'With a Different Name, This Story is About You' is a virtual exhibition project curated through collaborative writing pieces and individually crafted works by Evelina Hägglund, Stella Cade Rotstein and Gabriele Zemaityte. The work invites you to question the truth in your ability to choose and the notion of fictions. Each written work creates a new space for interpretation of the individual artists’ work. The work, however, remains the same - unchanging. In Gabriele Zemaityte’s work (https://www.artconnect.com/projects/difference-google-translate-impersonated), we are invited to look at language and the reality of its interpretation and manipulation. Evelina Hägglund’s piece, (https://www.artconnect.com/projects/the-truth-is-out-there) examines the presence and power of lies and constructed realities. Stella Cade Rotstein’s work (https://www.artconnect.com/projects/homebound-picnic) exists in a captive post-COVID domestic space and illustrates the different ways in which a single reality can be perceived. The artist’s individual works can be found on the website and on their ArtConnect profiles. 



ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT:
"The exhibition arose as a reaction to the sudden unprecedented change to our lives, COVID-19. The three of us were at the time when the pandemic first hit, based in London. The physical exhibition that our trio was working towards in the southeast of London, Peckham, was cancelled. Frustrations and realities of that particular moment in time materialised in the texts. 

For us, fiction started undoing itself as an unreal way of story-telling when the overarching sense of unfixedness begun dominating the politics of our everyday lives “...so many of the out-of-the way things had happened lately, that Alice had begun to think that very few things indeed were really impossible,” Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Since we could no longer meet in the so-called real world, we made a new, collaboratively produced project online. We began dreaming up fictional stories that got to frame the artworks we materialised in our respective computers and home studios. We appropriated exquisite corpse as our main method. The collaboratively written text was circulated forwards and back from one artist to another. The project With a different name, this story is about you was produced in May 2020 and there are plans to add new rooms to the digital maze."




WITH A DIFFERENT NAME, THIS STORY IS ABOUT YOU

HOW TO FORAGE FOR CREAM CARTRIDGES (2020)
HD digital video with audio, 12min 50sec 

‘How to Forage for Cream Cartridges’ is a part of a larger ongoing project and a long term investigation into common discarded NO2 cartridges. These silver cartridges are used as recreational drugs (quasi-legal highs) and legally distributed under their original purpose. Arguably potent objects themselves, they function as traces of a contemporary gathering. Vast amounts of material are used to manufacture these, while the hype produced is momentary, they are rarely recycled. The video follows the logic of the ‘how-to’ online video genre, it both propagates and criticises practices of proxy DIY ‘emancipation.’ It is set in a reality, which is alternative to our current one where things are to be fetishised, treasured or disregarded; a reality where some kind of value is asserted to these debris-like objects. There, through gleaning-like practices of a post-industrial society, an identified individual(s) are attempting to reclaim agency over their immediate, even if the urban, environment.


HOW TO FORAGE FOR CREAM CARTRIDGES

Free Market Of Park Benches (2018-unrealised) 
site-specific installation (across an area of 30ha), web-based interface, Arduino, IR sensors, solar batteries, touch-screen monitor, computer.
(*developed in collaboration with Jonas Zemaitis, as ‘Zemaitis&Zemaityte’ artist duo)


*This project is stuck at the proposal stage. We are currently considering re-working it to fit a gallery space and set up - instead of benches, to use publically visible seats in the gallery or museum (both those meant for visitors and those that serve employees)

The purpose of this project is to analyse and collect data on the use of public (in this case also memorial) park benches.
Intended set up should consist of a touch screen monitor (or similar device) in the entrance to the park, IR sensors and a processing chip installed on the benches and software that analyse and visualise the data collected in real-time.

Throughout my time working on projects for exhibitions at Vilnius University Botanical Gardens, there was a thought expressed that these (at the time) relatively new memorial benches are popping up everywhere and creating a surplus. Plus a physical benches affect the scenery. Even though this was only a subjective observation, it grabbed my attention. Not only the issue of new furniture within the scenery attracted my interest, but also the way such an item can steer one's sight to a very particular direction, almost a borderless window. (benches used in this Botanical Garden have backrests)

In theory, if there was a most beautiful view in the whole park that had a bench, it would be a prime spot to be. As more benches appear, more ‘viewpoints’ (or 'vistas') get created, and the use and ‘value’ of original bench decreases as visitors have more choices (higher supply available).

Expansion of benches is both democratisation and a diminishing of particular scenic sight.

Of course, there are more factors than the view, such as location and vicinity that make someone use a bench.

We are developing software to collect data from the sensors on the frequency, time and duration of use of a particular bench. To analyse the popularity and use of these benches.

This software should act as a contemporary data-driven convenience tool, that is mean to assist and influence one's choices (supposedly a choice of which bench to use in this set up).

The way service of the memorial bench is organised in this particular location is that someone will buy a bench with a plaque from a third company party and agree with Botanical Garden where it should be installed. Garden does not get any commission from the sale, only an installed bench.

There is some control on this process, yet the guidelines are not very strict on what can and cannot go on the plaque.

It is not irrelevant to note that the foot traffic in the botanical garden where we are proposing the piece to be installed, is not huge. The project is intended as an experiment and a commentary, rather than a necessary user experience tool.

FREE MARKET OF PARK BENCHES

PLACE FOR LEAVING
HD digital video, 19min 38sec 

In the video, an unidentified subject is wandering through a landscape in a nonlinear, dream-like sequence. The unidentified industrial town where the video takes place was meant to be a very prosperous place where the urban environment is balanced out by surrounding nature. There an unrestricted and rapid growth of the town meant that urban planners were able to incorporate vast amounts of parks, green areas and urban woodlands within the city or around. 

However with the decline of physical industries prospects of the perfectly balanced urban and natural environments are failed by the lack of financial prosperity and these places get abandoned for bigger, overpopulated cities. These towns become appreciated as places which people aspire to leave.

Percussion - Dionisis Chytiris
Camera - Jonas Zemaitis 
Location assistants - Patricija Zemaityte & Justinas Stasys

PLACE FOR LEAVING 

SEA CHANGE (2019) 2 channel digital video, main video duration - 1min 44sec, supporting video - 5min 54sec.

(there is also a sequel video project to this, which is titled 'Difference: Google Translate Impersonated', 2020.)

The premise of this piece is an imagined situation where a developing AI is trying to make sense of human fixation with the sea in speculative a post-human future. Supposedly this AI attempts to make sense of the human experience by creating a ‘picture’ from fractions of existing visual, textual and sonic information. The approach that this video takes is both a Post-humanistic and the one inviting empathy towards inanimate intelligence. While supposed AI subject is attempting to enact empathy through trying to put itself into human position (like a mediated embodiment). However, there is also a sense of failure at play since the mediated data cannot live up to lived experience. 

This project invites to imagine artificial intelligence as an upcoming generation as if it was some sort of communally developed offspring. In the context of this way of thinking, humanity's responsibility to teach this new generation how to interpret information would have to be addressed. There is also a type of dual empathy intended in the piece - in this supposed situation, AI is trying to recreate a  condition of human experience by surrounding itself with mediated imitations of the sea, while video viewers are encouraged to put themselves in this hypothetical AI’s position.

The text used for audio is extracted from an indefinitely re-translated poem based on a folk tale which concerns sea images, love, loss, possession, sense of belonging and impersonation of sea snakes and trees.

Visual material of this video is made from animated digital sea images. This use of animation imitates a view of footage of the sea, even though to the human eye, it is clear that the imagery is too stationary to have been filmed in a real environment. 

Within the soundtrack, there is text narrated by electronically generated voice. The translation exercise of the text used was done in 2009 when a culturally specific prose text was passed through various languages through Google Translate. The time of the generation of the text is significant because it was done when the software was not yet algorithmically updated and hence serves as a small fraction of media archaeology.  Even though these text outcomes were generated by this programme, some parts of the final result have really odd, yet the almost comprehensible structure and rhyme, it reads similarly to the texts generated by an early AI. 

SEA CHANGE video is also supported with an extract from a book where books protagonist is discussing potential reasons why supposedly his generation cannot see anything when they look at the sea.
(Jayde Will translation - http://www.eurolitnetwork.com/from-trys-sekundes-dangaus-by-sigitas-parulskis-introduced-and-translated-by-jayde-will/)



SEA CHANGE

I HAVE, THEREFORE I AM, UNTIL I AM NOT: OBJECT VALUE (2019-2020) 
318 sculptural objects, laser print on acetate, acrylic, MDF, ceramic tiles, digital print on newsprint paper, paint and sealant

This sculptural object is an impossipuzzle. The jigsaw puzzle objects were specifically designed to fit the floor space in the installation location. Prior to showing this work, the jigsaw puzzle was broken down and pieces mixed up so it can no longer be assembled (it is not impossible to re-assemble it again, however, it is very unlikely that anyone would manage to achieve it).

The pattern of the puzzle was made from images of pins, that were found in the flat of my estranged deceased hoarder grandfather, there was a massive bag of them mixed in with rusted screws. I was explained that they were to be given as an honorary badge for a great service to some sort of former youth organisation. The sheer number of them and changed circumstances juxtaposed their initial intended significance.

Two videos are a documentation video of ‘Performing Object Value’ one-time site-specific installation/takedown. 
And a site-specific (in a cleared out hoarders flat) family performance with the the ‘Object Value’ prototype.


I HAVE, THEREFORE I AM, UNTIL I AM NOT: OBJECT VALUE

DIFFERENCE, GOOGLE TRANSLATE IMPERSONATED (2020) 
HD digital video with audio, 13min 09sec

‘Difference, Google Translate Impersonated’ is a ​coming of age episode of the future AI, imagined by the artist. AI, which is trying to learn about the world and itself from limited digitally accessible files left by humans. One of its main sources is an auto-translated and re-translatable text of a Baltic folktale poem - 'Queen of Serpents.'


MORE ABOUT THE FILM:
This is a sequel piece to video installation SEA CHANGE (2019). The premise of both episodes is an imagined situation where an AI is trying to make sense of human fixation with the sea in a post-human future.
  
In 2010 a poem, based on a Baltic folktale (‘Spruce, Queen of Serpents’), was sent through google-translate numerous times and through different languages. Mainly gibberish texts were produced, however, there were some seemingly coherent rhymes within, as well as odd cosmopolitan terms that appeared throughout.

Ten years later (2020), the same poem was sent through google-translate again, following the same paths of those back in 2010. The hypothesis was that the texts that come out will be more coherent since google-translate is currently algorithmically augmented and there have been improvements on it along the way. From a human perspective, this has held true to some extent - translations seem close to the original text, plus there are no more ‘untranslatable’ words or cosmopolitan ‘appearances’ popping up through the newly generated texts.

Some of the words extracted from both pieces of texts were put side by side to compare the difference (they were taken out from exactly the same places in these 2 texts). Selection of these comparisons appears in the film in the form of ‘from - to’ statements with the attempt to highlight the change and progress. At the end of the video, there is also an assessment of the change between parts of those 2 pieces of text, it was generated from Grammarly analysis report and its beta Tone Detector.



DIFFERENCE, GOOGLE TRANSLATE IMPERSONATED 

BAD DAY (​www.bad-day.today​) (2017-2018) web-based programme;
made in collaboration with Jonas Zemaitis, as ‘Zemaitis&Zemaityte’ artist duo.

‘Bad Day’ functions as a web-based data collecting auto-correct algorithm, however, its vocabulary is restricted - it only includes English words of negative connotations. The project explores the issues of linguistic conditioning and hyper-personalised world. It could also be read as a commentary on aspects of depression.

The inputs and the software are restricted to this single page. Also, its vocabulary is unfinished and open-ended, there is a section on the page to add to the database.

The code behind it acts as a simple algorithm, it analyses textual information provided by the users and collects data on the popularity (usage) of the words within its database. It then suggests/tries to predict words based on its collected data. However, none of the users is differentiated from another and it treats the community of users as if it was one subject.

Video bellow takes one through the pages of the website.
Digital collage images are interactive terminal installation and performance installation proposal visualisations for a gallery space. 

BAD DAY (​bad-day.today​)

Nonpersonal Communication (2009 - 2011), 4 channel audio installation, dimension variable, sets of microphones and headphones, processor. 

‘Nonpersonal Communication` was a set of 4 randomly connected microphones and 4 headphones. Each pair of headphones and microphone was allocated into gaps between bookshelves. Because of random connections, none of the speakers knew who was listening to them, and none of the listeners knew who was talking to them, which brought about an opportunity to have communications with no personal responsibility for the things one might say or hear. For the duration of installation, it was proposed for the audience to try a controversial speech or to say something that one wouldn’t ever say neither in public nor face-to-face.

This particular set-up of ‘Nonpersonal Communication’ project was installed in 2011 in Cat Hill Library, which since then has been demolished.

Installation video and camera by Ethan Race (2011);
Max/MSP patch by Peter Williams (2011);
Concept 3D renderings by Jonas Zemaitis (2009).


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