In 2026, Rupert presented the second edition of Mutual Empathies, a research and residency programme created in 2024 in collaboration with Goethe-Institut Lithuania. The programme brings together artists from distinct cultural backgrounds and creative practices to live and work alongside one another in Vilnius, creating space for exchange, shared research, and new encounters.

Curator JL Murtaugh and curatorial fellow Katažyna Jankovska see one of the programme’s strengths in bringing together people with different approaches and shared interests. Spending time together at Rupert creates opportunities to exchange experiences, encounter different ways of working, and develop a deeper understanding of one another’s perspectives. 

Reflecting on the residency, Murtaugh highlights not only the planned programme, but also the relationships and conversations that developed around it:

“[I] especially enjoyed the meals, visits, and casual conversations with Saule, Maithu, and Katažyna outside the planned programme, where we could talk openly about our backgrounds, experiences, and deepen our appreciation for how we all work and understand the world.”

For Jankovska, the opportunity to spend dedicated time alongside artists is equally central to the experience:

“One of the greatest pleasures of this profession is having dedicated time to spend alongside talented artists – to get closer to their practices, learn their ways of thinking, and immerse yourself in new forms of knowledge, contexts and sensibilities. And, perhaps most importantly, to form connections that continue long after the residency itself.”

The 2026 residency brought together artists Saule Suleimenova and Maithu Bùi for six weeks of research and artistic development at Rupert. Their work, developed during the residency, was presented in a final exhibition that opened on 14 August.

The exhibition brought together two distinct artistic practices exploring the aftermath of violence and its lingering presence through collective memory, inherited narratives, war waste, and everyday materials. Alongside the exhibition, the opening evening invited visitors into the artists’ studios, offering a closer look at their research processes and the works developed during the residency.

The final exhibition was on view at Rupert until 30 August 2026.

Curators: JL Murtaugh, Katažyna Jankovska
Production: Augustė Verikaitė
Coordination: Gabrielė Golubovičiūtė
Communication: Kornelija Žvinklytė
Technician: Jokūbas Adamonis
Photography: Laurynas Skeisgiela
Design: Jana Sofie Liebe and Augustinas Milkus

Special thanks to: Anna Maria Strauß, Monika Lipšic, Viktorija Šiaulytė

The 2026 edition of Mutual Empathies is financed by the Lithuanian Council for Culture and Goethe-Institut Lithuania. Rupert’s programmes are supported by Vilnius City Municipality. Rupert’s partner is INVL Family Office.