Milda Lembertaitė's playful work is an exploration of human interaction with nature, technology, and the often unseen yet intertwined histories of these relationships. Her art, which bridges the tactile physicality of sculptural forms and the ethereal, fluid dynamics of digital video, embodies an eco-activist sensibility enriched with a Dadaist spontaneity. Her practice invites viewers to confront the paradoxes inherent in our reliance on technology to connect with and, ironically, to protect the natural world.

The incident in 2015, when a tree branch struck her head, symbolises a profound, almost mystical connection with the non-human—a reminder of nature’s agency and its ability to interrupt, inspire, and communicate in unexpected ways. This seemingly random encounter turned into an artistic dialogue, where the fallen branch transformed from inert matter to a sculptural partner. Through pieces like these, Milda encourages a reimagining of objects typically seen as passive—wood, stone, bark—inviting them to become active participants in the narrative of human and ecological coexistence. The branch, with its exposed knots resembling watchful eyes, paired with the enigmatic message etched in obsidian—“Do not touch me on your phone”—is both cautionary and playful, urging us to reconsider how touch and connection are mediated through screens.

In her performances, screens become extensions of the body, blending physical presence with digital representation. The screen ceases to be a mere medium and transforms into a material that’s almost sculptural, heavy, and demanding, dragged and lifted in a way that reclaims its physicality. The performer’s exertion blurs the line between digital ‘immateriality’ and the sweat-drenched reality of human labor, grounding the digital image in the body’s visceral experiences.

Milda’s practice challenges us to view natural and technological objects as intertwined entities that share a “fate” with humans, where the boundaries between the animate and inanimate, human and non-human, begin to dissolve. This reflection on shared history and fate probes deep, often uncomfortable questions: how do we protect nature with tools that harm it? And how can we reconcile the origins of these technologies with the landscapes they alter? Milda’s work is a call to remember our origins—not only as a species but as an interconnected web of beings, objects, and histories that bear witness to each other’s existence.