The last session was dedicated to the topic of integrity: integrity of the person, integrity of the mind, integrity of the body, integrity of the creation, and integrity of the society. The speakers – Jan Motal, Martina Musilová and Uršule Bartoševičiūtė – explored the topic of integrity from different angles.
Jan Motal dealt with integrity of the body and of personality in post-covid distance. He viewed the forced space between people (actors and spectators, creators and consumers) as a democratizing tool that enables full expression of the free creative process and of self-awareness. Martina Musilová, on the other hand, went to the core of artistic research and used the methods of acting to evaluate the public state of affairs, specifically with respect to the actions taken by the Czech political elite. Finally, Uršule Bartoševičiūtė’s presentation focused on the issue of integrity of feminism in artistic creation.
Unfortunately, covid interfered with this section in a forceful manner, as Jan Motal had to withdraw for health and family reasons. As a substitute he offered his paper and his latest articles on the topic online. Uršule Bartoševičiūtė, whose contribution I was particularly looking forward to, presented the issue of institutionalised and systemic sexism rooted in the works of Lithuanian artists.
Integrity is all we have when we stand in front of the crowd. Be aware of who you are and what you do – and be proud of it.