LIGHT INSTALLATION AT THE EMBASSIES OF BELARUS AND RUSSIA . 

SEPTEMBER 13, 2020, 8:30 PM - 9:30 PM, VILNIUS.

HOURS BEFORE THE LUKASHENKO AND PUTIN MEETING, THE BELARUSIAN AND RUSSIAN EMBASSIES WERE ILLUMINATED WITH THE WHITE-RED-WHITE COLORS OF FREE BELARUS IN VILNIUS. THE ARTIST WAS ASKED TO STOP THE INSTALLATION  “IMMEDIATELY” (UNGROUNDED) AS SOON AS THE LIGHTS WERE LIT BY THE POLICE ON DUTY NEXT TO THE EMBASSY.

THE POWER OF LIGHT AND COLOR IS NOT ONLY SYMBOLIC. LIGHT PENETRATES THROUGH FIREWALLS AND PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES. IT IS AN INTANGIBLE BUT HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL FORCE – IT CAN HEAL, AND IT CAN REPRESS.

THIS TIME, IT SUPPORTED THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND REFLECTED THE REPRESSIVE POLITICAL REGIME BY LOOKING STRAIGHT INTO ITS EYES. WE SEE YOU!

THE COLORS OF THE INSTALLATION (WHITE, RED, WHITE) CORRESPOND TO THE COLORS OF THE FLAG OF THE INDEPENDENT PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BELARUS. THIS FLAG WAS CHOSEN BY BELARUSIAN CITIZENS AS A SYMBOL OF PROTEST AGAINST THE REPRESSIVE REGIME.

THANK YOU TO THE ARTISTS PARTICIPATING: ANDRIUS SELIUTA VON RATH, AURELIJA BULAUKAITĖ, GRETA EIMULYTĖ, NORBERT APUOKA HNC, LINAS KUKLERIUS. PHOTOS BY VAIVA ABROMAITYTE.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS INSEPARABLE FROM THE CONCEPT OF MODERN DEMOCRACY. THE FREEDOM TO SPEAK OR OTHERWISE DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ABOUT ONE'S BELIEFS, VIEWS, AND THOUGHTS WITHOUT CENSORSHIP IS ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL POLITICAL RIGHTS OF HUMAN BEINGS, ENshrined in the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, AND HONEST ELECTIONS ARE THE FOUNDATION OF A DEMOCRATIC STATE.”

ON AUGUST 4-9, 2020, BELARUS HELD PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. FOR THE SIXTH CONSECUTIVE TIME, ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO DECLARED VICTORY IN THE ELECTIONS, RECEIVING OVER 80% OF THE VOTES ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL DATA. ACCORDING TO OPPOSITION CAMPAIGN DATA, SVIATLANA TSIKHANOUSKA RECEIVED BETWEEN 70-80% OF THE VOTES FROM THE POPULATION. THE OPPOSITION DEMANDED A RECOUNT OF THE VOTES, AND THE STREETS OF MINSK AND OTHER CITIES WERE FILLED WITH THOUSANDS OF BELARUSIAN CITIZENS PROTESTING THE FALSIFIED PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. STATE FACTORY WORKERS WENT ON STRIKE. THE VOTES WERE NEVER RECOUNTED, AND THE MILITIA AND ARMED FORCES CONTINUE TO BRUTALLY PERSECUTE PEACEFUL PROTESTERS TO THIS DAY. AT LEAST FOUR PROTESTERS HAVE DIED, AND HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES HAVE DOCUMENTED OVER 500 CASES OF SEVERE BEATING. INTERNET ACCESS IN BELARUS HAS BEEN DISRUPTED. 

AFTER BEING DETAINED FOR SEVEN HOURS, SVIATLANA TSIKHANOUSKA SOUGHT REFUGE IN VILNIUS. HER RUNNING MATE MARYJA KALESNIKAVA IS CURRENTLY DETAINED, ALONG WITH DOZENS OF OTHER OPPOSITION FIGURES. THE EUROPEAN UNION, THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND CANADA HAVE REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE ELECTION RESULTS. THE EUROPEAN UNION HAS IMPOSED SANCTIONS ON BELARUSIAN OFFICIALS WHOM THEY CONSIDER RESPONSIBLE FOR "VIOLENCE, REPRESSION, AND ELECTION FRAUD.