Picnic in the Lost Space

Picnic in the lost space is an experimental project that aims to develop one of the methodologies for further research by “ Vietos studija” ( Place studio) using a picnic as a tool for local research. In the project, the picnic is understood as a provocation, during which the locals are invited to make contact with the spaces of the residential area, which at first glance do not belong to anyone, are abandoned and invisible. The purpose of this temporary activation is to combat the alienation of the local population and to invite passers-by to a conversation/discussion using the form of a game. The picnic becomes an invitation to talk about how locals can build a new relationship with urban spaces and their visitors. During the research, we discovered the multilayered nature of the picnic phenomenon. We have examined various aspects of it in cultural and artistic backgrounds. From a Sunday picnic in the park with the family to a picnic as a form of protest in the streets. We organised four picnics in Pilaitė, Šeškinė, Rasas and Naujoji Vilnia where conversations with locals helped to define relevant and narrower topics and fields of research.