Andrius Arutiunian’s first solo exhibition in Italy, Poison Paradise, delves into bitumen as both a physical substance and a potent metaphor. This fragment of ancient history holds a planetary rhythm of extraction, transformation, and control.

The exhibition unfolds as a landscape of sculptural and sonic layers. Here, sound emanates directly from the mineral, while rhythm emerges as a form of resistance. This geology is punctuated by an echo of Britney Spears’s 2003 hit, ‘Toxic.’ Released during the US invasion of Iraq, the song collapses pop desire with the long memory of petrochemical conflict.

Crawling through this world are snakes—symbols of the underground, renewal, and endless cycles. Poison Paradise is an invitation to listen to the hidden architectures of power embedded within the very materials shaping our present.
“Poison Paradise” is part of the Cultura Lituana in Italia 2025–2026 program. The Cultura Lituana in Italia 2025–2026 program is implemented by the Lithuanian Culture Institute and the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the Italian Republic.