Down the Rabbit Hole

The exhibition Down the Rabbit Hole delves into the phenomena of paganism, spirituality and conspiracy through diverse artworks by Baltic artists. The show suggests to look at paganism and spirituality as a romanticized historical refuge, pointing to its transformation during the recent years, as it increasingly takes on conspiratorial elements dressed in corporate language.

By showcasing works from the 1970s till today, the exhibition displays an intergenerational connection and how artists’ experiences in the context of socio-political landscapes of different times have been expressed in the light of escapism, empowerment and conspirituality.

While most of us have a deep-seated desire to connect with nature, we also want to understand the complicated political and social forces that shape our lives. As the pandemic and other global processes have revealed, the romantic idea to return to nature often aligns with narratives of the right wing ideas, such as resurrecting the philosophy of ‘natural order.’ It is a realm of re-emergence of various prophecies produced by charlatans, self-healing coaches, wellness specialists and even new online-media gurus. These self-soothing techniques are not only suspicious but sometimes form the core of corporate culture, and are therefore  strongly intertwined with the toxic side of capitalism.

The exhibition Down the Rabbit Hole serves as a window into the emergence of conspirituality, a phenomenon that has gained momentum in recent years. Coined by sociologists Charlotte Ward and David Voas over a decade ago, the term ‘conspirituality’ refers to a movement fueled by political disillusionment and a growing interest in alternative beliefs. It revolves around two main ideas: the belief in a hidden group controlling society, and a supposed shift in human consciousness, often called a ‘paradigm shift.’ Both conspiracy theories and esoteric beliefs focus on uncovering hidden truths and pursuing secret knowledge.

During recent years, neo-paganism has been on the rise, blending into mainstream culture while also intertwining with conspiratorial beliefs. Within the exhibition, the artworks that form an interplay between conspirituality, selfhood, and the phenomenon of paganism are showcased both in a critical and celebratory way. The exhibition Down the Rabbit Hole aims to demonstrate the intergenerational connection between artistic practices and how traumatic experiences within the socio-political landscape have been expressed in the light of conspirituality.

Curators
Roots to Routes: Justė Kostikovaitė, Maija Rudovska, Merilin Talumaa

Architect
Sigita Šimkūnaitė

Coordinator
Agnė Kuprytė

Graphic designer
Gailė Pranckūnaitė

Exhibition installation by
Dominykas Šavelis

Līga Spunde (1990), Anastasia Sosunova (1993), Viktorija Daniliauskaitė (1951), Darja Popolitova (1989), Aistė Ramūnaitė (1957), Vita Zaman (1976), Katrīna Neiburga (1978), Laura Põld (1984), Nijolė Valadkevičiūtė (1944–2020), Gertrūda Gilytė (1992)