Dryads of Cosquer

Roots to Routes curators Merilin Talumaa and Justė Kostikovaitė are delighted to present Dryads of Cosquer, a tripartite project featured in the Lithuanian Culture Season in France 2024. The programme includes an exhibition and artist residency, a screening followed by a discussion, and a performance. It highlights works by Baltic and international contemporary artists influenced by the heritage of Marija Gimbutas.

Artists: Lina Lapelytė (Lithuania), Morta Jonynaitė (Lithuania), Kristina Õllek (Estonia), Evy Jokhova (Estonia/Portugal), Daria Melnikova (Latvia), Nefeli Papadimouli (Greece/France), Darius Dolatyari-Dolatdoust (France), Adéla Součková (Czech Republic), with text contribution by Tereza Porybna (Czech Republic)
Curated by Merilin Talumaa (Estonia) and Justė Kostikovaitė (Lithuania) of the curatorial agency Roots to Routes
Exhibition layout: Daria Melnikova (Latvia)
Graphic design: Gailė Pranckūnaitė (Lithuania)
Venue: La Traverse, 16 Traverse Sainte-Hélène, F-13007 Marseille, France

Programme
Exhibition: August 30–October 31, 2024. Venue: La Traverse, Marseille
Screening and discussion: September 1, 2024, 2:30pm. Films by Emilija Skarnulytė (Lithuania). Discussion with Emilija Skarnulytė, Justė Kostikovaitė, Merilin Talumaa, moderated by Flora Fettah. Venue: Art-O-Rama art fair, Marseille
Performance: ME TWO / WE, THE CLIQUE, Low Air (Lithuania). November 5, 2024, 6:30pm. Venue: Frac Sud—Cité de l’art contemporain, Marseille

In the oeuvre of American-Lithuanian scholar Marija Gimbutas (1921–1994) we encounter the proposal of a harmonious, nature-venerating matristic society that flourished during the late Neolithic era in the Mediterranean. This hypothesized culture, revolving around female deities, distinguished itself through its sophisticated sign language, intricate ceramics, and far-reaching trade networks, operating peacefully and without wars.

The project’s title, steeped in both myth and historical sites, melds the Greek “Dryads”—tree goddesses of lore—with “Cosquer,” referencing their imaginary abode—the actual prehistoric cave near Marseille, famed for its ancient drawings This ornately adorned cave, frequented over millennia from approximately 27,000 to 14,000 BC, now faces an inexorable submersion beneath the Mediterranean’s briny embrace, mirrored in the commissioned work of Kristina Õllek’s algae submersion installation, which takes over the gallery windows of La Traverse.

As part of “Dryads of Cosquer”, La Traverse hosted artist Kristina Õllek for a 2-week residency this April, during which she was in dialogue with the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography. For the exhibition, the curators have commissioned a new site-specific installation by Õllek. In addition, Art-O-Rama, Marseille’s international contemporary art fair, will feature a screening of Emilija Škarnulytė’s video works Æqualia (2023) and Xirasia (2023). Škarnulytė herself refers to these pieces as her “Goddess works,” offering viewers an exploration of themes related to deep time, nature, femininity, and spirituality. The project will culminate with the performance ME TWO / WE, THE CLIQUE by Low Air (chor. Airida Gudaite, dir. Jonas Tertelis), embodying acts of conflict resolution and inviting audiences to contemplate the power of unity and collective action in overcoming adversity.

*Gimbutas’s legacy has had a profound impact on both scientific fields and cultural movements, inspiring many artists and writers. Her publications on ancient symbols and Goddess images in the 1970s were seminal for feminist artists in North America, including Mary Beth Edelson, who performed a ritual-based piece in Grapčeva cave, and Judy Chicago, who featured Gimbutas’ Goddess figures in her iconic installation The Dinner Party (1974–70). Today, Gimbutas’ theories are being celebrated in the context of the climate emergency and feminist emancipation.

Project supporters: Lithuanian Culture Institute, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, Institut Français, Lithuanian Culture Season in France 2024, Baltic Culture Fund, Vilnius City Municipality, Estonian Cultural Endowment, Estonian Embassy in Paris, Estonian Culture Ministry

Project partners: OVO things, Integrity PR, Artproof, La Traverse, Art-O-Rama, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography—OSU Pythéas (CNRS, AMU, IRD, INRAE), Frac Sud—Cité de l’art contemporain.

Press contact: Nadia Fatnassi, nadia [​at​] closeencounters.fr / T +33 652 086 908