In My ??? Era

"Medūza“ is pleased to present In My ??? Era – the first solo exhibition of the young Lithuanian artist Aurelija Bulaukaitė, featuring paintings created especially for this occasion. The title of the exhibition is "In My ???? Era" is the title of a meme that the cought the artist‘s eye, as if mocking the chaotic lives of Generation Z on social networks. At the same time, the title also refers to the need to create a virtual identity, one which often traverses the limits of this virtuality. In Bulaukaitė's work, this ephemeral and chaotic way of being is not seen as negative, but on the contrary, as a catalyst or drive for a creative relationship with the contemporary. According to the artist: For me, chaos is associated with hyperoptimism - when fear and associations with social constructs are gone, only the beauty of chaos remains, and sadness becomes beautiful and may even help to build a community. It is also inseparable from self-irony and even humorous uncomfortableness, mocking the lack of empathy and authenticity. The five canvases presented in the exhibition await the hasty, eager gaze of the viewer, suggesting hints of barely recognizable shapes intertwined in a blueish, low-resolution braid of images. Bulaukaitė's works function like a dopamine-fueled mirror, showing everything, one puts into them - these images are suave, seductive, and certainly not disinterested. A strand of recently cut hair, a selfie of a couple or a manifestation of the 'inner self' on social media. They are a product of the digital metabolism that has long since become an all-encompassing shell of our daily lives. Aurelija Bulaukaitė is a Vilnius-based artist who combines non-traditional disciplines in her work. She delves into the intersection of idealistic dreams and the often-harsh realities of life, creating a contrast between everyday routine and the imaginative possibilities that lie within it. She is currently completing her master’s studies at the Sculpture Department of Vilnius Academy of Arts. Bulaukaitė has been selected to participate in the prestigious Residency Unlimited art residency in New York in 2023.