On Friday, September 4, at 5:30 p.m., at the Klaipėda Culture and Communication Center (KKKC) Exhibition Hall, 2 Didžioji Vandens St., will host the opening of Jelena Škulis’s exhibition “Chains of Freedom, Bonds of Connection,” curated by Joaquin Mora. In this exhibition, weaving, embroidery, and handicrafts—rooted in the traditions of ancient crafts and domestic work—transition into the realm of contemporary art without losing their connection to their origins. The exhibition will run through September 27.

One thread meets another. Individual elements begin to depend on one another: they are linked by repetition, tension, and time. It is an archaic gesture that still speaks to our need to remain connected. It is precisely this movement that marks the beginning of Jelena Škulis’s artistic practice. The hand, the loom, repetition, and, most importantly, time itself remain particularly palpable.

It takes months, sometimes years, to complete each piece. Day after day, Jelena returns to her loom, while life goes on around her. Conversations, daily concerns, news, and political events all find their way into her weaving. To weave means to persevere, to endure, and to continue working despite changing circumstances. This continuity becomes a unique form of testimony.

Words flow through the loom and become part of the fabric. Over the course of several meters, alongside everyday phrases, different languages, symbols, and patterns emerge, repeating themselves over and over. Some of them stem from shared experiences; others—from situations that arise during the creative process. Over time, the narrative itself changes. It accumulates fragments, and at certain moments seems to condense into just a few words: war, tears, waiting. The textile preserves the story of what happened while it was being woven.

A small amount of copper—a conductive material used in cables, electrical connections, and communication systems—appears among the threads and chains. However, here the connection is formed slowly—by hand, thread by thread.

In the world we live in, it is not easy to discern such a vision of connection. We have never had so many ways to communicate, yet the experience of disconnection seems to be growing rapidly. That is why handcrafted works attempt to speak, to understand, and to wait patiently, bridging the distance that separates us so that a dialogue—not necessarily a complete one—might emerge.

A fabric requires connections to exist, but it needs tension to maintain its structure.

Perhaps the question is this: What does it mean today to stay together, and what kinds of relationships are we able to maintain?

Jelena Škulis — artist, lecturer, researcher, and Doctor of Arts. Her creative practice is grounded in research into craftsmanship, materiality, weaving, relationality, and community. In her work, she reflects on social and political themes using an autoethnographic approach.

J. Škulis has held more than a dozen solo exhibitions. Her works have been and continue to be featured in international exhibitions and art fairs in Switzerland, Italy, France, Portugal, South Korea, Slovakia, Latvia, the Czech Republic, and elsewhere. The artist is represented by the “Meno niša” gallery.

KKKC Exhibition Hall (2 Didžioji Vandens St., Klaipėda) hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m. (closed on national holidays). Please note that participants may appear in photos and videos of the event published in various media outlets. Admission to the exhibition is free on opening day; admission fees apply thereafter. For more information: www.kkkc.lt