Eglė Budvytytė, representing Lithuania at the 61st Venice Biennale (2026), will present a film installation inspired by the archaeological research of Marija Gimbutas, a 20th-century Lithuanian archaeologist and anthropologist. The work, titled "animism sings anarchy (still)," is a three-channel video and 16mm film transferred to 4K projection, exploring Neolithic spiritual practices and a nonviolent, animist, feminist vision of prehistory. Budvytytė collaborated with performers from various geographies and aims to challenge the concept of national representation within the pavilion.
This interview, part of ArtReview's series of questionnaires with Biennale participants, matters because it highlights ongoing tensions around national pavilions in an era of rising nationalism, and the artist's critical stance on the Biennale's ethics and imperial violence. Budvytytė's refusal to answer how her work relates to the Biennale's theme "In Minor Keys" and her call to abandon nation-based art language underscore a broader debate about the relevance and politics of international art exhibitions.