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Name: Louise O’Kelly, Curator of the Lithuanian Pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale

animism sings anarchy ©Eglė Budvytytė

The title “animism sings anarchy” is very powerful. Can you expand on this?

animism sings anarchy speaks (or sings) to a non-hierarchical relationship with

nature, and a subtle resistance to structures of subjugation and domination. Bringing together notions of non-linear time, ritual, and ontological anarchy, the film draws on the late Lithuanian anthropologist and archaeologist Marija Gimbutas’s research into Neolithic matrilineal, animist societies whilst introducing a poetic, trembling choreography in dialogue with the land, water and anthropomorphic Deities.

“Perhaps the billions invested into space travel and mining the moon could be diverted to rehabilitating Gaia instead.“

What can an ancient society that existed millennia ago teach us about our technologically advanced, crisis-ridden Present?

Gimbutas’s research into the Neolithic era found evidence of egalitarian, matrilineal, nature-goddess worshipping societies that lived in harmony with each other and the world around them. Her theories, when first released, were very influential for artists, academics, and environmentalists associated with second-wave feminism because she had found evidence of a pre-patriarchal civilisation within ‚Old Europe’. I choose to believe in the optimism inherent in this vision and the possibility that a world like this could exist again. Imagine the paradigm shift if we revered the earth as the life-giving force that it is, rather than as a depleting resource. Perhaps the billions invested into space travel and mining the moon could be diverted to rehabilitating Gaia instead.

animism sings anarchy ©Eglė Budvytytė

“I’ve always admired Eglė’s capacity to convey complex ideas from an embodied position through performance, whether live or on film.“

How does one translate a hard, cold archaeological find into a flowing, warm dance choreography working with an artist to do so?

I’ve always admired Eglė’s capacity to convey complex ideas from an embodied position through performance, whether live or on film. Her practice connects ideas, places and bodies with movement and feelings, and considers the relationships between them. Hence, the choreography was not formed solely in response to archeological artefacts, but conceptually what they represent, how they may have been used as relational devices, as well as responding to traces of the Neolithic in the Apulian landscape.

Otherwise, the primary choreographic motif featured in the film is a whole-body tremble that suggests a wide range of states encompassing fear, trance and ecstasy – it represents the ungovernability of bodies and holds the possibility of enacting a healing across time and space.Sound instead of text: The artist uses song instead of text to explain archaeology. 

“Music has the power to arouse emotions, transport us to other states and move us.“

Why can a song convey historical truth better than a scientific Approach?

Eglė creates very poetic, playful and darkly humorous lyrics, adopting various identities and voices through her songs. It’s certainly not about conveying historical truth or a necessity to engage in fact-sharing. Music has the power to arouse emotions, transport us to other states and move us.

“Archaeology has often been instrumentalised to generate and support various narratives – to justify national building imperatives, racial superiority or colonial rights to land.“

The work criticises the ‘colonial dimension’ of archaeology. Do you mean that we too often label the past as ‘primitive’ to justify our present-day dominance? How does the film challenge this prejudice?

Archaeology has often been instrumentalised to generate and support various narratives – to justify national building imperatives, racial superiority or colonial rights to land. I find it interesting that the Neolithic era – in which Gimbutas finds pre-patriarchal, non-violent societies across Southern Europe – is designated as ‚pre-history’ , as if somehow the highly evolved and cultured civilisations that existed during this time exist outside of the frame of human history. The film itself is a poetic, ritualistic and non-narrative work of art so may address this more abstractly but I hope that bringing Gimbutas’s name and her work to wider audiences will raise awareness and help shift these narratives.

What does it mean to you personally to represent Lithuania with the artist at the 61st Biennale? Why did you choose Lithuania?

I first worked with Eglė almost a decade ago, and have worked with a number of Lithuanian artists before that, as well as after. So it’s certainly a country that has drawn me due to the fantastic artists coming from there. I am not sure I chose the country per se, but perhaps it was a fateful encounter that led to myself and Eglė choosing each other to work with on this.

I am certainly honoured to be doing so, and personally it’s been such a pleasure to support Eglė to bring this work into existence alongside our commissioner Lolita Jablonskienė, Director of the National Gallery of Art in Vilnius. She was commissioner for the first ever Lithuanian pavilion in 1999 after the country gained independence, as well as Jonas Mekas’s pavilion in 2005, so brings a wealth of experience to this undertaking.

animism sings anarchy ©Eglė Budvytytė