Conceptual Textile: The School of Laima Oržekauskienė

Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis

Abstract

The article examines Laima Oržekauskienė’s work and the distinctive characteristics of the conceptual textile school she established in Kaunas. It provides insight into the cultural context of this school, considering the latest advancements in textile art and its integration into contemporary artistic practices. The primary aim of the article is to bring to light the essential features inherent in Oržekauskienė’s conceptual textiles. It explores the theoretical and artistic shifts evident in her work, emphasizing manifestations of conceptuality and performativity that encode feminine experiences while drawing upon diverse references from cultural memory. The author contends that the conceptuality inherent in Oržekauskienė’s work serves as a nexus connecting modernity to archaism and intertwining life experiences with other artworks, resulting in performative networks of meanings. Oržekauskienė integrates other media in her textile creations, propelling textile art towards a realm of metatextile. Her influence is marked by the initiation of a textile movement in Kaunas, inspired by the Lausanne Biennials, which facilitated the dissemination of metatextile discourse. The article further acknowledges the contributions of Monika Žaltauskaitė-Grašienė (Žaltė) as one of the nurturers of this movement. Žaltė incorporates textile into interdisciplinary projects and collaborative practices, offering reflections on the multifaceted folds of life and memory, states of becoming, and events.