LT
Mattias Hellberg’s artistic practice deals with historical research into ‘small stories’, meaning stories that in some sense never could become mainstream history. The artist often wants to rework these stories into a form which gives them new life- as a party, musical, video or installation. Hellberg is interested in artistic forms that have something joyous and frivolous to them, but still can convey important experiences and stories. He is interested in how art could be used to subvert and transform social forms and hierarchies, thus transforming the people interacting with them.
During the residency at SODAS 2123, Mattias Hellberg aims to explore local and peripheral histories, rumors, myths, and other elements with historical relevance. He intends to utilize these discoveries as a foundation for creating what the artist refers to as “materialist rituals.” These rituals, somewhat ironically, disregard the supernatural, transcendental, and religious aspects of existence. At a juncture when most materialist rituals align with consumer culture or expressions of nationalism, Mattias focus lies on the “fringe,” emphasizing local, site-specific, and subcultural forms of rituals as a counterforce to prevailing grand narratives.
The residency is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture.
Mattias Hellberg residency is organised by Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association. Residency curators – Aušra Vismantaitė-Silva, Monika Kalinauskaitė and Edvinas Grinkevičius. Activities of Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association are funded by Lithuanian Council for Culture.
SODAS 2123 activities are supported by Lithuanian Council for Culture and Vilnius city municipality.
