In the exhibition, amber meets recycled plastic and other unexpected materials, such as hair ties symbolizing the beginning of childhood. Even more: different times come together here – what has formed in nature over millions of years, and what has emerged from human activity and industrial history and become an inseparable part of our environment. This juxtaposition becomes a way to talk not only about different scales of time but also about our relationship to material and its value.
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In Karina Kazlauskaitė’s exhibition, these material transformations are connected with the history of Baltic amber, archaeological imagery, and the language of contemporary jewelry. The artist’s works invite the viewer to reflect on the manifestations of commercialism and consumerism in contemporary jewelry, looking back at the practice of reproducing jewelry.
“Amber has formed in our imagination as a symbol of time, but today it exists not only as a geological material but also as part of cultural identity. By juxtaposing amber with plastic, transferring the shapes of archaeological amber finds into synthetic material, I want to look at how we ourselves create the value of materials and their stories,” presents the exhibition Karina Kazlauskaitė. – “For me, art is not a created object but a way to rethink what is already familiar. Thus, even ‘worn-out’ amber can become a completely different object, transcending the identity previously assigned to it,” says the artist.
The exhibition’s narrative is expanded by a documentary film about an amber collector from the Palanga region. In the testimonies of a person who has been observing the sea for decades, the experience of searching for amber, personal memory, and the changes seen in the coastal area and society throughout life intertwine. His voice brings a different relationship to “material” amber to the exhibition – one based on craft and being with the element.
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On September 12 at 11 a.m., the Curonian Spit community and guests of the region are invited to educational workshops held at the museum with the exhibition’s author and amber artist, jewelry creator Kristina Čiunkaitė.
Karina Kazlauskaitė is a contemporary jewelry and interdisciplinary art creator. In her work, jewelry becomes a form of thinking that explores the relationship between material, value, and humans with the environment. The artist’s works have been presented at international exhibitions, including the prestigious SCHMUCK exhibition in Munich. Her work was featured in the Lithuanian season program in France in Cagnes-sur-Mer, and her pieces are preserved in the collections of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art.
The project is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture. Partners – Neringa Museums.
