Dancing Landscapes, Volcanic Breath
Simona Žemaitytė
Meno Parkas Gallery, Kaunas
- Title
- Dancing Landscapes, Volcanic Breath
- Gallery
- Meno Parkas Gallery, Kaunas
- Year
- 2025
- Duration
- 12 min
- Format & Technical
Video, 16:9, 4K
- Contact
The video is part of a broader artistic research project focusing on the supervolcano in southern Italy, known as the Phlegraean Fields (Campi Flegrei). Characterised by an ongoing bradyseismic crisis, this volcanic caldera, home to over half a million people, experiences slow ground uplift and subsidence accompanied by seismic activity.
Through dialogue of Pozzuoli and Naples residents and volcanology scientists, this work aims to deepen the understanding of what it means to live intimately with the challenges posed by bradyseism. The caldera features several notable craters, including Lake Averno, believed by the Romans to be the entrance to the Underworld, active volcano Solfatara, naturalistic oasis of Astroni, and others. The area is rich in archeological remains and legends, such as mythological war between the Olympian gods and the Titans. The project explores the landscape as a body and the body as a landscape through choreography and movement of the camera.
Trailer
Loading video, please wait
- 00:00
Stills
Simona Žemaitytė
- Artist
1984, Kaunas
Simona Žemaitytė (b. 1984) is a Lithuanian artist-filmmaker. Her work was previously awarded at the 15th Tallinn Print Triennial and nominated at Sheffield Doc Fest. She exhibited internationally, including the Museum of Physics in Naples, National Art Gallery of Lithuania, Chroniques Biennale, Loop Barcelona, Oberhausen, 13th Kaunas Biennial; CSW Torun, Centrala Birmingham, Kasa Gallery Istanbul; Galata Perform Istanbul; BAFTA, RichMix, London, CAC Lithuania; Galleries Vartai, Kaire-Desine in Vilnius, Meno Parkas Gallery in Kaunas; Riga Cinema Shorts. She holds a practice-based Ph.D. from the Vilnius Academy of Arts and is currently doing post-doctorate research at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.
Related galleries
Meno Parkas Gallery
- Address
- Rotuses sq. 27, 44279, Kaunas, Lithuania
- Phone
- +37069874301
- galerija@menoparkas.lt
- Website
- www.menoparkas.lt
Established in 1997 by the Kaunas branch of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association, Meno Parkas Gallery has been a prominent institution in the contemporary art scene. The gallery’s mission encompasses the promotion of contemporary Lithuanian art both domestically and internationally, as well as showcasing international artists and institutions within Lithuania.
The gallery’s core activities include organising exhibitions and projects for contemporary artists, participating in international art exhibitions and fairs, and publishing catalogues and art books featuring works by Lithuanian and international artists. The gallery houses a comprehensive library and information centre, offers artworks for sale, and collaborates extensively with galleries, art institutions, and creative organisations worldwide.
Meno Parkas achieves its objectives through an exhibition program, educational initiatives, and support for artists, with a particular emphasis on nurturing emerging talents and integrating them into contemporary art projects. This commitment extends to Lithuanian artists living abroad and their presentations in Lithuania.