Repeat, 2026

video with a soundtrack

Artwork “Repeat” is part of the project titled “Pencil Has Two Ends”. The video work is about preparing to do something and preparing for civil resistance. The image of the video work is crumbling graphite. A long-term repetitive process – sharpen – break – sharpen – sit and think – need a sharp one – sharpen. Preparing for a sketch, drawing, painting, the act of creation. Every day someone has to prepare for something. What does it mean to prepare? It’s probably different for everyone, but for me, preparing means having, understanding, trying, adapting, changing habits, knowing possibilities. Taking action. The publication “The Alphabet of Civil Resistance” published by the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense in 2020, presents 199 theses of unarmed civil resistance based on the American political scientist Gene Sharp, who studied the possibilities of nonviolent action. These theses become the background of the film – a soundtrack in which the theses of unarmed civil resistance and the background sounds of the surrounding environment alternate. The creator whispers as if reminding himself of the possibilities or repeating the theses as some kind of mantra or his manifesto; the background sounds are open to interpretation – you can take it as everyday noise, or fellow creators, viewpoints coexisting while you repeat your mantra. The project “Pencil Has Two Ends” explores graphite as a matter and its connection to the world. The project is a study of graphite as a material and a “simple” graphite pencil. The field of research includes the use of graphite in the military and nuclear energy industries in the production of diamonds and pencils. I examine the pencil as an object, matter, and as an idea, looking from the historical, political, military, and nuclear industry perspectives. Through the hexagonal crystal system, I seek a connection with power and the power of the artist. Under extremely high pressure and temperature, graphite turns into a diamond. Diamonds a metaphor – wealth, money, fossil fuels, mines, territory. Why a pencil? The main artwork’s line of the narrative becomes a simple graphite pencil, as real, from the artist’s position and metaphorically – the everyday life, position of power equivalent. The project considers whether the one whose pencil set is the biggest is the hardest (coolest)?