The international site-specific photography residency program Contours of Place – Photographic Narratives of the City, taking place in Panevėžys this summer, brings together artists from Lithuania and abroad to explore the city through the perspectives of contemporary photography, artistic research and personal experience. Hosted by the Prãgiedruliai Creativity Centre, the project is divided into two stages: the first took place from 29 June to 3 July, while the second will begin on 3 August.
During the first stage, four resident artists – Dāvis Drēziņš, Mantė Elelueta, Kipras Dubauskas and Deividas Buivydas – began their exploration of Panevėžys. The artists visited various locations across the city and familiarised themselves with its cultural context, communities and stories. One of the stops on their journey was Panevėžio cukrus, where they had an opportunity to explore the city’s industrial heritage. Meanwhile, discovering the preparations for the Iškrovos festival offered an insight into Panevėžys’s contemporary cultural pulse and provided an opportunity to connect with local creators.
An important part of the project was the series of open Artist Talks, inviting Panevėžys residents and visitors not only to meet the photographers, but also to hear about their creative processes, research and different approaches to photography. During the first stage, talks were held with Jesse Navarre Vos, Tadas Kazakevičius, Mantė Elelueta, Aušra Volunge Griškonytė and Kipras Dubauskas. These conversations provided a space for discussion about photography as a tool for research, the narratives of a city, and the ways in which artists develop relationships with newly discovered places.
The upcoming second stage of residency program will continue this creative process. From 3 to 7 August, the resident artists will delve deeper into Panevėžys’s spaces, people and everyday details, gradually transforming their research into photographic works that will be presented in a final exhibition.
The series of open talks will continue as well. On 5 August, the Prãgiedruliai Creativity Centre will host conversations with artists Dalia Mikonytė and Deividas Buivydas, while on 6 August, visitors are invited to meet Andrew Miksys and Dāvis Drēziņš. These meetings will offer an opportunity to hear about the ideas emerging in Panevėžys and to observe how experiences of the city are transformed into artistic narratives.
The site-specific photography residency program Contours of Place – Photographic Narratives of the City aims not only to produce new photographic works, but also to encourage a different way of looking at the city – its stories, unseen layers, everyday spaces and communities. Here, photography becomes a way of exploring the environment, asking questions and creating dialogue between artists, local residents and the city.
The works created during the residency will be presented at an exhibition at the Prãgiedruliai Creativity Centre on 1 October.
The project is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture and the Municipality of Panevėžys City.