Curatorial Residency Exchange: Monika Lipšic

This August, CCA Glasgow hosts artist and curator Monika Lipšic for a one-month curatorial residency. This residency is a collaboration between the Centre for Contemporary Arts and the Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists' Association, as well as the Cultural attaché of the Republic of Lithuania.

Having identified the existing need for curatorial residencies, CCA Glasgow and the Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association (in collaboration with the cultural centre SODAS 2123) have initiated a curatorial residency exchange. Providing the opportunity for two curators - one from Glasgow, UK and one from Vilnius, Lithuania - to participate in two one-month residencies taking place in Glasgow and Vilnius during 2024-2025.

The curatorial residency exchange programme was conceived as a platform for participants to exchange ideas and think together about today's geo-political challenges and post-colonial tensions. Developing possible visions towards solving these seemingly intractable issues. By initiating this curatorial residency exchange programme, the partners aim to strengthen the connections between these geographic locations which are simultaneously close and distant, and contribute to the development of possible creative collaborations.

The exchange starts with Monika Lipšic's residency in Glasgow where she will have an opportunity to follow the work of CCA Glasgow, familiarising herself in the local art scene and communities. As well as carrying out research in relation to the CCA’s current exhibition by The School of Mutants and artist-curator Thomas Abercromby You Have Not Yet Been Defeated and attending Edinburgh Art Festival. The exchange programme will continue with a residency by a Scottish curator, planned to take place in Vilnius at the cultural centre SODAS 2123 in spring 2025.

Monika Lipšic is a curator and artist who creates exhibitions, events and performances. Her projects combine historical experiences through materials and ideas with contemporary art processes and presentations of artists' work. Returning from maternity leave, Monika is also curator of Rupert's residencies and public programme. In the past, she has presented events such as Wheel of Fortune (Rupert's 10th birthday programme) (2022), the exhibition The Invisibles: Historic Furniture from a Contemporary Design Perspective (2022) with Vytautas Gečas and Marija Puipaitė at the Museum of Applied Arts and Design in Vilnius, a group exhibition of artists of different generations The Storm (2021) at the Pamario Gallery in Juodkrantė, and she is the founder of the video art festival Videograms (from 2020), together with Viktorija Šiaulytė. Lipšic has also presented various curated and group art projects at organizations such as Blaffer Art Museum Houston, Wattis Arts Institute in San Francisco, Tallinn CCA, Kunstverein Amsterdam, Nomas Foundation in Rome.

This residency is organised by the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow and the Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists' Association, as well as the Cultural attaché of the Republic of Lithuania. It is co-funded by the Lithuanian Culture Institute. Activities of LIAA are funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.