MO Museum features stars of contemporary art

Vilnius is about to set eyes on the work of a contemporary art star Hito Steyerl. In 2017, one of the best-known art ratings, ArtReview Power 100, announced her the artist having the greatest impact on contemporary art. Steyerl’s work will be exhibited at the new MO exhibition “Animal – Human – Robot”, which will open doors to visitors already on 6 April.  

Comparing economic crisis with modern culture

MO exhibition “Animal – Human – Robot” is going to introduce visitors to Steyerl’s work “Liquidity Inc”. Using the water analogy, the author compares the economic crisis with contemporary culture. The work overlooks the life of the financial analyst Jacob Wood, when, after losing his job during the economic crisis, he begins his new career as a mixed martial arts fighter.

Guided by the actor and fighter Bruce Lee’s motto “be shapeless, like water” and based on the story of a real person, Steyerl introduces the viewer to an engaging video projection in front of an impressive ramp resembling a wave. The narrative is a metaphorical combination of water movement with the dissemination of data in virtual space, global migration and the origins of life.

Examining the impact of the Internet

H. Steyerl is called the observer of our global and digital world. Using different audiovisual techniques, the artist explores, questions and provokes discussions on current topics: impact of the Internet and the digital world on everyday life. In her work, she does not avoid humour and, thus, brings her works closer to human and makes them more comprehensible to a wider audience.

“We are delighted to have a prominent foreign art representative as well as strong artists from the Baltic countries in the upcoming MO exhibition. The theme of the exhibition is global and relevant, so it is interesting to reveal it and interpret it both ways – through the eyes of Lithuanian authors as well as in the global context,” says Milda Ivanauskienė, Director at MO.

Steyerl’s works were exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, galleries in London and Madrid; she also represented Germany at the Venice Biennale in 2015. In addition, she has received awards during art festivals in the Netherlands and Denmark. This year, Berlin Academy of Art nominated Steyerl for the Käthe Kollwitz Prize. The ongoing exhibition of the artist’s works in Berlin will be open until 14 April.

Exhibition also features stars from neighbouring countries

The exhibition “Animal – Human – Robot” will also introduce works by other foreign artists. Viewers will have the opportunity to see the works of Katja Novitskova, the creator of installations from Estonia, one of the pioneers of post-internet art, known to many as the author of the Post Internet Survival Guide. In addition to Novitskova, we will see the Latvian-born artist Daiga Grantina, who will represent Latvia at the Venice Biennale this year. The works of both artists have been featured in galleries and museums in Paris, London, Berlin, and New York.

A Latvian artist Miķelis Fišers and his rather grim version vision towards the future of our planet will also be presented at MO. In his works, the artist also uses irony and humour, criticises fanaticism and belief in “universal truths”. Fišers has been awarded for his work with the prestigious Latvian Prize for Visual Arts – The Purvitis Prize. He also represented Latvia at Venice Biennale in 2017.

At the exhibition, visitors will see the works of the Ukrainian-born artist Oleg Kulik, famous for his radical performances, where he transforms into a mad dog. Kulik was one of the sources of inspiration for director Ruben Östlund in creating the dinner scene in his famous movie “The Square”. During his performances, the artist creates a shocking image of a bestial man, as if asking what it means to be a man and what would happen, if we returned to the prior animal state. MO will display Kulik’s photos, where he suggests revising the rights of people and animals.

The works of Lithuanian authors and foreign artists will be on display at MO exhibition “Animal – Human – Robot”  from 6 April until 25 August.