Chantel Bann, Kažkur Tarp - Somewhere in between (Art 2020)

Kažkur Tarp - Somewhere in between (These 3 photos are part of a series that includes: 4 photos, 1 video) is a visual and sonic representation of the feeling of living in liminal states: spaces between defined cultural, social, personal and emotional categories that help inform and perform our identities. Drawing upon Lithuanian folklore, mythology and tradition, the costumes, although sculptural, are only presented through photography and video, playing somewhere in between a denial of their material value and significance, and an assertion of their auratic qualities and symbolism. The power of the costumes to obscure the wearer minimises the importance of the identity behind them and they become living sculptures unto themselves. By simulating one’s own selective understanding of specific features of heritage and tradition, the work refuses to become a mere exercise in conventional documentation of historical items and practices. Instead, the work asserts a visual reinterpretation of one’s relationship with self and culture and considers the use of fashion in the construction of fluid identity. By denying the audience the chance to see the real and not break the illusion of aura created by the presentation and performance of the costumes, the garments become conceptual vehicles for experimentation, othering, and self-reflection. The work has evolved from an acknowledgement and evaluation of the nuances of one’s own sense of being somewhere in between, and it is through this personal research into one’s own heritage, history and experience, that Kažkur Tarp aims to reconcile the complexities of a divided sense of self, find beauty in the spaces in between and result in an empathetic awareness of the world at large.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.