Aušra Česnauskytė is a Lithuanian spatial designer/artist based in the Hague that graduated master of Interior architecture from the Royal Academy of Arts, The Hague, in 2020. With a particular focus on public space, she has constantly been zooming in and out from the globalised urban landscapes to the specific micro-scale accidents. Within her current practice, her technical background in architecture is intertwined with playful speculative designs, which intend to question our urban lifestyles and landscapes standardisation.
EDUCATION:
2018-2020 Master‘s degree: Interior Architecture (INSIDE), Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (KABK), NL
2013-2017 Bachelor‘s degree: Architecture, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, LT
2021 /5-7 Online learning community course: Make Economy Yours Again, Baltan Laboratories, Eindhoven, NL
2016 Erasmus exchange: Architecture with specialisation in Urbanism, The University of Lisbon, PT
WORK EXPERIENCE:
2020-... Freelance Practice: Urban research, spatial design, concept development, creative strategies, workshops, architectural drawings and graphic design.
2020-... Urban research lab-movement Neo-futuristic Walks. Co-initiator. Urban research, storytelling, curating, performative tours, workshops, talks.
2022 Collaboration with the Studio Kars+Boom: Urban research and installation design. Utrecht, NL.
Supported by The Creative Industries Fund NL (Building Talent programme).
2017 Internship at the MassLAB: Junior architect. Concept development and visualisation. Porto, PT (the link).
2016 Internship at the Merooficina: Junior architect. Technical drawings, visualisations, 3d models. Porto, PT (the link).
PERFORMATIVE TOURS AND WORKSHOPS:
2023 Neo-futuristic Walks: Kornos - a performative tour that was developed during a 2-week long art residency Xarkis. The residency culminated with the Xarkis Festival in Kornos, and Neo-futuristic Walks took part in its programme.
2023 Neo-futuristic Walks: Wetlands - 4 walkshops in 4 cities - Amsterdam, Rotterdam, London, and Antwerp (the cities that are at risk of flooding). The walks were designed in collaboration with an artist in each city. Co-curated the whole project.
The project was funded by the Creative Industries Fund NL (Experiment Grant Scheme).
A series of Neo-futuristic Walks walkshops:
2023 New York City, USA - As a part of the ECO Solidarity programme in WantedDesign Manhattan 2023.
The Hague, The Netherlands - As a part of an inter-masters collaborative Programme at the Royal Academy of Art The Hague.
2022 Vilnius, LT - As a part of the Symposium Politics of Space.
Amsterdam, NL - As a part of the Conference Walking as Research Practice (WARP)
Brussels, BE - As a part of The Festival of the New European Bauhaus.
Kaunas, LT - As a part of Kaunas European Capital of Culture 2022 programme.
Utrecht, NL As a part of the research on the playground project Urban Jungle.
2021 /3-7 Neo-futuristic walks: Vilnius-London.
- 4-month-long alternative urban research course for two groups of architecture and art students in Vilnius and London.
- 1 week of workshops on-site for students in Vilnius.
- 2 performative tours (participatory events) in Vilnius and London.
Neo-futuristic Walks: Vilnius-London was part of the Experiments’ Platform initiatives. Experiments’ Platform was initiated by the Architekture Fund in Lithuania.
The walk in London was a part of the London Festival of Architecture (LFA) programme.
2019 /11 What-IF? - workshop for architecture students about the speculative design principles. Amsterdam, NL.
2019 /2 City Inspection - workshop for architecture students. Mejorada del Campo, ES.
2019 /6 Het WONDERLAND - multiple performative tours for the groups of highschool students. Delft, NL.(group project)
2019 /6 The Last Supper - event as the Het WONDERLAND project’s closing ceremony. I was shaped as a narrated performance with conceptually designed meals and drinks. The Hague, NL. (group project)
2018 /11 My New Workspace - performance presenting my research and design project about the modern times’ workers. Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague, NL.
EXHIBITIONS:
2022 /10 Politics of Space: Neo-futuristic Walks: Vilnius. Presenting the walkshop’s results. Creative hub Sodas 2123, Vilnius, LT.
2022 /6 Oslo Architecture Triennale: Neo-futuristic Walks. Virtual projects’ display. (the link).
2021 /10-11 Group exhibition of the Experiments’ Platform’s initiatives: Neo-futuristic Walks: Vilnius-London. Creative hub Sodas 2123, Vilnius, LT (the link).
2021 /10 Dutch Design Week 2021: Neo-futuristic Walks: Vilnius-London. Plan-B, Eindhoven, NL (the link).
2021 /10 Future Architecture Platform 2021: #helloeveryone. Virtual projects’ display (the link).
2020 /10 Dutch Design Week 2020: #helloeveryone. Virtual projects’ display (the link).
2020 /9 KABK graduation show 2020: #helloeveryone. The Hague, NL (the link).
2019 /1 Group Exhibition of 12 Art Residency interiors’ concepts for Goethe-Institute: The Extremely well-ordered AiR (1 of 12 proposals). Goethe Institute, Rotterdam, NL.
2019 /5 Group Exhibition. The flower industry flows in the Netherlands and China. Contributed by my individual research on human labour flow within the Netherlands’ flower industry. Guangzhou, CN.
TALKS:
2021 /6 Collective Imagination: Speculating Urban Futures in Vilnius and London. The talk was a part of a radio programme for the London Festival of Architecture (LFA). It was hosted by Martynas Germanavičius and Palanga Street Radio.
(The link).
2021 /6 HOMO CULTUS. The man and the city on neo-futurism and speculative design. A discussion hosted by Matas Šiupšinskas and Justinas Dūdėnas, National Lithuanian radio channel for culture. (The link).
2020 /11 Ideas Exchange within the theme: Future Cities. Presented master’s graduation project #helloeveryone. The talk was hosted by the What IF Lab.
2020 /10 KABK students in DDW20. The talk was hosted by Mushroom radio.
AWARDS:
2021 Building Talent Grant Creative Industries Fund NL
2020 Nominee for the best Master’s graduation project in KABK 2020.
2018-2020 Master‘s degree: Interior Architecture (INSIDE), Royal Academy of Art in The Hague (KABK), NL
2013-2017 Bachelor‘s degree: Architecture, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, LT
2021 /5-7 Online learning community course: Make Economy Yours Again, Baltan Laboratories, Eindhoven, NL
2016 Erasmus exchange: Architecture with specialisation in Urbanism, The University of Lisbon, PT
WORK EXPERIENCE:
2020-... Freelance Practice: Urban research, spatial design, concept development, creative strategies, workshops, architectural drawings and graphic design.
2020-... Urban research lab-movement Neo-futuristic Walks. Co-initiator. Urban research, storytelling, curating, performative tours, workshops, talks.
2022 Collaboration with the Studio Kars+Boom: Urban research and installation design. Utrecht, NL.
Supported by The Creative Industries Fund NL (Building Talent programme).
2017 Internship at the MassLAB: Junior architect. Concept development and visualisation. Porto, PT (the link).
2016 Internship at the Merooficina: Junior architect. Technical drawings, visualisations, 3d models. Porto, PT (the link).
PERFORMATIVE TOURS AND WORKSHOPS:
2023 Neo-futuristic Walks: Kornos - a performative tour that was developed during a 2-week long art residency Xarkis. The residency culminated with the Xarkis Festival in Kornos, and Neo-futuristic Walks took part in its programme.
2023 Neo-futuristic Walks: Wetlands - 4 walkshops in 4 cities - Amsterdam, Rotterdam, London, and Antwerp (the cities that are at risk of flooding). The walks were designed in collaboration with an artist in each city. Co-curated the whole project.
The project was funded by the Creative Industries Fund NL (Experiment Grant Scheme).
A series of Neo-futuristic Walks walkshops:
2023 New York City, USA - As a part of the ECO Solidarity programme in WantedDesign Manhattan 2023.
The Hague, The Netherlands - As a part of an inter-masters collaborative Programme at the Royal Academy of Art The Hague.
2022 Vilnius, LT - As a part of the Symposium Politics of Space.
Amsterdam, NL - As a part of the Conference Walking as Research Practice (WARP)
Brussels, BE - As a part of The Festival of the New European Bauhaus.
Kaunas, LT - As a part of Kaunas European Capital of Culture 2022 programme.
Utrecht, NL As a part of the research on the playground project Urban Jungle.
2021 /3-7 Neo-futuristic walks: Vilnius-London.
- 4-month-long alternative urban research course for two groups of architecture and art students in Vilnius and London.
- 1 week of workshops on-site for students in Vilnius.
- 2 performative tours (participatory events) in Vilnius and London.
Neo-futuristic Walks: Vilnius-London was part of the Experiments’ Platform initiatives. Experiments’ Platform was initiated by the Architekture Fund in Lithuania.
The walk in London was a part of the London Festival of Architecture (LFA) programme.
2019 /11 What-IF? - workshop for architecture students about the speculative design principles. Amsterdam, NL.
2019 /2 City Inspection - workshop for architecture students. Mejorada del Campo, ES.
2019 /6 Het WONDERLAND - multiple performative tours for the groups of highschool students. Delft, NL.(group project)
2019 /6 The Last Supper - event as the Het WONDERLAND project’s closing ceremony. I was shaped as a narrated performance with conceptually designed meals and drinks. The Hague, NL. (group project)
2018 /11 My New Workspace - performance presenting my research and design project about the modern times’ workers. Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague, NL.
EXHIBITIONS:
2022 /10 Politics of Space: Neo-futuristic Walks: Vilnius. Presenting the walkshop’s results. Creative hub Sodas 2123, Vilnius, LT.
2022 /6 Oslo Architecture Triennale: Neo-futuristic Walks. Virtual projects’ display. (the link).
2021 /10-11 Group exhibition of the Experiments’ Platform’s initiatives: Neo-futuristic Walks: Vilnius-London. Creative hub Sodas 2123, Vilnius, LT (the link).
2021 /10 Dutch Design Week 2021: Neo-futuristic Walks: Vilnius-London. Plan-B, Eindhoven, NL (the link).
2021 /10 Future Architecture Platform 2021: #helloeveryone. Virtual projects’ display (the link).
2020 /10 Dutch Design Week 2020: #helloeveryone. Virtual projects’ display (the link).
2020 /9 KABK graduation show 2020: #helloeveryone. The Hague, NL (the link).
2019 /1 Group Exhibition of 12 Art Residency interiors’ concepts for Goethe-Institute: The Extremely well-ordered AiR (1 of 12 proposals). Goethe Institute, Rotterdam, NL.
2019 /5 Group Exhibition. The flower industry flows in the Netherlands and China. Contributed by my individual research on human labour flow within the Netherlands’ flower industry. Guangzhou, CN.
TALKS:
2021 /6 Collective Imagination: Speculating Urban Futures in Vilnius and London. The talk was a part of a radio programme for the London Festival of Architecture (LFA). It was hosted by Martynas Germanavičius and Palanga Street Radio.
(The link).
2021 /6 HOMO CULTUS. The man and the city on neo-futurism and speculative design. A discussion hosted by Matas Šiupšinskas and Justinas Dūdėnas, National Lithuanian radio channel for culture. (The link).
2020 /11 Ideas Exchange within the theme: Future Cities. Presented master’s graduation project #helloeveryone. The talk was hosted by the What IF Lab.
2020 /10 KABK students in DDW20. The talk was hosted by Mushroom radio.
AWARDS:
2021 Building Talent Grant Creative Industries Fund NL
2020 Nominee for the best Master’s graduation project in KABK 2020.