‘Šilainiai Project’ is a creative platform in housing estate of Šilainiai, Kaunas (Lithuania) which focuses on active engagement with the site and local community through a variety of creative processes – collaborative archives, workshops, artist residencies, talks and events. Project was set up by local artist Evelina Šimkutė back in 2015.
Visit www.silainiaiphoto.com for photography part of the project.
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Project curated by artist Evelina Šimkutė is one of the first who stepped into Šilainiai micro-district of block multistory houses, culturally separated from the city centre. The artists were staying in this micro-district by means of ‘couch-surfing’ in summer of 2016, where they developed new artworks. Also they made connections with local community, presenting their creative work publicly and participating in open meetings in a public library of Šilainiai.
Šilainiai Project is an initiative oriented to the local community of various generations and in this way is part of other Lithuanian and foreign practices seen in micro-districts – open creative social platforms, community and participatory arts and others. International artist residency is one of the many activities led by Evelina Šimkutė in Šilainiai, which help and start to reveal the cultural identity of the last developed micro-district in Kaunas in Soviet times. The project conducts an artistic, also historical and social research of Šilainiai, communicating with the people who created it and examining the collected archival material.
Vaida Stepanovaitė, 2016
Šilainiai Artist In Residence, Šilainiai microdistrict, Kaunas, Lithuania
Šilainiai Project is a creative platform in Kaunas, Lithuania, run by a community of local creatives. It has many parts, one of which is an artist mini-residency program in Šilainiai micro-district. International artists stay with a host family in Šilainiai up to two weeks and make works in public spaces. There are opportunities to work with local schools/ community groups and exhibit works in local venues. The residency is by invitation and we also accept project proposals throughout the year.
In 2016 these artists took part in the residency programme: Arara Mori (Japan), Brooke Carlson (Australia), Francis Olvez – Wilshaw (UK), Marija Nemcenko (Scotland), Milda Gailiūtė (Šilainiai) and The Lake Twins (UK) and Evelina Šimkutė (UK/ Šilainiai). End of the year project exhibition took place at Kabinetas project space in Kaunas. You may view exhibition documentation here.
2017 Šilainiai artist residents: Lahestan (Aleksander Haugen) (Norway), Shota Kotake (Japan), Tadas Šimkus (Šilainiai) and Katrina Brown (Netherlands/UK). End of the year exhibition took place in Gallery 101 in Kaunas. You may see the exhibition video documentation here.
2018 architecture residency, part of Šilainiai urban gardens project.
2019 residency: Elizabeth Hudson (UK / Portugal) and special performance by Canardus Horribilis and De Munnfulle (Norway).
The Lake Twins (UK) in Šilainiai, 2016
Francis Olvez (UK) – Wilshaw in Šilainiai, 2016
Brooke Carlson (Australia) in Šilainiai, 2016
Shota Kotake (Japan) in speaking about his experiences in Šilainiai, 2017
Šilainiai Project initiator Evelina Šimkutė, 2016 (Lithuanian only)
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ŠILAINIAI PROJECT 2017
16 June – Šilainiai Project happening at BeePart in Vilnius, Lithuania
13-16 July Šilainiai Project artist residencies: Lahestan (Aleksander Haugen) (Norway)
14 July – Šilainiai [PARIS] Project
15 July – Šilainiai [FORTAS] Project
20 August – deadline to send your Street Art proposals – OPEN CALL
11 September – Šilainiai [RESEARCH] Project (1)
September – November – Šilainiai Photo walks and workshops at schools (dates to be confirmed)
14-17 September and 2-18 October 2017 Šilainiai Project artist residencies: Shota Kotake (Japan)
16 October 18:00 ‘Tea with the artist’ meeting at Šilainiai Library: artist Shota Kotake (Japan)
9 November 18:00 ‘Tea with the artist’ meeting at Šilainiai Library: artist Katrina Brown (Netherlands/UK)
4 December – 31 January 2018 – Šilainiai Photo exhibition at Šilainiai library
This year Šilainiai Project artist residencies are partly financed by the Lithuanian Culture Council and Šilainiai Photo project is partly financed by ‘Initiatives for Kaunas’ and the Lithuanian Culture Council. Street art project is made possible in collaboration with Kaunas street art festival NYKOKA. Thank you.
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To find out more about Šilainiai, please visit www.silainiaiphoto.com – community photography project run by Evelina.
Would your family be interested in hosting an artist in your Šilainiai home for one – two weeks in summer 2017? Do let us know! Email silainiai@outlook.com
Šilainiai Project is run by volunteers and would not be possible without the generosity of our crowd-funding donors: Vanessa Kilduff, Niamh Grogan, Rita Valiukonyte, Liucija Dervinyte, Egle Marciulaityte, Jurgita Valmante and those who wished to stay anonymous. Thank you.
To support the project please go to our fundraising page: https://www.gofundme.com/silainiai
2016 Project partners
Public Institution Arthesis
Kaunas city municipality Vincas Kudirka public library, Šilainiai subdivision
2017 Project partners
Lithuanian Artist Association, Kaunas department
Lithuanian Association of Photographers
Kaunas Martynas Mažvydas public library, Šilainiai department
Kaunas Fortress Park
Kaunas Artists’ Home
Art management platform ‘Arthesis’
Kaunas Street Art festival ‘Nykoka’
Šilainiai Community Association
Kaunas Grušas Art gymnasium
Kaunas Jonas Basanavičius gymnasium
Yard gallery (Kiemo galerija, Kaunas)
2017 Projects are partially funded by:
Initiatives for Kaunas
Kaunas Municipality art stipend (3 months)
Lithuanian Culture Council
Thank you.
Šilainiai Project 