Beyond Manual

Beyond Manual blurs the borders between nature and structured urban landscapes. A miniature forest amidst the streets leads to the artist 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 gathering of 3D-printed creatures and laser-engraved images encircle the videos.

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.

The denial of the changing environment indirectly impacts our lives, as one moves further from nature leading to a sense of alienation. However, one constantly craves intimacy and understanding. The changes occur on scales beyond human reach, defying scientific theories and words. Coming from a family of geologists, I find myself intrigued by the frictional relationship between culture and nature, as well as the interplay of natural and artificial elements that shape our daily lives. My projects investigate themes such as organic structures, rituals in nature, the interplay of natural and artificial light, and expeditions into the enigmatic realm of the night, with its alluringly absurd occurrences.

Paulius Šliaupa (b. 1990 , Vilnius, Lithuania) holds a BA in painting and an MFA in contemporary sculpture in Vilnius Academy of Arts, Vilnius, Lithuania, an MFA in media arts in KASK, HISK postgraduate residency programme in Ghent, Belgium. He was awarded the grand prize of ArtContest22, Brussels, Belgium for the young Belgian artists. Paulius is a member of SOFAM in Belgium and received their research grant in 2022. Selected exhibitions would include personal exhibitions: “Night watch“ (2022), HuidenClub, Rotterdam, Netherlands, “Moonpieces” (2022) Maanstraat, Antwerp, Belgium, “Neon Poems“ (2021) Casinot XXH, Malmo, Sweden; “Dès Vu“ (2019), Meno Niša, Vilnius, Lithuania; the group exhibitions KIN, LT.art Vienna, Viena, Austria (2022), ‘Earth Drama‘ Meno Niša, Vilnius, Lithuania (2022), ‘M-idzomer‘, M Leuven, Belgium (2022), ‘Klimaatfestival Antwerpen‘Antwerp, Belgium (2022), Sonsbeek´s Conjunctions programme, Arnhem, Netherlands (2021), LAHTI FRINGE FESTIVAL, Lahti, Finland (2021), “New Songs for Old Cities“ (2021), Netwerk, Aalst, Belgium, “BEESTIG?“ Stadsfestival Damme, Damme, Belgium (2020-2021) and “The upper hand“, IKOB, Eupen, Belgium (2020). 

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.