Ieva Lygnugarytė Revives a Lost 16th-Century Diplomatic Gift in Venice
Lithuanian artist Ieva Lygnugarytė presents "Carmen: Utopias of Belonging," a video installation at Oratorio dei Crociferi in Venice, running until May 31, 2026. The work reactivates a forgotten 1523 episode when poet Nicolaus Hussovianus wrote "Carmen de Statura, Feritate ac Venatione Bisontis" as a diplomatic gift from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to Pope Leo X, accompanied by a straw-stuffed European bison. The pope died before the gift arrived, and the episode faded from history. Lygnugarytė's film reinterprets this story through moving images, acting, and atmospheric scenes, interweaving historical and imagined temporalities. The poem is presented via a meditative voice, emphasizing reflection on continuity, memory, and meaning transmission. The installation's location—a historic religious site away from main Biennale venues—reinforces themes of invisibility and marginality, prompting questions about who is seen in past and present Europe and how cultural value is assigned. Curated by Meral Karacaoğlan.
Key facts
- Ieva Lygnugarytė created a video installation titled 'Carmen: Utopias of Belonging'.
- The work is based on a 1523 poem by Nicolaus Hussovianus.
- The poem was intended as a diplomatic gift from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to Pope Leo X.
- The gift included a straw-stuffed European bison.
- Pope Leo X died before the gift arrived, so it was never received.
- The installation is at Oratorio dei Crociferi in Venice.
- The exhibition runs until May 31, 2026.
- The curator is Meral Karacaoğlan.
Entities
Artists
- Ieva Lygnugarytė
- Nicolaus Hussovianus
Institutions
- Oratorio dei Crociferi
- Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Lithuania
- Rome
- Białowieża Forest
- Belarus
- Poland