On November 22nd, the exhibition Beyond Manual by Paulius Šliaupa opened at the B93 exhibition space in Enschede in the Netherlands.
Beyond Manual is P. Šliaupa‘s eleventh solo exhibition, which showcases the works that he produced during ARE the residency period October – November 2023. Beyond Manual wanders away from the course of planned paths in the city of Enschede, its parks and forests, it blurs the borders between nature and structured urban landscapes. The exhibition showcases two films, 3D printed objects and laser engravings. A miniature forest amidst the street leads to the artists’ studios. The studio spaces of ARE become digital environments breaking down boundaries and introducing the hidden structures filled with the voices and music of artists from B93. A flock of 3D-printed creatures gaze at a video of real insects looming in the dark.
In a world where the environment is changing, where the ties between humanity and nature are fraying, and where we find ourselves increasingly detached from the natural world, the art of Paulius Šliaupa, with its unique blend of the organic and the digital, invites us to explore the intersections of culture and nature. Beyond Manual invites you to reconsider the boundaries that define our existence, showcasing the beauty of chaos and dissolution in our meticulously organized world, fusing the organic and the digital.
Paulius Šliaupa born in 1990 Vilnius, Lithuania holds a BA in painting and an MFA in contemporary sculpture from the Vilnius Arts Academy; an MFA in media arts in KASK, and a visual arts diploma from the HISK postgraduate residency programme in Ghent, Belgium. He was awarded the grand prize of ArtContest22, Brussels, Belgium for the young Belgian artists and in 2023 he was awarded the grand prize of the contest INPUT/OUTPUT in Brugge. He is a member of SOFAM in Belgium and received their research grant in 2022. Notable exhibitions include “Night Watch” (Rotterdam) 2022, “Moonpieces” (Antwerp) 2022, and “Neon Poems” (Malmö) 2021, among others, spanning countries like Austria, Lithuania, and Belgium. Paulius is successfullyworking with the gallery Meno Niša since 2015.
Paulius draws inspiration from the dynamic interplay between natural and artificial environments and their impact on our lives. From his formative years split between a computer screen and the serenity of riverside fishing, Šliaupa has been acutely aware of the gradual fading of lived experiences into the background. With his art, he seeks to engage the viewer’s psychology, prompting a reevaluation of how we experience the present moment.
This work was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union.
The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.
Exhibition: 22.11 – 26.11.2023
Opening: 22.11 20:00 – 23:00
Location: B93, Hoge Bothofstraat 166, Enschede (NL)