Clay Programme: Transmitting Form

Akee invites to spend the Midsummer weekend participating in the Clay Programme in Aleknaičiai village. This is the second event in the programme exploring the uniqueness of clay.

On June 23–24, Clay Programme: Transmitting Form will invite participants to consider clay as a material capable of shaping technological change and creative practices. During the Midsummer weekend, the programme will bring together ceramic practices, 3D printing, and material research, with particular attention given to traditional clay-forming techniques and experiments that are now being applied in digital fabrication.

Over the course of two days in Aleknaičiai, architects, ceramic artists, artists, and researchers investigating the relationships between craftsmanship and technology will come together. The programme will explore how clay today functions as a material of craft, construction, design, and cultural memory, transmitting forms across different periods, territories, and technological contexts.

PROGRAMME

JUNE 23

18:00 Evening opening

19:00 Locals from the Quarry
Eglė Kulbytė

Learn about research into local Lithuanian clays and their application in 3D clay printing. Eglė Kulbytė will present the results of printing, drying, and firing different clay bodies, revealing their technical and visual properties. This research became the foundation for the artist’s ceramic series, presenting clay as a sustainable material for contemporary design and art.

20:00 Clay workshop for children with educator and artist Simona Čemoškaitė

20:00 Ten Years of 3D Clay Printing at the Estonian Academy of Arts
Lauri Kilusk

Art, craft, education, development, research, and collaboration come together through ten years of 3D clay printing practice at the Estonian Academy of Arts. The lecture presents an experimental and continuously evolving field in which material behaviour, technological processes, and collective making shape new approaches to working with clay.
The talk traces a journey through material resistance, technological limitations, and the complexity of digital environments, offering a perspective on 3D printing as part of material research, learning, and creative practice. A 45-minute lecture is illustrated with abundant visual material, presenting snapshots of different processes, site-specific documentation, and finished artworks.

20:45–22:00
Midsummer bonfire and music by A. Certo

22:00–23:30
The celebration of the longest day continues with Visvaldas Morkevičius.

At the end of the evening, we invite everyone to stay by the bonfire for shared time and conversation.

JUNE 24

11:00 3D Porcelain Printing Following the European Ceramic Tradition
Rokas Dovydėnas

This lecture will present a two-year research project investigating how traditional porcelain vessel forms can be translated into 3D-printing processes. The research explored patterns, repetitions, and relationships between material and form, connecting historical ceramic traditions with contemporary digital manufacturing technologies.

The research revealed the significant influence of the porcelain collection of Augustus the Strong (1670–1733), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, on the aesthetics of European porcelain. Early European porcelain traditions developed in relation to this collection, producing copies of blanc-de-Chine porcelain as well as vessels inspired by Chinese and Japanese styles. Similar tendencies emerged in Baroque, Rococo, and Chinoiserie aesthetics: asymmetrical composition, rich textures and surfaces, and a sense of exoticism and luxury.

Following these traditions and employing 3D modelling and printing tools, the lecture presents contemporary interpretations of porcelain forms. Works created during the project were exhibited at the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art in Kaunas and the Mark Rothko Art Centre in Daugavpils.

12:00 A Territory of Expression and Research – Ceramics, Design, Sculpture, Earth Art
Dainis Pundurs

This lecture presents a chronological overview of the artist’s creative practice from the early 1990s to the present day.

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS

Lauri Kilusk – Lauri Kilusk is a ceramics artist and researcher at the Estonian Academy of Arts, specializing in innovative 3D-printing methods with extrudable materials. His work encompasses a wide range of processes, including 3D modeling, programming, mechanics, and material studies, all aimed at expanding the possibilities within the versatile world of clay. Supported by the rich resources and collaborative environment of the university, Lauri’s research and development foster a fertile ground for creativity. Engaging regularly with specialists and students alike, he creates an inspiring atmosphere that nurtures continuous experimentation.

For Lauri, personal creation extends beyond tangible objects; he views thoughts and ideas as the true objects of shaping. The tactile pieces produced during his process are milestones, moments frozen in time that reflect an endless journey of digital and material exploration. His work embodies a dreamlike quality—an elusive mirage that reveals itself only in its digital variations, transcending conventional understanding and inviting viewers to interpret from their own perspective.

Rokas Dovydėnas is an artist, curator, and Doctor of Arts. Since 1994 he has participated in exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad, organised fifteen solo exhibitions, and curated ten exhibitions. He is a member of the Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association (serving as its chairman from 2016 to 2019). From 2014 to 2020 he taught art and design subjects at the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences and Mykolas Romeris University. Since 2018 he has been a lecturer at the Vilnius Academy of Arts. His works are held in the collections of the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, the Lithuanian National Museum of Art, MO Museum, Grassi Museum in Leipzig, and private collections.

Dainis Pundurs is one of the leading figures in contemporary Latvian ceramics, working with porcelain, clay, stoneware, and chamotte. His practice encompasses vessels, objects, sculpture, and spatial installations. He is also an Associate Professor of Ceramics at the Art Academy of Latvia. His work combines technical mastery with experimentation, and he understands artistic practice as a continuous process of research. Dainis Pundurs has received significant Latvian art awards and has participated in international exhibitions and biennials.

Pundurs, Dainis. Asteroid, 2007.

Eglė Kulbytė is a ceramic artist of the younger generation whose practice emerges from curiosity about materials, their behaviour, and their capacity for transformation throughout the creative process. She is interested in the relationship between handcraft, technology, and chance, as well as in how mistakes or unexpected material responses can become integral parts of a work. Through ceramics, she explores connections to land, place, and time, understanding the creative process as a conversation between people, materials, and environment.

<><><><><>

During the event, participants will have the opportunity to prepare dinner together over the bonfire. We will provide baked goods, but we also invite you to bring your own favourite food suitable for outdoor cooking. Refrigerators will be available in the Akee space, where food can safely be stored until dinner.

Guests planning to stay overnight are encouraged to bring tents, sleeping bags, and sleeping mats. Accommodation will be available both indoors in one of the Akee spaces and outdoors on the site. Those staying indoors are advised to bring their own sleeping equipment, while those staying outside should bring tents. An outdoor shower and compost toilet will be available on-site.

Please remember that the event takes place in nature, so we recommend bringing both warm and light clothing, protection from sun and rain, as well as mosquito and tick repellent. There are also beehives on the Akee site, and we kindly ask everyone to be attentive and respectful toward the environment and its inhabitants.

Akee’s activities are based on principles of sustainability and community, so if you have spare seats in your car, we encourage you to share your journey with others attending the event. This will leave more space on-site for people rather than cars.

It is also possible to arrive by public transport via buses travelling towards Pakruojis. From Pakruojis Bus Station, the venue can be reached by taxi or by arranging a ride with other event participants.

Spread the word, invite your friends, and bring whatever you think might be useful for spending the longest weekend of the year in Aleknaičiai.

We look forward to welcoming you soon!

Address: Aleknaičiai village 9, Pakruojis District
Contact: +370 696 83445 (Vilius Vaitiekūnas)

Programme Curators: Rokas Dovydėnas, Gabrielė Šimkutė, and Vilius Vaitiekūnas
Graphic Design: Herman Drowning
Communication: Aistė Marija Stankevičiūtė

The project is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture and the Pakruojis District Municipality.