Mudballs: Hands-on Experience con Augustas Serapinas
EPISODE 1 – SEASON III BALTIC ADVENTURE
On December 5, 2023, FOROF inaugurated SEASON III – BALTIC ADVENTURE with the first Episode, Mudballs: Hands-on Experience con Augustas Serapinas, curated by Ilaria Gianni.
The Lithuanian artist, protagonist of the exhibition running until June 30, 2024, opened the five-Episode program with a participatory workshop for adults that transformed the archaeological site of the Basilica Ulpia into a shared experience of art and reflection.
Suggested photo: audience at the beginning of the workshop, inside the archaeological site.
A dialogue between art and nature
After a guided tour of the exhibition with the curator and the artist, participants were invited to explore the world of the Mudmen, figures made of mud, straw, and clay, reminiscent of snowmen.
The idea originated in Riga in 2020: due to unusually mild temperatures, no snow fell, forcing Serapinas to replace snow with mud. From that climatic contingency arose a tangible reflection on global warming, now taking shape in the heart of Trajan’s Forum.
Suggested photo: close-up of Mudmen placed among the polychrome marbles of the Basilica Ulpia.
A collective experience
Conducted in English, the workshop invited participants to create their own mudballs, reinterpreting the gesture of building snowmen transformed into mud balls.
A simple, artisanal action that brought Nature back to the center, becoming an opportunity to reflect together on future scenarios and our shared responsibility toward climate change.
Suggested photo: participants working with straw and clay during the workshop.
A program in five Episodes
This first event opened the cycle of five Episodes accompanying SEASON III – BALTIC ADVENTURE. In the following months, FOROF will host musical, choreographic, and participatory performances.
The journey will culminate with an afternoon workshop for children and a closing evening with a DJ set. As is tradition at FOROF, each Episode ends with a food and wine experience curated by Rimessa Roscioli, supported by APalazzo Gallery and under the patronage of the Lithuanian Embassy.
Suggested photo: final group photo with the mudballs created, closing moment of the workshop.