Paulius Petraitis
Enjoy the Now
The exhibition “Enjoy the Now” by Paulius Petraitis opens at the Prospekto Gallery (43 Gedimino Ave., Vilnius) on 18th November at 5.00 pm.
The series “Enjoy the Now” stems from a daily engagement with Lithuanian media’s portrayal of immigrants arriving via Belarus. The influx dramatically increased (more then 35 times over compared with last year) in June 2021, organized by the Belarussian regime, prompting labels of a new form of “hybrid warfare”. The regime projects attempt to highlight features pertinent to the photographic representation of the migrants, namely – abstractness, anonymity, and inhumanness resulting from an arbitrary pixelization of faces.
The photographs are also interesting documents – part casual snapshots, part arranged crime-like scenes – made by an unknown human operator. Taken during an unusually hot summer, the photos accidentally reveal Lithuanian nature and lush fields in full bloom.
These collages combine two kinds of related visual material: pixelated faces of the migrants from the photographs taken by the Lithuanian border patrol, which are isolated and enlarged (to a regular proportion of a face) – drawing symbolic attention to what is hidden from the sight. Full-size found photograph from the same source with a notable intervention – taking the decision to not fully “see” the migrants (as human individuals) to its almost-logical conclusion, author has removed all traces of the migrants.
This multilayered project consists not just of collages but also of landscape photos, objects, AI generated images and texts.
Paulius Petraitis (1985) is an artist, theorist and independent curator, based in Vilnius. His practice orbits around image-making in broader social and cultural contexts. Much of his work explores the role of technology in meaning-making and examines ways photographic images function in online and offline environments.
Exhibtion will be open till December 17th.
Gallery working hours:
II-V 12.00-6.00 p.m.
VI 12.00-4.00 p.m.
The Lithuanian Photographers Association is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.
