Dream | group exhibition | Hyde Park Art Center | Winter 2021
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I for Nested Pattern series (No.3, No.1 & No.6)
108 in x 58 in each
printed on photo tex adhesive paper
by Monika Plioplyte
2021 -
Memories Through an Infinite Canon
sound piece 5:12 min
by Monika Plioplyte
2021
Dream / group exhibition / Hyde Park Art Center / Chicago / 2021
Dream comprises new work from artists participating in the Hyde Park Art Center’s Center Program. From conceptual multiplicity to the body as monument, this year’s cohort of twenty artists collectively and boldly proposes their artistic authorship of a better world. The program and exhibition are led by Program Curator Asha Iman Veal and Coordinator Tulika Ladsariya.
Participating artists include Cecilia Beaven Gallegos, Dorothy Burge, Cathleen Campbell, Teresita Carson, Jonathan Castillo, Jason Dunda, Sarabeth Dunton, Tanya Gill, Brooke Hummer, Janis Kanter, Mayumi Lake, D. Lammie-Hanson, Percy Lam, Cydney Lewis, Frances Lee, JeeYeun Lee, Susannah Papish, Monika Plioplyte, Monica Rickert-Bolter, and Allison Svoboda.
*Images by Mayumi Lake and Tom Van Eynde
I for Nested Pattern (No. 3, No.1 & No.6) photo works and Memories Through an Infinite Canon sound piece
In 'I For Nested Pattern' works, I adorn myself with paper latticework inspired by traditional Lithuanian weaving designs. These paper textiles, woven and collaged, take the form of tapestries suspended on walls, composed of countless tiny female bodies. Each figure is a risograph-printed cut-out that echoes the poses of ancient pagan goddesses from Eastern Europe. While these images are ultimately derived from my own form, they encapsulate a broader cultural and historical narrative. In this ongoing series I document myself through photo-based performances in natural environments resembling my homeland of Lithuania. The landscapes carry deep sentimental value and evoke longing for a place or a past. Drawing inspiration from Baltic Pagan mythology and the worship of nature gods, I explore the ancient mode of communication rooted in the body and ritualistic practices, seeking connection with my ancestors. Employing the concept of 'Nested Pattern' which signifies patterns within patterns, I draw parallels between traditional Lithuanian weaving patterns and the universal language encoded in the structural patterns of the DNA.Through this interplay, I aim to forge a link connecting past and present, self and collective.
The sound piece 'Memories Through an Infinite Canon' was specifically created to accompany the photo works. The style of the songs heard throughout the piece, is called ‘rounds’ or ‘infinite canons’, in which a minimum of three voices sing the same melody in unison, and may repeat it indefinitely. Each voice begins at a different time so that different parts of the melody coincide with the different voices, but nevertheless fit harmoniously together. The theme of the music is sunrise and sundown. I found these songs on a Lithuanian folk record which was recorded in 1971 during the USSR era. For Lithuanians, rounds are archaic, mostly used for ritual purposes, and contain elements of pagan faith. These rounds used to be sung during fieldwork, harvesting, herding animals, weaving, and other daily activities. During the sound piece, the background songs or 'rounds' intertwine with my personal dreams, memories of my grandparents, and ancestral connections, exploring themes of life and death. The narrative unfolds poetically, creating a symbiotic relationship between the music and my spoken reflections.
Dream comprises new work from artists participating in the Hyde Park Art Center’s Center Program. From conceptual multiplicity to the body as monument, this year’s cohort of twenty artists collectively and boldly proposes their artistic authorship of a better world. The program and exhibition are led by Program Curator Asha Iman Veal and Coordinator Tulika Ladsariya.
Participating artists include Cecilia Beaven Gallegos, Dorothy Burge, Cathleen Campbell, Teresita Carson, Jonathan Castillo, Jason Dunda, Sarabeth Dunton, Tanya Gill, Brooke Hummer, Janis Kanter, Mayumi Lake, D. Lammie-Hanson, Percy Lam, Cydney Lewis, Frances Lee, JeeYeun Lee, Susannah Papish, Monika Plioplyte, Monica Rickert-Bolter, and Allison Svoboda.
*Images by Mayumi Lake and Tom Van Eynde
I for Nested Pattern (No. 3, No.1 & No.6) photo works and Memories Through an Infinite Canon sound piece
In 'I For Nested Pattern' works, I adorn myself with paper latticework inspired by traditional Lithuanian weaving designs. These paper textiles, woven and collaged, take the form of tapestries suspended on walls, composed of countless tiny female bodies. Each figure is a risograph-printed cut-out that echoes the poses of ancient pagan goddesses from Eastern Europe. While these images are ultimately derived from my own form, they encapsulate a broader cultural and historical narrative. In this ongoing series I document myself through photo-based performances in natural environments resembling my homeland of Lithuania. The landscapes carry deep sentimental value and evoke longing for a place or a past. Drawing inspiration from Baltic Pagan mythology and the worship of nature gods, I explore the ancient mode of communication rooted in the body and ritualistic practices, seeking connection with my ancestors. Employing the concept of 'Nested Pattern' which signifies patterns within patterns, I draw parallels between traditional Lithuanian weaving patterns and the universal language encoded in the structural patterns of the DNA.Through this interplay, I aim to forge a link connecting past and present, self and collective.
The sound piece 'Memories Through an Infinite Canon' was specifically created to accompany the photo works. The style of the songs heard throughout the piece, is called ‘rounds’ or ‘infinite canons’, in which a minimum of three voices sing the same melody in unison, and may repeat it indefinitely. Each voice begins at a different time so that different parts of the melody coincide with the different voices, but nevertheless fit harmoniously together. The theme of the music is sunrise and sundown. I found these songs on a Lithuanian folk record which was recorded in 1971 during the USSR era. For Lithuanians, rounds are archaic, mostly used for ritual purposes, and contain elements of pagan faith. These rounds used to be sung during fieldwork, harvesting, herding animals, weaving, and other daily activities. During the sound piece, the background songs or 'rounds' intertwine with my personal dreams, memories of my grandparents, and ancestral connections, exploring themes of life and death. The narrative unfolds poetically, creating a symbiotic relationship between the music and my spoken reflections.