Reb/el Cabanyal, Valencia, Spain.2022 – Digital short video performance expo “(Rur)Urban Body in Action", Spain.2021 – Food Performance "Smoothering" at Jambatan Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark.2021 – “Ferment” performance, Alboraya, Spain2021 – “Juemai” FoodCultura’s 5th online project. Barcelona, Spain2020 – Curator of “Living Prism of Light” posthumous solo expo of Aiste Rackauskaite at RW Projects, Valencia, Spain.2020 – Curator of “Beyond” group exhibition as Cryptic Foxes in Midpunkt (Reykjavik Art Fest), Kopavogur, Iceland. (cancelled due to Covid19)2020 - Virtual performance with Greta Kšivickaitė at Citytelling Festival "Life Interrupted", Kaunas, Lithuania.2020 – “On Common Ground” group exhibition in Korpúlfsstaðir (Reykjavik Art Fest), Reykjavík, Iceland.2020 – “Com’on” group exhibition in SÍM salur (Reykjavik Art Fest), Reykjavík, Iceland.2019 – “Takeover” group performance of 50 women at Reykjavik Dance Festival, Iðnó, Reykjavík, Iceland2019 – “Guided Meditation under the influence of the Moon God” solo exhibition at Flæði, Reykjavík, Iceland2019 – Performance "Silentium" at the Balts' Unity Day festival, Palanga, Lithuania.2019 – Spiritual Performance Fest "Svadhisthana" (Chakra series) performer and organiser in Sabadell, Spain2019 – Spiritual Performance Fest "Muladhara" (Chakra series) performer and organiser in Sabadell, Spain2018 – Performance and video performance screening at LÁ Art Museum, Hveragerði, Iceland 2018 – Solo-exhibition of Varmahlíð Residency works at Bókasafn Hveragerðis, Iceland2018 – Performance and video performance screening with Amir Zainorin (MY/DK) in Garður, Iceland2015 – Migrating Art Academies “Forensic Flaneur” exhibition in Kaunas Technological University, LT2014 – Performance “Bloody Foreigners” at Fresh Winds symposium, Garður, Iceland2013 – Foreign-Icelanders exhibition “Vídd og Breidd” with Kees Visser (NL) in Gallerí Klúka, Laugarhóll, West-fjords, Iceland.2013 – Dignus/Dugnas performance with Laura Zmogus (LT) in Artifex Gallery, Vilnius, Lithuania2012 – Group exhibition in CAC, organised by Education Exchanges Support Foundation. Vilnius, Lithuania2012 – Interactive performance “Yeki Bud, Yeki Nabud” collab.w/ Laura Zmogus (LT) in (In)Perfect Bodies Art Conference in Almada, Portugal2012 – IAA graduation exhibition at Reykjavík Art Museum, Iceland2012 – Art in Translation – International Conference of Language and the Arts performative presentation“Text-I'll Spin through Textile”, Reykjavík, Iceland2012 – Group exhibition “Skáskegg á VHS + CD” in Skaftfell, Seyðisfjörður, Iceland.2011 – Group exhibition “11”in Artíma gallery, Reykjavík, Iceland.2011 – Solo-Exhibition “Memories which I still have to remember. While I am at it, I will remind you of them.: The first attempt to break the spell.” in LHÍ Finnland gallery, Reykjavík, Iceland.2010 – Four day “Jónsmessuvofurnar” (e.Midsummerspirits) performance, Jónsvaka Art Festival in Reykjavík, Iceland.2010 – Solo-exhibition “Gintare with a T” in Kaffistofan gallery, Reykjavík, Iceland.
Social/Work/Grants
2020 – Guest Presenter on art and migration at Uni of Roskilde, Denmark2019 December - Assistant at Fresh Winds Symposium, Garður, Iceland2018 May – 2019July, Gudress – freelance Circles of Women facilitator in Catalunya2018 – Volunteer at location independent movement - Freedom X Fest, Pyrenees, Spain2018 – One month residency grant at Varmahlíð Art Residency, Iceland in March2016 – Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture in Chicago, USA Image processing for museum's magazine, var. Assistance incl. installations in the shop 2015 – Volunteer at the Kaunas Biennial art festival. Kaunas, Lithuania2012 - 2013 Leonardo da Vinci Internship grant Assistant of a textile artist Eglė Ganda Bogdanienė (LT) for 16 weeks2013 EVS – European Voluntary project “Sliding Doors” for 9 months in Scarperia, Florence, Italy.2009 – Volunteer assistant at the Real Time festival Sequences in Reykjavík, Iceland for Egill Sæbjörnsson (IS), Marcia Moraes (BR) & Berglind Jóna Hlynsdóttir (IS)2006-2010 Part time assistant of the painter Guðrún Kristjánsdóttir (IS)
Workshops
2018 – Body Language 4 Inclusion, theatre workshop, Vilafranca del Penedes, Spain2015 – Migrating Art Academies “Forensic Flaneur” workshop in Kaunas, Lithuania2012 – Host Guest Ghost - Art Lab in Copenhagen with Ricardo Basbaum.2011 – DAMA, 7th Physical Gaming, Performing Space and Media workshop in Visby, Gotland.2010 – RAFLOSTi - a Multimedia Performance workshop as a part of the electronic art festival RAFLOST in Reykjavík, Iceland.
Media On Common Ground FBL interview: https://www.frettabladid.is/frettir/saman-sameiginlegri-jord/ IAC- On Common Ground: https://icelandicartcenter.is/on-common-ground-a-polyphonic-exhibition-on-childs-play memory-and-migration/FBL interview on Skar-E-Lei: https://www.frettabladid.is/lifid/af-hverju-ertu-med-slaedu/ Sunnlenska News Paper: http://www.sunnlenska.is/menning/21945.htmlFresh Winds Symposium 5: http://fresh-winds.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CATA_FRESH_2018_WEB-1.pdf Fresh Winds Symposium 4: http://fresh-winds.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/catalog_biennale_4.pdf Jonsvaka booklet: https://rafhladan.is/bitstream/handle/10802/325/Jonsvaka-booklet-web%202010.pdf?sequence=1 (as Gintare Maciulskyte)Morgunblaðið: https://www.mbl.is/greinasafn/grein/1355551/ (as Gintare Maciulskyte)
Education
2020-2021 Fabricademy Textile and Technology International studies, Barcelona, Spain2015-2016 Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania) Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz (Germany) MA Joint-degree in Sociolinguistics and Multilingualism (1/2) 2011 Vilnius Art Academy – Spring semester exchange studies in the Textile department2009-2012 Iceland Academy of the Arts – BA in Fine Arts
Social/Work/Grants
2020 – Guest Presenter on art and migration at Uni of Roskilde, Denmark2019 December - Assistant at Fresh Winds Symposium, Garður, Iceland2018 May – 2019July, Gudress – freelance Circles of Women facilitator in Catalunya2018 – Volunteer at location independent movement - Freedom X Fest, Pyrenees, Spain2018 – One month residency grant at Varmahlíð Art Residency, Iceland in March2016 – Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture in Chicago, USA Image processing for museum's magazine, var. Assistance incl. installations in the shop 2015 – Volunteer at the Kaunas Biennial art festival. Kaunas, Lithuania2012 - 2013 Leonardo da Vinci Internship grant Assistant of a textile artist Eglė Ganda Bogdanienė (LT) for 16 weeks2013 EVS – European Voluntary project “Sliding Doors” for 9 months in Scarperia, Florence, Italy.2009 – Volunteer assistant at the Real Time festival Sequences in Reykjavík, Iceland for Egill Sæbjörnsson (IS), Marcia Moraes (BR) & Berglind Jóna Hlynsdóttir (IS)2006-2010 Part time assistant of the painter Guðrún Kristjánsdóttir (IS)
Workshops
2018 – Body Language 4 Inclusion, theatre workshop, Vilafranca del Penedes, Spain2015 – Migrating Art Academies “Forensic Flaneur” workshop in Kaunas, Lithuania2012 – Host Guest Ghost - Art Lab in Copenhagen with Ricardo Basbaum.2011 – DAMA, 7th Physical Gaming, Performing Space and Media workshop in Visby, Gotland.2010 – RAFLOSTi - a Multimedia Performance workshop as a part of the electronic art festival RAFLOST in Reykjavík, Iceland.
Media On Common Ground FBL interview: https://www.frettabladid.is/frettir/saman-sameiginlegri-jord/ IAC- On Common Ground: https://icelandicartcenter.is/on-common-ground-a-polyphonic-exhibition-on-childs-play memory-and-migration/FBL interview on Skar-E-Lei: https://www.frettabladid.is/lifid/af-hverju-ertu-med-slaedu/ Sunnlenska News Paper: http://www.sunnlenska.is/menning/21945.htmlFresh Winds Symposium 5: http://fresh-winds.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CATA_FRESH_2018_WEB-1.pdf Fresh Winds Symposium 4: http://fresh-winds.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/catalog_biennale_4.pdf Jonsvaka booklet: https://rafhladan.is/bitstream/handle/10802/325/Jonsvaka-booklet-web%202010.pdf?sequence=1 (as Gintare Maciulskyte)Morgunblaðið: https://www.mbl.is/greinasafn/grein/1355551/ (as Gintare Maciulskyte)
Education
2020-2021 Fabricademy Textile and Technology International studies, Barcelona, Spain2015-2016 Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania) Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz (Germany) MA Joint-degree in Sociolinguistics and Multilingualism (1/2) 2011 Vilnius Art Academy – Spring semester exchange studies in the Textile department2009-2012 Iceland Academy of the Arts – BA in Fine Arts