ruta butkute

BRADWOLFF PROJECTS presents ‘Swinging Sleeve’ a performative installation by Ruta Butkute. The platform chose this project because of the artist’s emphasis on research; this approach brought her new insights.

In ‘Swinging Sleeve’ two performers undergo an intuitive physical experiment where an exchange takes place between the objectified body and the animated object. The relationship between the physical form of the installation and the performers’ body movements will be explored through their dynamics. The objects have different functions and become detached from their original use. Through simple movements, the artist aims to question the specific qualities of materials, such as weight, size, mass and gravity.

The sculpture gives the impression that it has a functional origin. When via performance the traces of its use can be seen, the question then arises how can the installations be used. The construction is based on the traditional Japanese tatami floor mats; they adapt to the space they occupy in number and form. Thus the sculpture will take on very different constellations: forms and star signs after the performance is finished. Tatami originally means “to fold” or “to stack.” These characteristics are reflected in the presentations. A video recording of the performance will be projected during the exhibition.

Ruta Butkute [1984, Kaunas, Lithuania] studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie and the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. She has exhibited at Fons Welters, Amsterdam; Kaaistudios, Brussels; Rietveld House Cordemeyer, Apeldoorn and Teruhiro Yanagihara Gallery, Osaka, Japan. She has participated in several residencies including: Summer Coaching Program, Rosas P.A.R.T.S in Brussels and Arita Residency in Japan.

Finissage Swinging Sleeve Ruta Butkute 2 April 16.00 – 18.00 hrs

17.00 hrs Sculptural Performance

Credits performers Roos van Berkel and Tashi Iwaoka