Earlier this year, Studio Somewhere put a call out for submissions to our Spring 2024 Studio Somewhere residency programme. We had four residencies available for artists based in Scotland.The residencies are opportunities for artists working in experimental performance to put an idea in motion or explore a new collaboration. We were looking for artists who wished to explore projects that raise interesting new questions relevant to our time, or innovative in approach to form.

Can you give our audiences a quick overview of your work?

I am a Lithuanian interdisciplinary artist currently based in Gourock, where all the Glaswegians flock on a hot summer day to enjoy the lido. My creative practice is a bit of everything really -  a bit of storytelling, a bit of sculpture, quite a lot of food, some bits of design and in the end it is all wrapped in a participatory performance type of sharing. In my work I like to consider different landscapes and focus on some small moments of the natural world that excites me. For instance, how the leaf dropping mechanism works (or rather fails to work) on some trees that retain their old leaves until late spring. Isn’t it quite something how such a delicate thing like a dry leaf can cling on for so long? 

Can you tell us what you’re looking to develop during your residency?

During the residency I was developing my relationship with the stinging nettle. Inspired by the book The Secret life of plants which talks about plant consciousness and different ways scientists have approached it, I decided to bring the stinging nettle to the studio and propose some kind of collaboration. I kept a journal to document my attempt and also to make sense out of my days when I spent them spraying water and playing the same record on repeat.

The journal can be found here Urtica something something

Has this been inspired by anything in particular?

The thinking bit for this residency was inspired by The Secret life of plants, a book from the 1970s by Peter Tompson & Christopher Bird. Also by Mort Garson’s album Plantasia which was inspired by this book and spring which was inspired by long winter.

What’s next for you after your residency?

Right after TMS residency I am heading to another residency in the Norwegian countryside, where I will be doing lots of wandering about and foraging. 

What five words describe the way you approach your practice in development?

Playing with time, space & objects.


What’s the best thing about having access to the TMS studio for a period?

To start with for someone who currently works without a studio, having such a generous work space was a real treat. During this residency I wanted to try something different to what my practice typically encompasses and having the support to experiment made it a great experience. Additionally, it was nice to reconnect with Southside Glasgow where I used to live a few years back. 

What have you seen recently that’s excited/inspired you?

Recently I found a lot of joy and inspiration spending time with my son who’s just under 2 years old. We go about and explore different things whether it is outside or under the dining table. Whilst he is learning about the world, at the same I am unlearning some of my knowledge about it.