Donatas Bielkauskas

Donatas Bielkauskas is taking part in Artists-in-residence exchange programme of the project “Close stranger” September, 2014.

Artist will spend residency in the Baltic Branch of the National Centre for Contemporary Arts (Kaliningrad, Russia). After the A-I-R the group will present a public art project  in Kaliningrad September, 2014.

Multiinstrumentalist Donatas Bielkauskas is a central axis of project of neofolk/ambient/experimental music titled DONIS, which is well known in Lithuanian scene. In his music authentic and modernized instruments of Lithuanian folk are used. Various guest musicians ar invited for different sessions. Sonic aesthetics of the project bears a solid, subtle, mature character with baltic features. Debut album “Deinaina” was released in audio cassete in 1998, followed by CD “Baltos Juodos Klajos” (Dangus Records, 2002), famous work “Švilpiai” (2003), collaboration between DONIS and KŪLGRINDA “Sotvaras” (Dangus Records), ambient “Vacuum” (Autarkeia, 2004), post-folk “Bite-lingo” (Dangus Records, 2006), antique-influenced “Alexandreia” (Autarkeia, 2007).

Since 1994 various collaborations have happened featuring Wejdas, Notanga, Kūlgrinda, etc.

In recent years Donatas dedicates significant part of his ouvre to electronic and experimental music. The wish and possibilities to experiment in the style of ambient/folk music unfolds in the project d.n.s.

Project “Close stranger” 

«Close Stranger: promoting mutual understanding between population of Gdansk, Kaliningrad and Klaipeda through facilitation of exchange in the field of contemporary arts and culture» is a major project aimed at promoting collaborative work of Lithuanian, Polish and Russian institutions involved in contemporary arts and culture, and facilitating a greater understanding between the population of Gdansk, Kaliningrad and Klaipeda through cultural participation.

The project is run by the Baltic Branch of the National Centre for Contemporary Arts (Kaliningrad, Russia), the Centre for Contemporary Arts «Laznia» (Gdansk, Poland) and Klaipeda Culture Communication Centre (Klaipeda, Lithuania). It is designed for a two-year period, from January 2013 to December 2014.

The project is to launch a wide range of activities targeted at both the local communities and a large trans-border network of professionals such as contemporary artists, photographers, musicians, curators, art and cultural managers etc. A total of 11 exchange exhibitions to display the most interesting contemporary art practices are planned to be held in Gdansk, Kaliningrad and Klaipeda throughout the duration of the project.

Alongside this widely used approach to cultural exchange, the project will employ a number of other mechanisms for enhancing large-scale production- and process-based cooperation in the region.

www.donis.lt