As autumn slips in and trees gradually bare themselves, we seize the last opportunities to shed our clothes and worries and leap into the water. Observing the shifts in nature, temperature, and light, we can also reconsider our relationship with our bodies. In the photography exhibition Bodies of Water, artist Alexandra Bondarev invites us to look at the human body as a fluid yet composed site of selfhood that awakens into its nature when in or near a swimmable locus.

The exhibition opens on September 10 at 6 pm at Markučiai Manor (Subačiaus Str. 124, Vilnius). Let us gather for an evening together.

In the artist’s own words:

“A body of water ripples, waves, and billows in its own way, its ebb and flow unfolding unasked. And while a body of water claims its status as a body by being a composed entity of unique characteristics, the human body, replenished with water, composes itself into something more itself when in or near a swimmable locus. With its senses and contours awakened, it lets itself be carried afloat by its very nature.

By drawing the mind’s attention, a floating or submerged body restores the connection between the two and rouses their unified yet fluid essence. In water, the body remembers being not merely a vessel for the spiritual and mental worlds – it knows more, it knows in its own way.

At the same time, nudity in bathing creates a physical and mental space of vulnerability, which, when embraced, can lead to deeper connection with one’s own and others’ metaphorically naked selves. In many cultures, water is bound to purification, transformation, and (re)birth.

Finally, the carefree aspect of summertime swimming, especially in northern latitudes, stimulates play and a state of flow: freed from layers of clothing and worry, the body begins to move and act according to its most natural will – both learned and innate, womb-deep.
Observing the movement of human bodies of water, I have spent two summers composing unstaged, non-curated, symbol-laden frames of (partially) nude bathers. In these images, I try to capture what I see as non-verbalisable, metaphorical manifestations of the human core. In the curve of a tense muscle or idle fingers warming in sunlight undulate pools of supra-intellectual knowledge. Their fragmentary documentation, while searching for myself and the Other in today’s unmoored world, teaches me to think less, listen more, and look with greater care. And, of course, beauty – the singular thing I wish to capture and create.”
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Alexandra Bondarev is a Vilnius-born traveller, photographer, poet, translator, and editor in the cultural field. Her artistic practice is rooted in an anthropological approach to humanistic documentary, focusing on the human being and seeking to reflect universal states. Currently pursuing an MA in Comparative Cultural Studies, she also serves as a Board Member of the Lithuanian Association of Photographic Arts. In 2024, Alexandra took part in an artistic residency at the Jam Factory Art Centre in Lviv (Ukraine) and was awarded the Romualdas Rakauskas Photography Prize. Her works have been presented in solo and group exhibitions as well as in cultural publications in Lithuania, Georgia, and Bosnia.

The opening event will feature a musical performance by the artist’s friends.

The exhibition will run until 14 October 2025 and can be visited during Markučiai Manor opening hours:
Mon–Fri: 3–7 pm
Sat–Sun: 11–7 pm
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Exhibition Author: Alexandra Bondarev
Graphic Design: Normantas Matonis (IG: @normatonis)
Translation: Alexandra Bondarev
The artist would like to thank: Andrius Repšys, Erik Vojevodin, Orestas Motužis, Kamilė Dambrauskaitė, Augustas Lapinskas, Donata Šiaudvytytė, Morta Narkauskaitė, Lynx Cannabis, the people in the photographs, the musicians performing at the opening, and everyone who contributed to the realisation of this show