“Spores” | Mushroom picking with a therapist

The musical performance Spores explores the intertwining of emotional health and technology, live and virtual assistance in today’s world.

The protagonist of the piece is one of many people in the modern world who tries to express her anxiety to a therapist amid a flood of information and emotional stimuli. However, this therapist is virtual, an advisor imbued with the wisdom of artificial intelligence. Their conversations, based on Western therapeutic theories, help them navigate the turbulent waters of everyday worries and grievances. However, by unconditionally supporting the patient, this advisor encourages attachment and creates an artificially positive environment – like a mirror reflecting the desires and emotions expressed to it. Are these virtual psychotherapists Ariadne’s thread, helping to find a way out of the labyrinth of dark thoughts and emotions, or does this thread only further confuse and weave the knots of dependence on technology?

The work is inspired by the principles of classical Greek drama, adapted to contemporary reality: here, the inner transformations of the protagonist are accompanied by the voices of the chorus. Classical Greek tragedy, presently taking place behind the doors of a psychotherapist’s office or on phone screens, allows us to look at the altered relationship between the individual and the community. Is virtual care really a sustainable salvation from emotional chaos, or should we look for other ways to create connections with ourselves, others, and the world? Spores is the debut performative work by visual art duo Pakui Hardware, created in collaboration with a large team of performing artists. Contemporary electronic music, polyphonic sound structures performed live by a community choir, video-sculptural scenography, and movement scheme – all of this becomes a new, performative, pulsating body that has grown out of separate spores.

Authors and stage directors: Pakui Hardware (Neringa Černiauskaitė and Ugnius Gelguda)
Text authors: Pakui Hardware and artificial intelligence therapist
Composer: Miša Skalskis
Vocal practices curator: Vaidas Bartušas
Co-author of solo vocal parts: Justina Mykolaitytė
Choreographer: Andrius Katinas
Set design: Pakui Hardware
Costume designer: Morta Nakaitė
Video artist: Vaclovas Nevčesauskas
Lighting designer: Julius Kuršys
Sound engineer: Ignas Juzokas
Architect: Sigita Simona Paplauskaitė
Dramaturgy consultant: Gediminas Rimeika

Performers: Justina Mykolaitytė (protagonist), Eglė Rudokaitė (organ), Spores Choir – Smiltė Bagdžiūnė, Aistė Baltraitytė, Dalia Baltrušaitienė, Alexandra Bondarev, Akvilė Brazauskaitė, Vitalija Fokienė, Greta Germanavičiūtė, Laima Gric, Viktorija Jakštienė, Akvilė Jančauskaitė, Vytautas Juzėnas, Vėjūna Kaktavičienė, Danutė Kryžanauskienė, Marija Lenkaitė, Kristina Mickevičienė, Karilė Mozerytė, Daiva Petelienė, Aušrinė Rinkevičiūtė, Gabija Rostovskytė, Justė Savickienė, Raminta Šumskytė Sum, Dovilė Verikienė, Remigija Vilniūtė, Agnė Zeziulevičiūtė, Inna Zvinkli, Rugilė Žukaitė

Producers & co-commissioners: Operomanija, Performa
Partners: Contemporary Art Centre, Lithuanian Culture Institute, Iškrovos
Supported by: Lithuanian Council for Culture, Vilnius City Municipality

This musical performance was created for the Vilnius Contemporary Opera Festival NOA and the Lithuanian Pavilion Without Walls programme at the performance biennial Performa in New York.