good to great, 2009

“Good to Great”, 2009, folded paper
using the pages from the James C. Collins’s book “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… And Others Don’t”, 2004, dimensions variable

The artist interviewed 40 Lithuanian businesswomen, including a question about particular books that may have served as a source of inspiration in their field of business. Despite the fact that bookstores are crammed with titles offering business advice and ‘secrets of success’ the question acquired some ironic undertones, considering the situation in 2009 – when successes are limited. Only one of the interviewees answered, Inga Cesnakiene who is director of the Nese Group and the winner of the “Lithuanian Businesswoman of the Year” (in 2007). The book she mentioned was James C. Collins’ “Good to ‘Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… And Others Don‘t” (2004). Consonant with the altered state of the economy and vagaries of good-advice the artist has found a way of presenting the book to the audience from a different perspective. Her work “Good to Great” (2009) uses the pages of the book as material for making paper-ships. The handiwork required to make the work is a form of meditative and singular labour; and it’s this process that she is more interested in than the finished objects. Nevertheless, the ships’ object-hood also liberates the book from its informational character, signifying a respite from information-overload.

Next to this artwork the large-scale abstract wall-drawing “The Days of Anxiety” (2009) has been realised in an ongoing cooperation with the students of the local art school. It is comprised of a large-scale abstract wall drawing made with simple graphite pencil direct onto the wall. It is drawn by the group of participating students and expresses their collective social and emotional anxiety about the state of things – and the future.

Photographs by Arturas Valiauga