2014, September 24
Author: Artūras Valiauga
* Dėl foto serijos specifinio komponavimo būtina ją peržiūrėti pilno ekrano rėžimu (jį galima įjungti pele užvedus ant galerijos ir spustelėjus kairį pelės mygtuką).
I was born and grew up in Vilnius (Lithuania). For more than ten years I drive to work at a photo studio by the Dutch street, which starts at a crossroad with blooming tulips in spring. The best known object in this street is the funeral home, a building remaining from the Soviet Union times, and a heritage of the Soviet modern architecture. For older citizens and people of my age this place brings back the sad memories of dead relatives and friends.
Many times while driving by this street I was thinking of relation among the street, its name and myself. Who are Dutch in Lithuania? Who are Lithuanians in the Netherlands?
People migrate due to various social, economical, political or personal reasons, and they inevitably bring their nationality with themselves and form their individual environment, however, work in a foreign country is an important reason for a change. A private living space and things found in it are observed as a place where the changes of cultural and consumerist traditions occur. Therefore, people who live and work in a foreign country as well as their environment and national identity emerging and disappearing in private spaces became the object of my observation.
For these people their living environment and things found in it become the map of their world, which shows the changing national identity as well as belonging to the past at the same time.
