2022
Nemuno-7 (Kaunas 2022) Zapyškis, Lithuania
Jellyfish are probably the most abundant phylum of Cnidaria on the planet. The population of jellyfish in the planet’s oceans is increasing annually, while the number of fish that feed on them, tuna, is proportionally declining due to massive industrial fishing. It creates human-induced imbalances in the ocean ecosystem. Unfortunately, jellyfish are not suitable for human consumption, or at least there is no way to consume them yet. The only way to maintain balance is to reduce tuna consumption. But back from the world’s oceans to the Nemunas River basin, a little research has revealed that freshwater jellyfish have been found in recent years in the Mituva River, a tributary of the right bank of the Nemunas, in the Jurbarkas district. Earlier, this species of jellyfish was also found in water bodies in the gravel pits near Jurbarkas.
Even when I depict something specific (in this case, a jellyfish), I try to use form and specific materials to bring out a certain mood that allows me to reveal an idea without having to interpret it in words. I thought that my jellyfish might resemble a fragment of a fallen or unexploded rocket, or maybe space debris. For this reason, alongside traditional materials such as metal and glass, I decided to use materials that are less common in my artistic practice – scrap metal and electronics, old wires, industrial high-pressure hoses, polyester resin. Although these materials are rather repulsive, it is at the same time a somewhat paradoxical attempt to create an aesthetic object out of something that is not attractive in itself.
