In Agents two protagonists discuss folklore, traditions, identities, the pandemic and time after it. The spectator to this conversation – which takes place in a car – has a place on the backseat. The dialogue is heard as whispers, as if eavesdropped.

Traditions in the Now

Folk traditions do not only belong to the past, but are a part of the present. In the course of the conversation a maker of wooden sculptures reflects on woodcarving, how traditions come to being and take shape, and their role in contemporary times. What shape did tradition take when during the Covid-19 pandemic parks and forests became places of assembly; plastic and graffiti became the folk art of the 2000s.

Observing Communities

Anastasia Sosunova lives and works in Vilnius, Lithuania. Her artwork comprises videos, printmaking, sculptures and installations. The themes of the works include old folktales, folk art and contemporary mythologies. Private stories and fragments form a narrative exploring society. Sosunova dismantles, builds and combines different stories. Her works open up perspectives on contemporary Lithuania, its individuals and its communities; structures, power, collectivity and communal living. The rules, rituals and narratives that construct a community come under scrutiny.