Opening of Jelena Škulis exhibition “Chains of Freedom, Wires of Connection”

Rugsėjo 4 d., penktadienį, 17.30 val. Klaipėdos kultūrų komunikacijų centro (KKKC) Parodų rūmuose, Didžiojoje Vandens g. 2, the exhibition “Chains of Freedom, Wires of Connection” by Jelena Škulis opens, curated by Joaquin Mora. In it, weaving, embroidery, and handicrafts belonging to the tradition of ancient crafts and household work move into the field of contemporary art without losing their connection to their origins. The exhibition will run until rugsėjo 27 d. One thread meets another. Separate elements begin to depend on one another: they are joined by repetition, tension, and time. It is an archaic gesture that still speaks of our need to remain connected. This is precisely the movement from which Jelena Škulis’ artistic practice begins. The hand, the loom, repetition, and, above all, time itself remain especially tangible. It takes months, sometimes years, to complete each work. Jelena returns to the loom day after day, while life around her continues. Conversations, everyday concerns, news, and political events also seep into the weaving. To weave means to endure, to persist, and to continue working regardless of changing circumstances. This continuity becomes a kind of testimony. Words flow through the loom and become part of the fabric. Over several meters, different languages, signs, and patterns appear alongside everyday phrases, repeating again and again. Some emerge from shared experiences; others from situations arising in the course of work. Over time, the narrative itself changes. It accumulates fragments and at certain moments seems to contract into just a few words: war, tears, waiting. The textile preserves the story of what happened while it was being woven. Between the threads and chains, a little copper appears – a conductive material used in cables, electrical connections, and communication systems. But here the connection is formed slowly – by hand, thread by thread. In the world we live in, it is not easy to recognize such an image of connection. Never before have we had so many ways to communicate, yet the experience of disconnection seems to be growing rapidly. Therefore, handmade works try to speak, to understand, and to wait, reducing the distance that separates us so that dialogue may arise – not necessarily a completed one. A fabric requires connections to exist, but tension is needed to maintain its structure. Perhaps the question is this: what does it mean today to remain together, and what kinds of connections are we able to preserve? Jelena Škulis is an artist, lecturer, researcher, and doctor of arts. Her creative practice is based on research into handicraft, materiality, weaving, relationality, and community.