A Bear in the Forest
Duration
Year
Topics
Language
Subtitles
Lithuanian
15 minutes
2025
English
Last spring, after more than a decade abroad, sound artists Gabrielė and Andrius decided to return to live in Lithuania. This coincided with a wave of media reports about encounters with bears. Although there are only a few bears in the country, the noise of the media created the impression that hundreds of them are tumbling into cities and forests.
Experts explain that the bear is a timid animal, and that a real threat only arises if one is encountered unexpectedly, especially if it has cubs. For this reason, people walking through the forest are advised to make sounds and announce their presence. In such cases, a bear, hearing a human, will move away.
Gabrielė and Andrius spend long periods in silence in the forest while recording environmental sounds. One day, after sharing persistent thoughts that there might be a bear in the forest, the sound artists paused to reflect. And they began considering the possibility of recording a bear in the forest.
“We would like to sincerely thank everyone who agreed to speak with us, shared their knowledge, and contributed to this work.”
This piece was created as part of the “LRT Radio Academy 2025” training and mentoring program.
If you’d like to learn how to tell stories through sound, sign up for “LRT Radio Academy 2026.” For more information, visit radijoakademija.lrt.lt
Script, field recordings, composition, sound design Gabrielė Griciūtė and Andrius Mackevičius
Mentor Inga Janiulytė-Temporin
Featuring voices and contributions from Mindaugas Survila, a resident of Riešė, Jurijus Gromakovas, Mantas Četkauskas, Romualdas Barauskas, Mindaugas Lapelė, Inga Janiulytė-Temporin, Morgana Laura Fiorini, and Simonas Kaupinis
Gabriėlė Griciūtė and Andrius Mackevičius
Gabriėlė Griciūtė and Andrius Mackevičius (Allosci) create atmospheric sonic narratives that explore their relationship with sound, environment, and perception. Their first story, Bear in the Forest, tells of bears in Lithuania and an attempt to record them.
In their creative practice, the duo combines environmental recordings with experimental electronics, placing strong emphasis on narrative structures, deep listening, the physicality of sound and vibration, and the intersection of music and sound art. They recently released their debut album, Alloscillating.
