Lithuanian Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2026 Presents Eglė Budvytytė's Work on Historical Invasions

The Lithuanian Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale features a multi-channel film installation by artist Eglė Budvytytė titled 'animism sings anarchy.' The work is presented in a two-story former workshop in Venice's Castello district, now called 'Fucina del futuro.' Budvytytė's project pays tribute to Lithuanian-American archaeologist Marija Gimbutas, who fled to the United States after Lithuania's annexation by the Soviet Union. Gimbutas developed theories about Neolithic Europe being inhabited by peaceful, matrilineal societies devoted to female deities, which were later overthrown by patriarchal warrior cultures from the East between 4500 and 3000 BCE. The installation connects these historical invasions to contemporary geopolitical tensions, particularly referencing Russia's current military threats. The work was filmed in Italy's Grotta Scaloria in Puglia, a Neolithic ritual site studied by Gimbutas, featuring performers in trance states interacting with water basins. Curator Louise O'Kelly describes the piece as charging archaeological artifacts with anarchic possibilities. Pavilion commissioner Lolita Jablonskien notes this is one of Budvytytė's most ambitious works to date, connecting different times and geographies. The artist previously participated in the 2022 Biennale's main exhibition with 'Sings of the Compost.' The Lithuanian presentation occurs amid controversy over Russia's participation in the 2026 Biennale, with neighboring countries expressing indignation.