Carving out history: when moments become monuments

Indrė Šerpytytė

Šerpytytė’s work is the result of an investigation into war and its consequences. Her recent work 1944 – 1991 is related to the period of “war after war”. Her series of NKVD-NKGB-MVD-MGB photos tell the stories of people that were interrogated and tortured in village houses. Rather than representing the buildings themselves, Serpytyte uses hand-carved wooden models, based on site visits and photographs excavated from the archives. Buildings in her works become the active participants in the process of torture, where everyday surroundings and elements of the house – the doors, handles and walls – become witnesses and partners in crime.

Indre Šerpytytė (b. Vilnius, 1983) lives and works in London. She is a photographer and researcher exploring the phenomena of memory and trauma. She graduated with a first–class MA in Photography at the Royal College of Art (2009) and is currently doing her PhD at the RCA in London. Her work is represented in public and private collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

She is the recipient of numerous awards including: Magenta Bright Spark Award (2010); Hyeres International Festival; National Media Museum Bursary (2009); Hoopers Gallery prize; Metro Imaging prize; Jerwood Photography award winner (2006); the Fujifilm Distinction Award; and the Terry O’Neill Award. Her work has been published and exhibited widely including recent shows at Tate Modern.