Les Frontières sont des animaux nocturnes / Sienos yra naktiniai gyvunai

Borders are Nocturnal Animals / Sienos yra naktiniai gyvunai presents a dozen intergenerational artists together with a collective of cultural agents coming from the “post-socialist” countries, including some members based in the Parisian area. Using forms, imagination and poetry as political tools, this exhibition offers a frail thread to read through complex colonial histories, realities, and visions of the future. The project stems from the present geopolitical turmoil caused by the Russian war in Ukraine and follows the multitude of ruptures and ripples it sends through space and time.

Curators
Neringa Bumblien? & Émilie Villez

Artists
Andrius Arutiunian, Beyond the post-soviet, Danylo Halkin, Agn? Jokš? , Deimantas Narkevi?ius, Marija Olšauskait?, Algirdas Šeškus, Emilija Škarnulyt?, Anastasia Sosunova, Nomeda and Gediminas Urbonas, Anna Zvyagintseva

Two years after the invasion started, what normality is possible in the vicinity of the conflict, while we witness history repeating itself? The exhibition points at untold histories of the region that until very recently were overshadowed by power discourses. Once told, can they reshape established narratives of the past and the present? The exhibition brings together artists that reflect on systems of beliefs and languages that carry resilience.

The title is a reference to Luba Jurgenson’s essay, Quand nous nous sommes réveillés. Nuit du 24 février 2022 : invasion de l’Ukraine [When we woke up. Night of February 24 2022: invasion of Ukraine] (Verdier, 2023): “Les frontières sont des animaux nocturnes, elles bougent pendant que nous dormons. Il faudrait toujours veiller” [Borders are nocturnal animals, they move while we sleep. We should always be vigilant].

Borders are Nocturnal Animals / Sienos yra naktiniai gyvunai) is a project co-organised by the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, KADIST Paris, and the Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius on the occasion of the Season of Lithuania in France. The exhibition is simultaneously presented at the Palais de Tokyo and KADIST in Paris in the fall of 2024. A presentation at the Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius will follow in 2025.

Off-site events
Learning to Coexist – Wednesday, December 4, 2024
From 7pm at the Gaîté Lyrique (Free upon registration, in English)

With Agn? Jokš?, Natalya Guzenko Boudier, Ella Prokkola, Kristupas Sabolius, Emilie Villez

In a polarized and unstable world, how can we imagine a “compossible” future and the tools to achieve it? This roundtable explores coexistence through fresh perspectives on environmental challenges, decolonization, and gender emancipation. Drawing on the Swamp School’s vision of sympoietic relationships, it rethinks how humans can live with other forms of life. Discussions will address non-binary linguistic forms and tools empowering oppressed peoples, particularly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. By redefining education beyond institutions, the event emphasizes continuous learning as a path to alternative ways of being and fostering shared possibilities for coexistence.

After the End – The Forum on Imagining with Others – Thursday, December 12, 2024
From 4 to 8pm at the Palais de Tokyo (Free upon registration, in English)

The Forum explores humanity’s anxieties about impending crises, from wars to ecological collapse, and reimagines the future beyond colonial and authoritarian frameworks. Centered on “emancipated imagination,” it invites thinkers, artists, and activists to use history as a tool for transformation, amplifying marginalized voices and fostering interconnectedness. Addressing topics like social change, inclusive visions, and transformative ecologies, it aims to transcend colonial legacies and create a “noosphere” of shared ideas. Featuring diverse global contributors, the Forum blends artistic and philosophical approaches to inspire dialogue and propose actionable, alternative futures, ultimately asking: what awaits us after the end?