A new and innovative exhibition “Metaceramics” has opened at the Anykščiai Art Incubator–Art Studio, inviting visitors to rediscover and experience ceramics in a completely new way. By combining ancient craftsmanship traditions with digital technologies, the exhibition reveals how a traditional material – clay – can gain a new, contemporary dimension.
At the heart of the exhibition is a 3D video installation created by the Lithuanian video artist Rimas Sakalauskas. His work was inspired by the ceramic artworks of Kristina Motuzienė and Ramunė Pranckevičiūtė. In a large-scale projection, viewers can observe how ceramics are transformed in a digital environment – through moving lines, lights, textures, and rhythms. This audiovisual experience evokes the feeling that clay and sound merge into one unified “meta-ceramic” world.
Project manager Lina Rimkienė admits that the idea of digitalizing ceramics initially seemed risky:
“It was hard to imagine whether ceramics could be transferred into digital form without losing its essence. But through collaboration with Rimas Sakalauskas, we realized that tradition and technology can not only coexist but also complement each other, creating a new artistic experience.”
Artist Rimas Sakalauskas explains that the project is very personal to him:
“My mother is a ceramist, so clay has always been a familiar and emotionally close material to me. This time, I wanted to find a way to connect the physical and digital worlds, allowing ceramics to live in a new, visually powerful form.”
During the approximately 20-minute installation, visitors embark on a journey through the birth, texture, and emotion of ceramics, turning the experience into a meditative encounter.
The core idea of the exhibition is to inspire people to rediscover traditional crafts and see their creative potential in a modern context. The project team hopes that this unique format will attract art enthusiasts, families with children, and tourists from Lithuania and abroad.
The exhibition “Metaceramics” is part of a broader cross-border cooperation project that supports the development of creative industries in the regions and encourages the search for new artistic approaches.
In the near future, other digital craft exhibitions will also open in Latgale (Latvia) and Aukštaitija (Lithuania), featuring:
• the Latgalian homestead at the Tradition House in Daugavpils;
• wood architecture and woodcarving at the Kraslava Palace complex;
• linen weaving and traditional folk music instruments in the village of Upytė, Panevėžys District.
This project aims to promote the digitalization of cultural heritage and open new avenues for the promotion of crafts, both locally and internationally.
The project “Digital crafts tourism” (acronym D-tour; No LL-00100) is co-funded by the European Union. The project is implemented within the Interreg VI-A Latvia-Lithuania Programme 2021-2027.
The total project budget is EUR 697 275. The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund with EUR 557 820.
Interreg VI-A Latvia–Lithuania Programme 2021–2027 aims to enhance the sustainable and cohesive socioeconomic development of its regions by fostering competitiveness and attractiveness for residents, students, workers, and visitors alike, thereby creating environments conducive to living, studying, working, and visiting.
Programme website: http://www.latlit.eu. About the project: latlit.eu/theprojects/d-tour/.
This publication has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the Latgale Planning Region and does not necessarily represent the official position of the European Parliament.
