Dialogical and open-ended, the modus operandi of Augustas Serapinas (*1990, Vilnius, where he lives and works) often originates from the exchange with other individuals. Creating a playful and unexpected link between post war art-historical positions – from Institutional Critique to Relational Aesthetics – the individuals engaged by the artist in such an exchange could be the employees of the institution inviting him to exhibit (Georges, 2014), the children of former workers of a disused nuclear power plants in Lithuania (Vygintas, Kirilas and Semionovas, 2018), or the neighbors of the exhibition space where the artist was going to have a solo presentation (Phillip, Lukas & Isidora, 2015).

Although the artist never knows – or cannot fully control – the final visual appearance each project will have, there is a consistent and clear desire to address the potential of mundane objects and their capability of channeling interpersonal relations, feelings and emotions. Therefore, while Serapinas’s oeuvres seem to have a disparate nature, his modus operandi is in fact a coherent investigation into the inner logics of sculpture as a language that spams from monuments to interactive installations.

Following Zoom meetings with all the staff members of CCA Tel Aviv-Yafo, his project for the Center will feature three elements. The first one is a new set of sculptures, conceived as the result of the artist’s encounter with Diana Shoef, who has been the Center’s Production Manager for 20 years. Through several remote conversations, the artist discovered Shoef’s hobbies and passions and consequently conceived three vases – to be produced by local artists, artisans and fabricators – that are inspired by three props created by Israeli artist Ohad Meromi for “Resort,” his solo exhibition at the Center in 2015 and that are displayed on the window next to Shoef’s office desk.

The second element is a new version of Chair for the Invigilator (Light Blue) (2019), which debuted at the 2019 Venice Biennale curated by Ralph Rugoff and was presented again in “Open Skies,” an outdoor exhibition, curated by Avi Lubin for the Municipality of Tel Aviv-Yafo in 2020. On the occasion of this new presentation, staff members of CCA Tel Aviv-Yafo will activate the sculpture by sitting on it during opening hours, becoming themselves ‘invigilators’ of the exhibition space, which is usually unguarded. The third element is the opening of a window that will bring natural light into the space, allowing the vegetation – which is selected by Shoef – in the vases to process photosynthesis.

“Augustas Serapinas: Diana” is curated by Nicola Trezzi and Bar Goren.

The exhibition is accompanied by printed matter in Hebrew, Arabic and English and exhibition tours in Hebrew on July 10, in Arabic on August 21 and in English on October 23.

“Augustas Serapinas: Diana” is supported by the Lithuanian Culture Institute; additional support provided by APALAZZO Gallery, Brescia (Italy), Emalin, London, and Luca Bombassei; drinks provided by Malka Beer.

Images

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“Augustas Serapinas: Diana,” 2021

View of the exhibition at CCA Tel Aviv-Yafo

Photo: Eyal Agivayev

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Chair for the Invigilator (Green), 2021

Mixed media, installation view at CCA Tel Aviv-Yafo

Courtesy of the artist, APALAZZO Gallery, Brescia (Italy), and Emalin, London

Photo: Eyal Agivayev