Emilija Škarnulytė: World and Its Models

Join us at e-flux Screening Room on Thursday, January 11 at 7pm for World and Its Models, a screening of films and works-in-progress by Emilija Škarnulytė, followed by an in-person discussion with the artist.

The event presents Škarnulytė’s works, probing into world-making across different temporalities. The films chosen for this screening defy the conventional narrative of technological advancement by embracing myth as a tool for envisioning alternate realities and futures. Beyond merely representing scientific phenomena, they engage in an aesthetic exploration of contradictory temporalities, offering a unique perspective on how they shape our understanding of the world. 

Škarnulytė’s works could also be seen as examining the essence of research-based artists’ films. Utilizing advanced image-making technologies, Škarnulytė challenges the traditional concept of documentary as simply a representation of indexical reality. Her films not only explore the limits of realism but also contemplate the nature of the (in)visible reality, increasingly influenced by new image-making technologies. 

Films

Mirror Matter (2018, 11 minutes)
The film presents a vision of post-human mythology, highlighting how scientific machinery has been used to probe and measure our universe. It includes scenes from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s largest particle accelerator, and the Antimatter Factory. The production of antimatter, especially in the form of anti-atoms, is an extremely challenging process, though individual antimatter particles are commonly created in particle accelerators. Partially shot at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), the film creatively combines factual and fictional elements to depict the activities at the LHC.

Aldona (2013, 13 minutes)
In the spring of 1986, Aldona lost her vision, resulting in permanent blindness. The cause was nerve damage in her eyes, which doctors speculated might have been due to the Chernobyl power plant explosion. The film follows her through a daily sojourn to Grutas Park, touching both the past and the present.

Rakhne (2023, 6 minutes)
Data is a tangible entity on Earth, not just an abstract concept. As we grapple with the limitations of storing data in conventional environments, especially given the rapid increase in data generation, those managing cloud servers are exploring increasingly innovative storage methods. The deep ocean presents a paradoxical solution. It offers stable temperatures, predictable environmental patterns, and protection from human error and the fluctuating climate above sea level. However, it is also akin to a “black box.” Lacking close human supervision, it is exposed to a range of unforeseen risks, including marine fouling by invertebrates, chemical reactions, and unpredictable seismic activities, introducing new potential vulnerabilities.

Visions in the Desert (33 minutes)
A screening of two works-in-progress. A presentation of a rough cut of an homage to visionary architect Aleksandra Kasuba will be followed by a screening of a poetic meditation on the lifelong journey of one man’s never-ending search for home—a film-in-progress dedicated to African-American refugee, legendary jazz musician, and spiritual searcher Abshalom Ben Shlomo.

For more information, contact program@e-flux.com.

Accessibility                    
–Two flights of stairs lead up to the building’s front entrance at 172 Classon Avenue.        
–For elevator access, please RSVP to program@e-flux.com. The building has a freight elevator which leads into the e-flux office space. Entrance to the elevator is nearest to 180 Classon Ave (a garage door). We have a ramp for the steps within the space.                 
–e-flux has an ADA-compliant bathroom. There are no steps between the Screening Room and this bathroom.