Živilė Jasutytė, Lilija Valatkienė | THE AMBULATORY | Textile Gallery ARTIFEX, Vilnius Academy of Arts

Exhibition date: 18 – 29 September
Opening: 6 P.M., Tuesday, September 18
Address: Gaono g. 1, Vilnius. Gallery open: II-V 12-18; VI 12-17.

THE AMBULATORY

Reflections on the passage of time and hope; the creative works of journalist and photographer Lilija Valatkienė and artist Živilė Jasutytė provide the occasion to reminisce the passing of the former Lithuanian health-care centres and undergo existential therapy.

All stories begin somewhere ... This one began when the artist Živilė Jasutytė, who had inherited an old Soviet-era medical cabinet, met up with journalist and photographer Lilija Valatkienė, who had chanced upon and opened the doors of an old ambulatory that had been out of active operation since 1996, and within it discovered a real treasure trove of medical things.

The passage of time, medical instruments rendered redundant, documents now irrelevant, simply incomprehensible objects, sowed anxiety prompting the urge to create. Born was the story conveying the perceived ending, seemingly yesterday, of the twentieth century; the futility of these objects witnessing to our existence yesterday, today, tomorrow.

In the „Ambulatory“, the emotional and external “weight” of its artefacts provide the viewer with the opportunity to experience an illusionary trip through time.

"Time relics" (authentic old artefacts, recognizable only in part) create space between the participant and his environment, allowing him to feel "safe". Objects are visually interesting, inviting thinking and exploration, possibly hypnotizing and helping to break away from the "here and now" of daily routines. Opening opportunities for new historical insights and knowledge whilst at the same time emphasizing the very subject of the research. In this case, medicine.

Who in childhood hasn‘t climbed on scales exuberantly celebrating their growth in height or weight? Though now these new-borns scales are aged, we each, young or old, may weigh with them our souls.

This project is dedicated to all our doctors and patients: from our ‘physician-of-the-century’ Jonas Basanavičius through to today’s medical staff. To our surgeons, paediatricians, dentists, psychologists and psychiatrists, nurses, health care providers, pharmacists, crisis specialists and social workers, to our friends and acquaintances who through their presence and being have contributed to the welfare of societies body and soul.