Ornela Ramašauskaitė: “In the exhibition, Kaziulionis presents the final chapter of his art project – a conspiracy theory titled Controller. By analysing the methods of conspiracy theories and the making of disinformation, the artist invites the audience to ponder on the distortion of reality and the conditionality of truth in the current age of information.
Controller is a series of works developed over several years, starting with a fictitious chemical substance of the same name and the genesis of conspiracy that followed it. The painter took us through a narrative in which the people of power devised a way of manipulating people – by exposing school children to food with the substance – to raise a generation that is easy to control. In subsequent exhibitions, the artist showed the behind-the-scenes of creating the conspiracy and hiding evidence. As time went on, his painting became more abstract, just as the truth gets increasingly lost and unspecific in the flow of information.
L. Kaziulionis’ work leads through the complex influences of conspiracy theories, the human psyche and pervasive propaganda. The poisoned food depicted in his works is a metaphor for the information we consume. The abundance of it wears us down and makes us indifferent to the truth, and the methods of disinformation gradually shape our beliefs to suit the needs and aims of the powerful. The artist strategically uses bright colours to captivate and divert our attention. In addition, all the works retain the radiation achieved through the masterful management of colour – disinformation has embraced everything we live in.
Visitors to the exhibition are not just spectators, but active participants, encouraged to critically evaluate the narratives presented. It is a reminder that even a passive consumption of content on social media plays an important role in enclosing us in information bubbles. Analysing our focus of attention continuously trains artificial intelligence and determines what works best for manipulation. Viewers who will share images of the works or acquire them will in a way be passing on a conspiratorial message that can be interpreted in two ways: both as a constant reminder of fake news, and as their distribution.
In this exhibition, Kaziulionis presents the culmination and the end of the Controller, as his art project. Conspiracy theories and manipulation of information will be later explored in new directions. The painter, who has presented the topic in exhibitions in New York, Vilnius, Paris, Brussels, and Trakų Vokė, proves that the world is smaller than we think – with targeted efforts, it is possible to reach large crowds. The issue of disinformation is more topical than ever, and art can be one of the means to bring it to the fore.”
L. Kaziulionis, winner of the Young Painter Prize in the Baltic States (2022), manifests the benefits and challenges of the knowledge society through his artistic journey. The painter’s works have been added to many private collections internationally and the National Gallery of Art (Lithuania), while his busy exhibition calendar shows that his creative expression and themes are in line with global trends.
Organiser: Pamėnkalnio Gallery.
Sponsors: Lithuanian Council for Culture, Lithuanian Artists‘ Association.
Partner: Young Painter Prize.
