During her residency in August 2024 Ieva was interested in exploring the place of endemic and invasive plant species in Biel, their traditional roles as well as their historical, environmental and urban implications. Photoforum invited her back to present the results of her residency in a small presentation. 

“The word ‘invasive’ circled a lot in my head during my time in Biel. As a first-time visitor of Switzerland coming from Lebanon, a country that is currently under threat of a ground invasion, I also felt at times like a rootless seed looking for some ground to land on. Although uprooted, we felt welcomed by everyone we met. In the company of my 5-year-old, we closely observed the plants and other life forms around us. I looked for invasive species, he searched for bugs, snakes, and lizards. My motherly duties kept my attention divided, but also pervaded my creative process. He doodled on his notebook while I sketched out plants by walking, or cut their photographs out from books, or blended and dried them into paper. As I played with materials, questions began to form: how does invasiveness manifest in nature versus human society, can it be reframed to have a positive impact, what defines an invasion in a physical, mental, emotional, and cultural context, what materials and techniques can convey the tensions between the familiar and the intrusive?”

Ieva Saudargaitė Douaihi

© Ieva Saudargaitė, 2024

About the artist

Ieva Saudargaitė Douaihi is a multi-disciplinary artist working with photography, installation and other media. Her work is influenced by her background in architecture, a profound fascination with the built and natural environments as well as different layers of street life. Her practice seeks to uncover the layers of history, culture, ecology and experiences embedded within. Ieva studied architecture at the Lebanese American University in Byblos and École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. She grew up between Lithuania, United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. In 2022, she established Takeover, a project space in Beirut that presents dynamic and experimental programming.

This residency was made possible thanks to Pro Helvetia Cairo.