the alchemy of abstraction
ruta butkute en AKMAR
7 oktober 2023 - 21 oktober 2023
The works of Ruta Butkute and akmar come together in the duo exhibition “The Alchemy of Abstraction”. This encounter showcases two artists who each, in their own way, explore the boundaries of artistic expression, across different disciplines and with various materials.
Ruta Butkute is known for her choreographic sculptural research and has embarked on a project in which she explores porcelain as a medium for painting. These monumental ‘paintings’, combined with a multimedia installation titled ‘Bound’, push the boundaries of artistic expression. She experiments meticulously with porcelain and the possibilities of movement, transformation, fracture, melting, contraction, expansion, and solidity within it. By distinguishing between accidental events and intentional results, Butkute strives to look at the formation of materiality in a new way.
By setting the material in motion and guiding its transformation into new forms, Butkute’s body becomes like an imprint on the clay, where every action of her hands is reflected. Butkute views the creation of sculptures as a process stemming from bodily actions in spaces, as well as from architectural relationships that inspire movements and images.
akmar is a multidisciplinary artist who explores various forms of art, from computer-generated videos to physical sculptures. akmar questions the ambiguity of reality. Her artistic practice consists of exploring diverse manifestations of matter and discovering what it means when matter can be purely itself.
Akmar challenges herself by embracing unknown materials and deconstructing objects to see them in a new light. The artist finds beauty in dysfunctionality and appreciates items that have lost their defined role due to age, fashion, or other factors. By choosing outdated software, leftover materials, and items from her personal history—such as fur coats worn for generations or drawings from her childhood to the present—these are repurposed in new works. Akmar’s work embraces the concept that everything is constantly changing and transforming, without political or activist judgment. Instead, she lets the materials speak for themselves and creates a space in which they can express their own inherent properties.
“The Alchemy of Abstraction” brings together the work of Butkute and akmar in an exhibition that focuses on abstraction, the transformation of matter, and the exploration of reality. The encounter between these two artists creates a unique dynamic and invites the public on a journey of discovery and wonder.