not a job

. So guys i want to tell you not a fairy and not a tale, but a true story how 5 random people managed to organize an exhibition in Vilnius.

1.How?

First of all you need a bit of organization. As we all know arty people are hardly organised, we sometimes fall out of reality and suffer from a „not finishing what you already started“ syndrome. So its extremely handy if in your group of creative tubes is somebody a bit more responsible. Or better two. We were lucky we had that somebody. Not too regularly, but we had Ukrop meetings. Of cause usually these meetings turned into beer parties, but still it was a movement further with an obvious progress. Embryo was turning into small childish body, still crooked and blind, but it was growing up. We set up a final aim -to open our own art space, but as a beginning decided to start with organizing exhibitions both in Amsterdam and outside it,expand the boundaries, be mobile and non commercial. Cause we all are from the different cultural backgrounds and i don't think Amsterdam is a final depo for any of us. The world is so big there is no reason to get stuck in one geographical point.

The idea was as simple as two fingers: set up an exhibition theme and a deadline for submitting works, collect works, set them up. You see its not a rocket science. The only restrictions were: videos no longer than 3 min, 2d works not bigger than A3 and not heavier than 400g and no 3d works. Why? Answer is again simple as two fingers: beacause works will be sent back to Amsterdam via post and we are not Rockfellers to pay for a fragile and extremely heavy package.

2. What?

Ok, so now we have an idea. Next step is to figure out a concept. Its hard without a concept you know, without it adieu hennesy x.o. with caviar and “king of a castle” status. The hardest part is to make up your mind. There are so many non copirated and homeless concepts floating in the air, you could just stand with a hand stretched(not empty of cause) and wait until they gather around attracted by smell. And which one now to grab by the tale and put on a chopping board? They all look so well and healthy.

We decided to start with something as close as possible- from our selves.

Who you love more Mom or Dad? Hard to choose, but everybody knows the one you love for sure – it’s you. And that’s pretty normal. But who da hell are you? With which dressing are you served? Take off your shoes, please, come in, make yourself comfortable. According to id you are Oliver Sweat. Who are you Oliver? Your face looks blank, your manners are suspicious. Though if you look inside this guy, he’s like champagne- beautiful, chilled and sparkling, he‘s such a nice guy, never making any troubles. And you ask Oliver tell us about yourself‘ and he says „ermm..well..eee...i‘m kinda ok,man.“ Completely fail attempt in selfidentification.. What kind of future artist are you, Oliver, after this? Shit one ,man, even though you are so conceptual. How are you going to analyse, reflect and describe to others your view on a world around if you don‘t even know the tiny one inside? Such a shame, Oliver, such a shame. Go to you room and mentally jerk off to your reflectional abyss for at least a month.

Motivated by something close to Oliver example we came out with an exhibition theme „Identity“: "Pure movement has no limits or boundaries. Pure movement is life itself. We are all are the part of this stream, breathing molecules moving from point A to point B, from B to C and so on. Sometimes we all need a small break, just to catch your breath Get a glass of water. Just to look back and reflect. Realise who are YOU right now, the only man standing in a point Iamhere. Think, analyse, decide where to move now, identify" . The theme is broad enough for various approaches and just perfect as a starting point. So first step „who‘s your daddy“,oops i mean selfidentification is made. Here we go, the world tremble, glorious times are coming.

3. Where?

Ok, now we have an idea, a concept and loads of enthusiasm. What’s next? Oh, man we need a place for putting in all this beautiful stuff. Next question is how to get it? At this point on a stage on a white horse appears Mr.Social factor. All the people you ever met in your life know loads of other people and in our situation we need to use as many connections as possible. You never know how it works out in the end. Cheers, Captain Obvious.

We made a list of all artists, people close to art/design we knew scene and just anyone who could be useful. Last December absolutely randomly I had an exhibition with another guy from Lithuania in Skalvijos gallery in Vilnius. Just wrote them that I have some paintings to show and maybe they are interested in exposing it. It worked out. The venue is not big, but cosy and welcoming. gallery opened in 2009 and is an independent various art exposing platform (photography, media, fine arts, sculpture, graphic and book design) welcoming both young and mature artists. Skalvijos gallery gives you a complete freedom in shape and way of disposing works ( until you are not ruining the building or hurting people), so each month exposition is always different and never repeat. Its situated in an alternative cinema center in a café next to the entrance to the movies itself. Just a perfect place for our purpose- not a traditional white cube gallery, so we could make our exhibition a part of peoples everyday life and open for all kind of spectators, not only sophisticated intellectual public. Administration is full of lovely people open for all sorts of initiative from outside. So we wrote them a letter suggesting our mobile exhibition’s idea and asking if they would be interested in. And they were. We decided to make it in March, up to the Cinema Spring festival dates, so there would always be a guaranteed people stream circulating around. December passed through just as one day, we were too busy during the assessment and too wasted during holidays, but January got us back on a truck. Slowly we recovered from all the wild days and were again full of energy and determination.

4. Web 2.0.

Ok, so now to all the previous ingredients we add place and date and even more enthusiasm. What’s left to finish our tasty recipe? Gather the harvest of works together, thoroughly mix them all together, add some salt and pepper, cool down and serve on a table. So how to make people participate, how to let them know that something's going on? Of cause you can sit and wait some help from God. But as it’s well known god is not the most reliable institution and actually nobody knows if its not just a fake organization. So we relied on something much more real- web 2.0 and a bit of old school “stick a poster in a public place” thing. Creating a poster took some time. After few not successful designs we came to a conclusion satisfying everyone. Light, simple, clean, modern and looking quite professional. We posted it on our website, tumblr and facebook. Sent some invitations and talked to people who might be interested in participating. Promotion is a big deal, never forget it.

5. Kms.

So the whole “make an expo” engine works well and all what’s left is wait till deadline to get all the works together. The last, but essential problem is still unsolved. How to get to Lithuania to set everything in a best way? Time was kinda pressing already. First we wanted to ask some Lithuanian friends to make it, but you know no one can present your project in a best possible way better than you. Oh, it was a stressed out time. But after a tones of dead nerves, ages spent in internet, corned with calculator fingers and emptying our pockets, thrift-boxes plus stashes we all got the plane tickets. Packed all the works and some personal belongings we went to face rough Lithuanian winter. You know guys it was amazing time we spent all together. Its great when you have good friends around to share your new experience with, people you respect and appreciate, who can always cheer up somebody who’s in a grumpy mood today and just laugh our heads off some situations and just random crap. We worked hard, partied even harder. First of all we had one day just to chill out, look around the venue, sort out all the works and combine them in a best possible way, checked out the beamer, started making a catalouge. And then the exhibition day came. It was sunny and bright day, we started it drinking champagne just because it was a day and the birthday of one of us. Opening went well, people were changing each other and the gallery was always full of people. Half were friends and friends of friends, but what was really great there were lots of people we didn’t even know. And in this warm atmosphere of a small fiesta we all felt relief after a hard work and this proud joy that at the end we did it. We enjoyed it and that’s probably one of the most important things. You have to enjoy what you are doing, other vise there’s no point. Amen.

We want to thank all the people who came and shared this day with us, all who participated, cheered up and just were hanging around. Special thanks to Elena, all Skalvija office and PreParty, Migle and her family, Denis, Ania, Sasha and Vika, Satta bar, woolen socks, cold beer, green nines and city Vilnius. Thanks a lot without you it wouldn’t be possible or would be 1000 times harder.

The first attempt is always a first attempt. Its like loosing innocence- you know everything only in theory and move kinda clumsy. But practice makes perfect. We learn on our mistakes. Next time we’ll be better in time management, cause this time it wasn’t perfect at all. We just need to catch our breath and continue moving in a set direction. Good luck to us, but somehow I know its gonna be just fine.

One rainy October day me and Liuba were jobhunting. The weather was shit and we hadn‘t found anything, so we settled down in a park with some bayleys coffe to fix our mood. We were talking over each other about things like economical situation in the Netherlands, Russia and Lithuania, how shit are wet shoes and that we have to do something except doing crap jobs. Its impossible to sit on one place without doing anything creative outside the uni program. Obviously if you wont start doing smth yourself nobody will make it instead of you. Hello, Captain Obvious, hope you doin well. Our heads are so full with unrealized ideas and other stuff, it just has to go out otherwise mental collapse guaranteed.

We wanted not just to do our homework and personal projects based on inner collapses, but to be heard.To give a platform for us and other people to share our inner world, experience and expose our art. And its so much different as well when you are not playing on someones else field, but can set your own rules. Air castles settled down in our heads: collaborations, projects, mobile exhibition, own gallery. Dreams, sweet dreams. And so the movement started and now turning back i can see how just a dream starts to become real bit after bit. Its just a start, but you know the long road starts with just a step. Since October we spent part of our time building plans how to conquer the world, gathering all shit together,researching possibilities to get some subcidies from the government and so on. Thats how Ukrop Amsterdam appeared. At the moment Ukrop as an organization run by and for starting artists and art-students who focus on international collaboration, centering on organizing expositions abroad. The platform is used to (co-)create, exhibit, promote and reflect. Now we already have a website, 2 exhibitions behind, loads of further plans and people who want to help and participate in our projects.

not a job

Mar 12, 2011

how to make a DIY exhibition

Ukrop Kombinacje 1. exposed works

Ukrop Kombinacje 1

my face is a circle

young and bored we wanted to have fun