KAUNAS FULL OF CULTURE 2020 MAY

KAUNAS FULL OF CULTURE

Collective consciousness

2020 MAY Illustration by DaktarÄ— Kvin

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Vita Opolskytė is one of the people interviewed in this issue. She’s a painter, and she can’t help it even when far away from her studio. Her latest piece was drawn on an A4 piece of paper with pencils, fountain-pens, nail polish and hair spray. We also love the name – “Who run the world? Girls.”

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The last month (in fact, almost two) has introduced – or is it more accurate to say refined? – new personality types to an already diverse map of psychology. Perhaps someone’s life was changed by a quarantine conflict while another’s was transformed by a timely idea and newly opened gates after they lost their job and the borders, as well as establishments, got closed.

From Kelmė to Idaho Some of us live (we use the present tense because the quarantine was still in place when we gave the magazine for print) like we used to live before. They “go” to work, communicate with colleagues, help children with their classes, then watch a movie, and order dinner.

Perhaps they only use less petrol or makeup. They started exercising at home. Only advantages. So, it seems that this is that significant segment that perhaps only lacks live contact.

“Perhaps only?” – would ask those who were left without a job.

Eventually, it might be beneficial to some; maybe they have been looking for a way to change their unloved job for a long time now? Yet others are in sorrow and gloom. This is where the innate creativity comes in handy: theatre actors are volunteering in corona hotline, basketball players volunteer to visit the elderly, the seamstresses are not stitching the last clothing collection but face masks (both in Kelmė and Idaho, they are hung on fences for people to pick them up), the librarians are printing the protective face shields

and restaurant chefs are preparing dinner for them. The desire to feel needed is a necessary factor in order not to get lost in the flow of bad news and depressing statistics. You work; therefore, you’re not scrolling. And someone’s thank-you, a smile from behind the mask when they give you their place in the store now is more relevant than ever, right?

It does not matter to which of those people you attribute yourself to. Or maybe things have already overturned during these weeks? The point, though, is that man is a social creature, and we cannot do anything without other people. Why paint a picture if no one will be able to see it? Why broadcast a concert?

Why dance under a balcony if no one comes out to see it? The feeling is mutual. You can’t even wage war if you don’t have anyone to wage it against. Therefore, this issue is about being that has changed for some and didn’t for others, but which would not be possible without the other.

Pain-ting, philosophy, quarantine photography, and... trips to Belgium and India.

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Collective consciousness is a term heard by many, carrying a somewhat vague meaning. This period, when the influence of collective moods, attitudes, and actions is felt very strongly by each individual, encourages us to look at it more closely. Vytis Čiubrinskas, an anthropologist, professor with a PhD in humanities and the head of the Center for Social Anthropology at Vytautas Magnus University, tells us about the various nuances of this phenomenon and related observations brought from his visits to India.

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To make something foreign your own Julija Račiūnaitė Photos from V. Čiubrinskas’ personal archive

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Community dinner 2020 MAY

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The concept of collective consciousness can be analyzed in various cross-sections. What aspects are associated with social anthropology?

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We should start with Émile Durkheim – a classic of social sciences and sociology – who developed this concept. He contrasted the collective consciousness with the individual one. According to Durkheim, collective consciousness emphasizes the fact that man is a social being, and that it is through him that norms and values are formed, that act as a kind of collective force. Take collective conscience, for example, which imperatively affects the individual. It could be exemplified by the repentance for the Holocaust felt in Central and Eastern Europe.

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In social and cultural anthropology, the norms of social behaviour and collective consciousness are primarily explored in field research. We could say that field research is ethnography. It is usually based on the method of participant observation to gain a more profound knowledge of the lifestyle of local people belonging to a specific group. The process is based on emic, not on what people say about what they do, but what they actually do. This is very important because often what people need or what they know, what they think about, is decided, as they say, out of the hat, i.e. by conducting surveys and capturing only what people say.

During empirical research, a group of people is examined from the inside, but it is also examined how that “inside” interacts with the outside. In this way, we see collective consciousness, conscience, collective behaviour, solidarity, and other things in both intracultural and intercultural interactions (inside and outside), trying to grasp it in global society and diversity. That would be the axis – how can we highlight the differences in thinking, behaviour, feeling, and at the same time, what are the sim-

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ilarities between collective solidarity, empathy, thinking, and behaviour?

We immerse ourselves in a specific empirical medium and examines correlation from a comparative perspective.

Is it possible to localize the collective consciousness, for example, to claim that there is a European, a Lithuanian consciousness? Can it be said that certain groups are more prone to individualism and others, on the contrary, are highly bound and dependent on the collective consciousness?

The localization or grouping of thinking and behaviour can only be very conditional and relative, as it is a swift way to a priori identify patterns of collective behaviour, and the latter are a straight path to stereotypes and mentality maps.

What are the threats?

It can inspire the fear and hatred of the other and so on. Collective thinking, behaviour, feeling, morality can be explored and grasped only holistically and from a comparative perspective.

Examining through the aforementioned emic perspective, we will actually understand whether or not we can localize anything at all. There are, of course, certain schemes: modernism and traditionalism (modern collective consciousness and traditional collective consciousness), the industrial and agrarian world, hunter-gatherers and the evolutionary scheme, and so on.

There are also certain a priori analytical categories, such as Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of habitus, according to which, people have socially ingrained habits and attitudes according to which they behave and think. In cognitive anthropology, we also have schema (or schemata) category, according to which, there exists a specific management experience that pushes the whole human organization.

Preparing food for community dinner

Such analytical categories are possible, but empirical research in anthropology remains a priority. Speaking very conditionally about the fact that some formations, communities, societies are more prone to individualism, and others to collectivism, we immediately discover the usual scheme – Western individualism and Eastern collectivism. In this case, the criteria are capitalism or the right to self-determination. But if we look at it from the point of view of a particular community, through its eyes, we will always find both – collectivism and individualism.

The proportions will vary. Lithuania is also diverse. Depending on what human populations we study. It would be very irresponsible to follow the ideas supported by the public and the expectations of institutions such as the state, media, education system. Such collective expectations are very obvious: the expectation of public-spiritedness, the expectation of responsibility to society and the world, the anticipation of voluntary assistance. From an institutional point of view, there is plenty of that, but it can lull us. Now, during a pandemic, we are witnessing the publicly promoted solidarity, the

outburst of voluntary aid. Still, if we examined these processes from the inside, we would see many troubles and gaps of individualism, selfishness, personalities as well as of entrenched collective responsibility, and conscience.

What good examples of rallying can be found in our society (for example, remembering the Reform Movement of Lithuania)?

First of all, we should refrain from using the word “our.” As for specific positive gatherings (even in the case of the current pandemic), it is clear that they occur in the face of a threat; that is not local but global. Similarly, the Reform Movement should be seen in the context of the rise of Central and Eastern Europe, alongside the Velvet, Orange revolutions. The Singing Revolution is part of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the Reform Movement is associated with the Polish Solidarity Movement and other civic-national activism in Central and Eastern Europe. We should always keep that in mind, in order not to appropriate it. Both the Reform Movement and the pandemic are excellent examples, but a certain balance

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With a colleague in Amritsar

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should be introduced when considering them. These are movements that developed historically and took place regionally and globally. We should also bear in mind that collective gatherings are not necessarily positive. It is well known that they can be destructive too.

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Do you think there is too much euphoria in the media over this issue?

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No, I wouldn’t think so. Constantly reminded public-spiritedness and responsibility are tremendous things, but it would be great to see them on a more communal rather than institutional level. Concentrated in communities, the public-spiritedness would become very effective.

Until recent events that reminded us about state borders, the world was becoming increasingly global.

What are the changes in the constantly travelling person’s relationship – who has repeatedly changed his or her place of residence or emigrated and returned – with their native social environment and its attitudes?

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of naturalness is a very relative thing.

Personally, I would emphasize several things: first of all, when you travel, that is, looking from the outside, you can see home better, and in addition to that, you appreciate more what you have left behind. For example, the taste of Lithuanian black bread. There are lots of black bread types, but none of them tastes like the Lithuanian one. I can definitely confirm that the stomach gets denationalized last. There is a reason why the fourth generation Lithuanian Americans still love kugelis (potato pudding).

Secondly, when travelling, you become a cultural translator; you recognize the other in yourself (and vice versa).

Travelling seems to confirm the motto of anthropology – to make something foreign your own. And while travelling, one should question themselves, their culture, and the environment as something foreign and never take it for granted while exploring it. It is very important. It is also significant that travels and living in other countries are not just some interesting things but also a moral step – there is a “danger” to pick up moral pluralism. But mostly I would like to emphasize the perspective of a cultural translator, as the one that truly opens up and changes people.

Yes, because they understand that despite the great diversity and differences, we are all part of the same humanity, the inhabitants of the same planet. There is more empathy, more solidarity, and the collapse of prejudices. Also, one realizes that they are not a stranger elsewhere. It can also be surprising. It would seem that you are from very far away and very different, but you make a stranger your own and begin to see yourself through the eyes of the other.

You spent a lot of time working in India. What peculiarities of collective behaviour and mindset surprised you when you came from Lithuania?

Maybe they turned out to be really far-off from our worldview.

Perhaps one should look through the already emphasized prism of collectivism-individualism. It would seem that in India, society is indeed much more bound by social solidarity, which we could say is more collectivistic. But that social solidarity is more of a traditional-communal nature rather than civic.

The differences between the castes are perhaps most striking – the strict division of society into social categories, which truly permeate thinking, behaviour, morality, emotions. Castes are prohibited by law but institutionalized through so-called anti-discrimination policies. For example, members of certain lower castes are given quotas for higher education or public institutions, so they have conditions for formal existence. And informally, it obviously unfolds through behaviour in public places (such as distance keeping), body language. And it doesn’t happen only in the province, for example, in the city, you can observe that through the division of labour. Manual labour is considered an activity for the representatives of the lower castes. We will also find advertisements

for contractual marriage in the newspapers, in which the requirements of a specific caste apply to the potential spouse. Another significant difference is the hierarchy, great respect for the teacher, the boss, expressed through assistance and service.

When it comes to the worldview, you cannot help but see the serenity, “peaceful rush”, the Rama principle. Let’s say that a dog is sitting in the middle of a busy city junction and scratching its ear. The drivers pass it quietly without signalling. Or a dog or any other creature is sleeping peacefully in the train station, a busy and crowded place, and no one dares to pay attention or disturb it. Because of that peaceful rush, one can feel a certain balance. And when it comes to collectivism, it is essential to mention the feature related to peace: there is not so much of that egocentric pride and the extremes arising from it.

Harmony is fundamental in India, i.e. dharma, which is a law that means a sort of spontaneous order of reality, encouraging one not to go to extremes, to trust one’s destiny. Karma is also very important. People always wish you good karma and strongly believe in it.

We must not forget the enormous variety of lifestyles (probably typical of any larger country) – the lives of slums, professors and students, high castes, happen in parallel. India is not only, as is often said, a diversity of religions, languages, and customs, but also of lifestyles characterized by sharp contrasts.

What influence does the participation of the collective consciousness in the life of an individual have on their sense of meaning, completeness, and security?

It definitely has influence; how could it not? It is a social grammar that is imperative for man because he is a social being. Without all that, you wouldn’t call a three-coloured piece of fabric a flag, and we wouldn’t have any remorse.

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Perhaps while travelling, people are sort of pushed into anthropological considerations and gain a better chance of becoming the cultural translators that you mentioned?

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In the face of a pandemic, squads of optimists are convinced that we will gradually begin to see the world a little differently: we will start viewing our issues as general ones, and we will look at society as a multitude of individuals competing for collective well-being. Of course, there are also critics investigating disasters and paying attention to anyone who might stumble or make mistakes. But wasn’t every disaster always different, with both loss and gain? While corresponding about current affairs with Tomas Šinkūnas, the head of the publishing house Jonas ir Jokūbas that publishes exclusively philosophical books, I continuously pondered about the outlines of a slightly different world, which we will soon enter, and which we tried to discuss from various perspectives. Tomas currently lives in Vilnius, but studied philosophy in Kaunas, Vytautas Magnus University and was taught by Viktoras Bachmetjevas, who later became his colleague in publishing. This will be our starting point.

Jonas, Jokūbas ir Tomas Monika Balčiauskaitė Photos by Kipras Štreimikis

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Around 2011, besides the individual initiatives, the publishing of philosophy books in Lithuania had come to a standstill. The publishing house was established with an intention to show that philosophy is not dead and that there are people who need it. And Viktoras had a very clear vision to publish beautiful, good, and proper books.

We continue to develop part of that vision.

Why only a part?

Not all the books that we are currently publishing are proper.

Perhaps not even necessary. Their purpose is a little less defined. In general, book publishing to me is like trying to find a light switch in a dark room. It is a bit different when it comes to philosophy books because the light simply doesn’t work.

Were there any major changes during these five years of the publishing house’s existence?

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Do you know what gave Viktoras Bachmetjevas the idea to establish a publishing house Jonas ir Jokūbas in 2015, which would publish philosophy books?

We started publishing philosophy books for children and became an international publishing house (we published original philosophical works in English). But perhaps the most important change is that we are gradually becoming more than a publishing house. We have long come up with a number of things that in the long run should change and formulate a new philosophical landscape in Lithuania, but it is a public secret, so, unfortunately, we cannot name it at the moment.

How is the publishing house doing now?

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At the moment, there is a lot of anxiety. We are approaching the publishing of Søren Kierkegaard’s The Concept of Anxiety. It is an intoxicating feeling, just like in the book: we are standing on the edge of the abyss, afraid to fall, but at the same time, something inside tells us to jump. Although there seems to be little adrenaline in the publishing business, a similar feeling visits with each new book. And in all other respects, the virus did not touch us. Philosophy books are a matter of the chosen ones, the insane, and the martyrs, therefore we cannot complain about the lack of sales.

Which of your books are more actively chosen by readers in the face of a pandemic?

Truth be told – none. We do not have literature that would be relevant to this situation. We can recommend books to people, who want to understand the situation of the humanities in Lithuania, get acquainted with the concept of silent madness, or look very differently at what philosophy is.

As I said, philosophy books are usually not that thing that people buy depending on external circumstances.

When a question arises, an answer

is sought that goes beyond the knowledge of the person asking it.

Of course, there are people who buy books because they look beautiful.

God, help them.

Humanity is now facing perhaps the greatest crisis of our generation. When thinking about solutions and alternatives, we often ask ourselves – in what world will we live after the storm recedes?

How do you see this situation?

Do you believe this will drastically change our perception of everyday things?

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I would say that our generation is going through two crises, the last of which was in 2008 when the world was “suddenly” hit by the financial crisis. After that, the world changed, but the lesson was not learned. Today, of course, it was not the greed of the banks that brought us into this situation, but the simplest relationship with nature. Someone has expressed ecological fears that we are interfering too much in the natural processes: cutting down trees, destroying ecosystems, and eating doubtful food; thus, nature is paying us back. I wouldn’t go that far.

Throughout the past 70 years, humanity has forgotten what famine or catastrophe is, so it’s no surprise that philosophy has become a matter of prestige. Not in Lithuania, of course. As a result, we now tend to overestimate meagre things, and at the same time, we oversleep the crucial changes that occur.

The crisis that has befallen us also highlighted huge inequalities, therefore it is least beneficial for democracy. The disruption of democracy, which has already started a while back in the USA, Hungary, and Poland, will only increase. Constant distractions, lies, the blaming of others, and discord are already established, so a crisis is a great way to divert attention from essential processes. It can be said that today’s technologies are no different from the lie-shaping processes used 100 years ago. Human nature is the same. Roland Breeur talks about it in his book Lies – Imposture – Stupidity. Today the truth is insignificant, and the lie is strong.

It is possible to escape that by following fewer people (not only on Facebook). As Kierkegaard said, a human can only be discovered by becoming conscious, understand-

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ing him/herself through reflection. The immediate relationship with the environment makes us hostages to that environment and to ourselves.

In a recent interview, the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt stated that what we are all facing today has shown that humanity is one organism and that human existence is possible only in relation to other living beings. How would the authors published by Jonas ir Jokūbas interpret this?

The books that we have published do not directly speak of human and nature. For example, for Plato, Descartes, Levin, and others, the most important thing was a human and the fate of his soul.

Perhaps Kierkegaard’s approach would be helpful here. According to him, the outside world is not important – it is the saving of the soul that matters most. As maintained by the author, the vast majority of people live in absolute ignorance of who they are. This is true for us today as well.

One of the lessons of the crisis could be the shared power of people’s emotions, which helps bring about a radical change in the attempt to slow down the pandemic with the collective consciousness. Do you think that would help?

A tricky question. Emotions until the 16th century were considered to be a fundamentally flawed thing in a person’s life. Most philosophers have argued that if a person is ruled by passions or emotions, then they are no different from an animal. At the beginning of the 20th century, attempts were made to soften this view by stating that emotions carry

When we talk about the power of human emotions and radical change, I immediately think of the use of human emotions that led nations to tremendous global cataclysms. On the other hand, today’s enlightened society is able to consciously understand the principle of the spread of the virus and respond responsibly together. Once an emotion is introduced, one can very quickly move to the principle of “more power, less freedom.” I have no doubt that many countries will take this path.

And, in your opinion, what positive effects can today’s restrictions have on each of us?

The essential lesson is to learn to be with yourself in the simplest and most sincere form.

One nuance of this could manifest in rethinking the relationship between information technology and man. How many freedoms do we give to the internet today?

Are there things that the internet doesn’t know about us? What would I do if the internet disappeared in the country?

But these are certain ascetic forms of being, and not everyone will come to terms with it. After all, man is free in every sense.

Let’s get back to the publishing house. What helps publishers maintain awareness in a crisis situation?

Plato’s Charmides dialogue would help most to maintain awareness.

It speaks of restraint (sōphrosynē).

The dialogue, of course, begins comically – in the company of friends, Charmides complains of having a headache.

Socrates, who is incidentally passing by, is invited to help Charmides find the medicine to cure his headache. In essence, it is a dialogue about the wellness and sobriety of the mind, which offers six definitions of sōphrosynē. Sōphrosynē as calmness, shyness, or minding one’s own business, doing that which is good, self-knowledge, and the cognition of knowledge. As a result, a person knows what they know and what they don’t know.

That leads them to the tasks that they know they are able to perform and to those that cause headaches.

Which book from Jonas and Jokūbas’ list would you suggest to our readers and why?

For Lithuanian readers, I would suggest Žiūrėti į žiūrintįjį, a book

by Nerijus Milerius dealing with violence in metacinema, which discusses films by Michelangelo Antonioni, Stanley Kubrick, Michael Haneke, and Alejandro Amenábar and the forms of cinematic violence they visualize. This book allows us to look at ourselves through the lens of violence. Quite a valuable thing considering how well we were able to eliminate pain from our daily routine.

For those who are bolder and thirstier for philosophy, I would suggest Deleuze and Guattari’s What Is Philosophy? It is a very difficult book that presents a radically different approach to philosophy.

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a certain knowledge that is not directly knowable to our minds. The content (anger, love, jealousy, gratitude, etc.) should not be understood but felt. However, uncontrolled emotions can have more negative consequences, so they need to be restrained by the mind and given a purpose.

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Kazimieras Brazdžiūnas and Vita Opolskytė are the babies of the early restored Independence. Theoretically, they could be called “young painters” as this title seems to apply to people under 35 years of age. Yet “young” presupposes they need to be protected, helped, brought to the right path where the “real” omniscient ones are settled. Things are a bit more different with Kazius – as his friends call him – who grew up in Kaunas in a family of painters and Vita from Vilnius. They no longer allow others to trick them and at the same time are not afraid to grab someone, who seizes to correspond to the fundamental concept of the creator, by their nose, in other words, to shout, “The emperor has no clothes!”

Painting as discussion Kotryna Lingienė Photos from personal archives

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what extent it is determined by your personal sympathy to your colleagues, perhaps former classmates? Or maybe those personal sympathies emerge due to the artworks that caught your interest? You have criticized “exhibitions that acquaintances have compiled” but Kontr-argumentai are also not first dates.

Is Kontr-argumentas a single unit or a sum of individuals? Perhaps these categories are interchangeable, for example, as exhibitions approach?

V.: We have heard several times by now in an exhibition or student presentations, “Ohhh, Kontr-argumentas came.” Yes, we consistently visit exhibitions, student presentations, follow them on Instagram or listen to various rumors. That’s how they all end up in our minds and then we sort of sift them out for our idea. Just like in a picture – the content dictates the form and the tools.

K.: Two of us are a catalyst.

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Kontr-argumentas is Kazius and Vita’s baby (there is also a cat named Izabelė), maneuvering between curating exhibitions and critiques of other exhibitions or art processes on the internet and in the press. I, unfortunately, did not make it to the Kontr-argumentas exhibition in the Meno parkas gallery that ran throughout February because we were all so terribly busy before the quarantine. But at the beginning of April, the calendar reminded me that I had planned to go to the duo’s exhibition in Klaipėda. Therefore, the only thing left was to express the longing for painting by corresponding with artists, who are lying low in Švenčionys district by the lake.

V.: Mhm. The very name – Kontr-argumentas – consists of two poles that, perhaps, involuntarily represent us. We joke that the name is an allusion to the first letters of our names. Well, it’s a kind of magic – A would have to be flipped over to become V and K is a mirrored-image anyway.

K.: But all this would not be possible without the multitude of young artists, viewers, critics and even those who completely ignore our work.

V. True, the number of Kontr-argumentas members varies depending on the exhibition or project that we are running at the time. But if we speak of the organism itself than it is only two of us.

How does one get into the eyeshot of Kontr-argumentas? To

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K.: Our exhibitions raise some issues, questions, and sometimes statements that only respective artists, painters can make. Therefore, it is natural that personalities who are distinguished or working on that specific topic emerge in our visions and horizon.

K.: Yes, it is difficult to escape personal sympathies. But when you have sympathy, there is naturally antipathy as well. Therefore, in the end we invite both. To create a discussion, a conflict – so the kontr-argumentas (counter argument) could occur. I see a certain vision in that contrast. It crystalizes and differentiates in those relationships, those turning points, in the diversity of creators. There are always certain immovable values, which help to distinguish a professional from a pretender, yes-man, or a beginner. We always keep the latter in mind and leave them for next year. The last K-A exhibition could really be called a potluck but that was the vision – to ironically mock certain exhibitions,

for example, the one that culminates at the Kaunas Picture Gallery on February 16 every year. We also wanted to speak of the massive visual flow that many of us feel.

K.: As a former student, I can say that it is very difficult to get out of that circle unless you turn it your way, make them serve your own interests, as selfish as it sounds.

Painter and the Academy. You are both graduates of the Vilnius Academy of Arts. Vita teaches younger people. Kazius, how about you? Basically, it is a closed circle that conveys not only technical details but also a worldview, moral values, habits.

At the same time, it is a closed group. How to escape that circle? Why do you need to belong to it?

V.: That circle creates a sense of security, comfort. That’s why probably many don’t want to get out of it. It’s simpler that way. However, I personally felt a certain limit when I no longer fit in it. Then, I think I started creating my own, slightly different circle.

K.: Yes, yes, I do teach. More precisely, I did, before this whole corona affair. We are the beginning of the beginning, the key holders because we introduce kids to the possibilities, the process itself. How to hold a pencil, mix paint, and why it should be done. Although, perhaps, not necessarily – there are no recipes, only tested methods that work for some people and not for others. I believe, that in this pedagogical stage we only show possibilities; we try to stimulate interest and creation so that they would be drawing not only the world they live in but the world in which they would like to live.

V.: As we have said many times before – with this project, the exhibitions, we seek to counter-argue not only against the established local issues but also against ourselves. Perhaps this is how it all started? I, personally, before the Kontr-argumentas exhibition, had quite a conventional, traditional understanding. This project scrambled my consciousness a bit and broadened the boundaries of perception.

I stopped viewing exhibitions as settlement, mingling or gathering of friends at a common table. I now value exhibitions as an event.

V.: Yes, I also teach, only, unlike Kazimieras, I find it a bit harder.

Perhaps I lack the teaching skill or maybe I am too much of a narcissist? When I was of my students’ age, I remember how important each word of the teacher was. I can still remember when one teacher said, “You will be a painter” but I doubt he remembers my face. When you see how important it is for children, you are afraid to say anything. Because you already give them access to that circle.

What do you, as creators and personalities, learn from the Kontr–argumentas exhibitions?

K.: I gain experience by interacting with artists and their paintings. Exhibiting their paintings raises a wide variety of thoughts and ideas that I apply in my work, in my exhibitions.

Other than that, I feel satisfied when people trust me, trust their artworks to me and I play with them as if they were mine. And if I accidentally manage to create a good exposition, an exhibition that attracts like-minded people as well as enemies, it gives me a real buzz.

Is there a separate Kaunas and Vilnius (or in general, Lithuanian,

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Russian, German…) painting consciousness (not painting specifically but its causality)? Maybe it is more obvious when you go abroad?

V.: Well, Kazimieras, you know more about Kaunas and Vilnius painting “styles”... I think I would like to emphasize the Lithuanian pictorial consciousness, which, as far as I have experienced and seen, is different from the painterly thinking found abroad.

I’m talking purely about the contemporary medium here. I couldn’t define it easily, just using a couple of features but – be it praise or criticism – our painting has more oomph. I mean, we see painting not as a picture on the wall but rather as a project of our own thinking and worldview, which analyzes, explores, or, well, wants to say something. I just don’t know if it’s a consequence of schools, academies or some sort of collective consciousness.

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K.: The painting styles sort of should be different because the schools essentially were formed differently. Looking broadly, those consciousnesses differ due to historical, economic, and social phenomena. It goes without saying that the flow of ideas and thoughts is bigger in large cities. Discussions, exhibitions, seminars, and all sorts of cultural events delve deeper and into detail, but no one says that a grandpa, who is based in the village, doesn’t have access to information or does not care about the same existential problem. Eventually, we come to the differences in form and expression. These individual features exist but they tend to get mixed and disappear in that multicultural world. It would be really difficult to define causality or find its origins. It is quite romantic and naive to believe that we will all survive from our art, and that we are all geniuses.

Now that consciousness or need for

the creation becomes more of a development of yourself as a human being, a search for information, giving a sense to yourself in time and space. Although it exudes romanticism, it does carry a different weight now, since it is based on contemplation and not on an end in itself satisfaction but also a medium selected through uncompromising communication, whether it is painting, molding, graphics or great love for music.

You also express your views on the Lithuanian painting scene, its subordination, through texts, as authors. How does expressing yourselves, for example, in the pages of Literatūra ir menas, is different from expressing yourselves through color?

V.: I started writing texts, apparently, due to a growing inner frustration caused by the fact that almost no one writes sincerely and critically anymore.

Lithuanian art journalism is dominated by descriptive-type exhibition reviews at best. Most of them praise the artist who made the exhibition as if he had presented a retrospective of a solid anniversary and was about to die. Why do we need such articles? We can just fold them and put them in the third drawer. Criticism should be necessary for artists themselves, so they could grow. There should be a beautiful symbiosis between art critics and artists instead of some chit-chat.

K.: It is possible again to start from schools and academies with the same hundred-year-old teachers, with their not so flexible or progressive worldview. Rotation is required. Those who had studied abroad could inspire some change and set us free from the chains of slavery. Young people, not all of them but most, often try or unnaturally take the paths paved by their teachers.

There is a lack of courage and freshness.

I am the same and I lack that, which is why those texts are like a splash that

provokes or at least tries to get us out of our comfort zones so that people, creators, would feel like they are being observed and the larger number of opinions would encourage them to seek perfection. And if we talk only about the technical part of painting and writing, then I should say that I am still trying to find myself in both of them (couldn’t be more banal). I have more experience in one and less in the other. One complements the other and vice versa. Only in the text have I accepted the role of a villain, listening to cynical techno, just to lay it on a bit thick.

During the quarantine, the internet is flooded with “exhibitions”, “experiences” and other virtual events. You both seem physically and socially detached from all that. You are in a remote homestead. Why? V.: It all started very innocently, my father offered to go fishing for a couple of days. But in nature, time passes by somehow differently. You go to sleep after sunset and early in the morning the darn bittern wakes you up... That is how those few days turned into... how many? It has been a month already!

K.: We are not isolated here. Maybe there is no Maxima across the street but there’s a lake twenty meters from the bed. The situation and time, the inner state, dictated that this is what we need to do today, and tomorrow things will be different. That is why it’s interesting to live. Quarantine is interesting.

V.: But don’t deny, we do view all the virtualities skeptically.

Suddenly everyone is doing online exhibitions, taking virtual museum tours, film festivals on the couch... Come on, it is not the same. To look at the painting on the screen is like listening to music on the phone.

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How much influence do you have on each other’s work? Do you monitor each other’s processes?

V.: It’s hard not to notice when everything is so close. Whether you paint a picture, write a text, or scramble eggs – that influence is unavoidable. And I don’t think you need to run away from it or vice versa to start painting one picture. If I want to be on my own and not receive any comments, I say it straight. Whether it’s about a picture, a text, or the aforementioned scrambled eggs.

K.: There is an influence but how it works exactly, you will never know. It is only felt by us, and it often hap-

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pens in a practical sphere. Observing the process is the most interesting thing because the result often suffers over time. In the process, that artery pulsates with the smell of paint and unwashed brushes. Then you can really empathize with the other and even paint a picture for the colleague in your mind. It is unfortunate, but such paintings only remain as formal comments or proof of domesticities. Therefore, I would rather just watch the process. I only comment on the individual form or the grammar of painting, not on the implementation of an idea, because a person must have their own medium in which to hide, a time that some call a kind of meditation or

Your exhibition in Klaipėda did not happen, such is fate. It also seems that the residencies planned for later this year, will not take place. Do you get the feeling that you are unwanted?

That you will not be needed even after everything, more or less, will return to normal? Do you accept it just as bad luck?

V.: There were no exhibitions in Klaipeda or Seoul. We had also planned a group exhibition in Grodno in late spring, the residencies are in limbo.

At first, at least to me, everything seemed catastrophic, my head was full of scenes from an apocalyptic movie. When it all stopped, I started paying more attention to my art. I began painting or drawing as if it was the only thing I will leave behind. Only that film scenario got stuck and I remained suspended in some kind of twilight phase. Eventually, I began to enjoy this prolonged pause because when will I have so much time for myself again?

K.: Basically, this is the best time for art collectors to gather their collection (just so you know). But Vita, come on, you do draw and paint, I read and write. Life has not changed much. After all, those who were relevant and interesting, will remain so, there will only be less attention. And the ones who do poorly can go on and blame the crisis, the virus or a kebab seller, who did not put enough meat.

Let’s look at the influencers. How relevant are they now?

V.: Or too much sauce [in the kebab].

On the other hand, does the sense of being needed is characteristic of and healthy for the

artist? How much do you think about the final fate of the painting? Can this vision have a negative impact on the artwork?

K.: It is necessary to be needed.

V.: I agree, but it must not go beyond the limit when the artist starts thinking about the price and the buyer or likes on Instagram. Then they fall into a phase where all the beauty of creation – the experimentation, mistakes, flukes – disappears.

Everything is done for the sake of the result, following the well-trodden path, and the artist becomes a performer.

K.: That triangle formula works for me: creator – work – viewer. Someone might say that it can be three in one but I think it is futile, short-sighted, self-serving, and might work for a group of 5 people. Two out of them are your parents, then grandmother, grandfather and neighbor’s brother.

V.: Well, yes, there is no need for this extreme either. It will sound banal, but for me personally, that sense of being needed comes from understanding the viewer through the artwork. If someone tells me, “I feel what you wanted to say”, my mission is completed.

K.: And for me, depending on the artwork, some can only function as stairs to the big picture, like a fragment from a future painting. And the other one might be a complete statement that will become a beautiful interior detail for the person who purchased it. And yet others I destroy. Visions can be difficult.

Sometimes they are just a shortlived fascination and after I realize that, I get a completely different result than what I had imagined in the beginning.

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trance until it moves to the gallery and becomes public interest. But one can always ask.

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Although Ugnė Marija Andrijauskaitė, the coordinator of the Kaunas 2022 program Modernism for the Future, joined the team of creators of the Capital of Culture relatively recently, she has always been a true fan of Kaunas interwar period architecture and interiors. A certified historian also has a Facebook blog on which she shares the curiosities of the social life of previous epochs and regimes. Her boyfriend Justinas Stonkus is a professional photographer. The imaginative couple had a creative approach to the quarantine that forced (or perhaps allowed) everyone to stay and work from home. For several weeks, they were publishing home-made photographs on Facebook that were not ideal but still very accurate copies of paintings by various artists.

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Kotryna Lingienė Photo by Justinas Stonkus

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Inspired by Zeus and Thetis by Anton Losenko (1769) 0 22 0 0 M MA A YY 22 0

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Inspired by Bacchino Malato by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1593/1594)

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Perhaps our conversation will inspire if not for the same series then for different creative use of the items and objects that we have around us or simply for falling in love with the historical heritage that surrounds you.

Was the idea to recreate the scenes from the well-known paintings during the quarantine, when it is recommended to stay at home, inspired by a specific example or, perhaps, there are plenty of those online?

Ugnė: For the first time, I discovered a gallery of classical works recreated at home on a dark humor page Sad & Useless. I thought it would be fun to do something like that so I shared this idea with Justinas and he agreed to get involved in this adventure.

And only later we discovered other similar projects being developed around the world. Of all these, I really like the Facebook group Terrible Art in Charity Shops. Currently, it focuses on recreating paintings found in second-hand stores of dubious value and the results of the reproductions are simply stunning.

Most often, pictures for reconstructions are suggested by your Facebook friends, but there are so many of them, so how do you choose? Is it dictated by technical possibilities, wardrobe options, or personal taste?

U: We do not have one specific selection method. We consider the mood at home that day, the complexity of the painting, and the free time available, as well as the possibilities to qualitatively implement the “reproduction” of the proposed painting. Some paintings catch your eye, others – no so much.

Of course, there are just as many tastes as there are people; what

is attractive to others might not necessarily be attractive to us, and vice versa.

Commentators often provoke, for example, they suggest to restore the Battle of Grunwald or extremely erotic paintings. Does it lift your mood, or, on the contrary, irritates you because they don’t offer anything “serious”?

U: I will admit that I was very surprised by the range of paintings suggested for recreation. Probably the paintings offered are a pretty good reflection of the emotional state of those who offer them. I thought about it a lot and discussed it with Justinas. We wanted paintings that would be joyful, warm, full of beautiful emotions and could reflect a full value, quality life. However, some of the works offered were full of fear, pain, dread, and death with addictions depicted in some of them. Perhaps part of the society is currently living with such feelings.

It was interesting to recreate a few dark paintings, but one of the most important axes of this idea was the desire to elevate ourselves emotionally during this interesting period, so more often we choose works with lighter motifs. Nudity in paintings and other works of art does not bewilder us if it is subtle.

However, the reproduction of such paintings and the publication of the result would be too controversial, perhaps not fully understood, so if we do decide to recreate any of the suggested works of that kind, we will not publish the result, but will keep it to ourselves.

Maybe you’re secretly waiting for that perfect picture suggestion that you would like to immortalize but it hasn’t come to anyone’s mind yet?

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How long does it take to prepare for one picture? The rehearsal itself is also interesting – how carefully do you study the facial expressions, the folds, the backgrounds, and how much space do you leave for improvisation?

J.: While Ugnė was collecting props and costumes, I took care of technical things, composition. The preparation and the shooting itself takes at least an hour and then about two more hours to retouch the photo. The most important thing is the light. It creates the emotion of a picture/photo. Since most of the classical artists had to make do with natural light coming through the window, thus, we also got away with minimal lighting equipment.

I try to decipher the story from the gesticulations and facial expressions of the characters.

The hardest thing is to take photos with cats. A cat that doesn’t need to be involved in the reconstruction process, remains upset while the other one, on the contrary, sometimes lacks the motivation to maintain the required pose until I press the camera shutter. Generally, this whole project is one big improvisation. If I fail to recreate authenticity, I try to look for alternative forms or colors that could convey the essence of the picture.

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Justinas: Ugnė is still waiting for someone to offer something from religious paintings – madonnas or icons. It would have been quite an interesting Easter photoshoot with Marija (that is Ugnė’s middle name), cats, and golden halos. I am fascinated by the work of Hieronymous Bosch, Francis Bacon, but it would hardly be a good idea to recreate the paintings of these artists.

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I am impressed to see that you are able to recreate the scenes down to the smallest detail. Apparently, you have accumulated a lot of historical-vintage props?

U.: I have several amateur passions: Kaunas interwar period architecture, art deco style furniture and interior details, vintage clothes, houseplants, and cats. Unlike proponents of the currently trending minimalist lifestyle, I like to buy antiques that have lasting value. Therefore, my small collection facilitated the process of painting recreation.

Sometimes I had to get creative and find some interesting and imaginative solutions, for example, how to depict a city and buildings from a bird’s eye view. Books on architecture and postcards with modernist buildings that I have at home, came in handy.

A different sort of question – did the carefully studied scenes from the paintings and the interiors immortalized in them inspired to remodel your own home?

J.: During the creative process, we tested countless different combinations of furniture layouts, but so far, we have decided to stick to what we have created so far.

How do you view the shrinkage of the world of art and culture to the size of an apartment? Is there enough of physical and intellectual activity for Kaunas residents who are used to living freely?

J.: The cultural life of Kaunas until this period was an integral part of our daily life. We got sad after we realized that we were separated from what we love so much. We lack the usual physical activity, group sports, which we replaced with long weekend walks

Inspired by Over Vitebsk by Marc Chagall (1913)

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Inspired by La Mort de Marat by Jacques-Louis David (1793)

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in the woods and evening training sessions with makiwara and karate via Zoom. I am very pleased that the creators are also trying to transform and adapt their ideas to the current conditions, which are determined by both quarantine and certain political decisions. The project we are running is a kind of cultural stimulation that does not allow to reduce a person to a being that only has primitive needs.

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far as quarantine allows. Is it possible that you will start looking for picture motifs in Lithuanian nature, Kaunas architecture?

U.: Some of the paintings we were considering implementing, should be photographed outside, in a spring or summery nature, but currently there is no way to do that. Time will tell what will happen with this photo series. In any case, we regularly and spontaneously embark on various creative-photographic adventures. So, at least Justinas’ artistic photography activities will not really end with this project.

stonkusfoto.lt J.: I usually photograph cultural events, personal celebrations, portraits. So, this project is a challenge and an opportunity for me to try something new. In addition, friends have inquired about a similar photoshoot – maybe their wish will become a reality with my help?

We believe that this type of nontraditional photoshoots might not only be a form of entertainment

but also a great, uplifting, and sort of therapeutic activity. The opportunity to look at yourself through the eyes of others is fascinating in that the creators of artistic photography are able to see beauty where others sometimes do not notice it, thus, promoting self-love. We have heard offers to hold an exhibition featuring these works but they are already available in a virtual environment.

However, we do not rule out the possibility of making a symbolic mention of our quarantine art when strict restrictions are no longer imposed.

2020 MAY

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Justinas is a professional photographer, this is obvious when looking at the results of your work. Are you planning on monetizing the project, if that wouldn’t infringe copyright?

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Inspired by Salome Receiving the Head of St John the Baptist by Bernardino Luini (16th c.)

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For a few years now, Kaunas has been a member of UNESCO Creative Cities Network – its subdivision UNESCO Cities of Design Network, to be precise. The member list includes hundreds of very different cities around the world – but there’s always a connection, right? Sometimes it’s not so evident at the beginning, but that’s what meetings and networking are for.

To share knowledge and co-create. From first glance, the single similarity between Kaunas and the Belgian city Kortrijk is the letter K. There’s more about it below. But Stijn Debaillie of Designregio Kortrijk, who visited Kaunas earlier this year, already has more insights. Don’t waste your chance to discover more about Kortrijk – and, hey, the quarantine is the perfect time to learn one of its mottos (probably inspired by Winston Churchill) – ‘never waste a good crisis’, right?

Never Waste a Good Crisis Kotryna Lingienė

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The K-TOTEM is a symbol of Kotrijk receiving the title of UNESCO City of Design.

Illustrated by Flore Deman. Photo from ktotem.be

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So, how come Kortrijk is a UNESCO City of Design? What makes it one?

We have design thinking in our DNA. Actually, we have this natural sense of innovating and creative problem-solving. It’s because we have to learn in the development and the growth of the city and the region. We have known some crises, but we were always able to grow out of them better and stronger. The best example, I think, is the textile industry. Before, we had a lot of flax farmers and textile manufacturers in the Kortrijk area. The linen was exported all over the world. At a certain point, it was all industrialised. A lot of family companies were merged into big companies. Also, the textile industry went to the East. So, Kortrijk kind of collapsed. But what we saw is that these companies looked for new applications for their existing expertise. They looked for new markets and grew out of it. For example, there is a company UNILIN that currently produces wooden planks – they’re actually sponsors of the bicycle team Deceuninck–Quick-Step. But do you know that the abbreviation UNILIN means ‘Union de Lin’? It was a group of flax farmers that had a corporative for producing flax chipboards.

This has nothing to do with textile anymore! For us, creative problem solving is common. Now, it’s called design thinking, but we were doing it way before the term was coined. For me, this is the biggest reason why we are in the network.

Next to this, our methodology is not only visible in the companies, but also in the public spaces and educational institutions. A river runs through the city of Kortrijk, a river full of boats. Earlier, the riverside was not attractive at all, it was all concrete. The city then decided to lower all the borders to the water and open it up to the public. Now, 3 6

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we have a beach and other public spaces to enjoy. As for the educational part, we have a lovely design school.

They teach industrial product design.

We also have a gaming department.

This – digital entertainment – is a new industry, and we are not leaving ourselves behind it.

When you mention ‘the city’, do you mean the municipality, or also the businesses, schools, residents?

Everyone as a whole, of course. I think this is quite unique when I look at other cities in the network. For us, there’s a solid connection between public, private and education, and all the people. Kortrijk is a compact city, which means that everybody knows each other. We can meet and work together smoothly. In a megapolis, I guess, you’d have to wait three months to talk to the right person.

Kaunas is also a very compact city, but communication sometimes fails us. Did you have problems before the good times began?

The organisation I work for, Designregio Kortrijk, is a joint venture of the municipality, the region, the chamber of commerce (the companies), the design school and The Courtray Design Biennale Interieur (Dutch: Design Biënnale Interieur Kortrijk).

This major international design exhibition takes place once every two years. The persons that started our organisation must have told each other: ‘Come on, guys, let’s do something together to create more impact than we do on our own.’ Plus, another facilitator was that they had to help the companies to create more added value. At that time, the design methodology was chosen to help businesses. I wasn’t there at the beginning, but now, after 15 years, I can say it’s a really nice ecosystem that works.

Yes, of course. For us, the UNESCO Creative Cities network, which we joined in 2017, is an opportunity to connect with cities that maybe are bigger than us and to talk to them on an equal base and share expertise that we can both benefit from.

We are now implementing a project from Montreal. It’s called Commerce Design and is to be launched soon.

It’s a communication project in which you promote good examples of collaborations between shop owners and designers. It starts with an open call to shop owners and designers that have done a collaboration recently. Then the jury selects 20 best, which get prizes – both owners and designers. It’s an inclusive project – it could be a five-star luxury hotel that gets the prize, but it can also be a shoemaker who thought of very nice and efficient interior design. Everybody is on the same level here. It also evaluates the way the businesses are integrated with the environment of the neighbourhood. In the end, the overall objective is to convince the business owners to cooperate with designers, be it interior design, the facade or shop windows. Also, for politicians, it’s a perfect project to share with the public – you can make something really visible in the city.

What was the main reason for your visit to Kaunas in February – to learn or to fix?

Ha, both! To learn, first, because we also have the ambition to become the European Capital of Culture in 2030. We’re now working on a bid that we have to file in 2024. On the other hand, I also wanted to share

the story of our city with your local design network. I met a few representatives of it, including local interior designer students, people from Performative Design Association and DesignLibrary Kaunas. I will come back with a much larger group of my colleagues in 2022.

Can you tell me more about the K-TOTEM project dedicated to the City of Design title of Kortrijk? You know, Kaunas also starts with a K, so maybe the totem can travel here with your team in 2022?..

When Kortrijk was included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as the City Of Design, to highlight this recognition, Designregio Kortrijk decided to give room to creative people and showcase the region’s creative potential. The K-TOTEM was developed within the Kortrijk Creëert project and is the showcase for graphic talent from the region. The 3.5m high sculpture designed by Pilipili Design Agency is redecorated every three months by a graphic designer or illustrator.

In the shadow of Brexit, many people speculate about the future of the European Union.

What is the general attitude to it in Belgium, the so-called cradle of the EU? From my perspective, it’s all about sharing and people. Wherever you come from, it does not matter, as long as you can help each other, either you are in the EU or not. Of course, it’s a pity that the club got a bit smaller, but, on the other hand, we have to keep moving forward, and it will not affect our choices of collaborations. You know, one of the mottos of our region is ‘never waste a good crisis’.

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Do you think it’s as important for a city to be sustainable and prosperous inside as to present it internationally? Is one of your tasks to create a nice image of Kortrijk?

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This time, the digital shelves of Merkurijus are dedicated to the art of painting. Kaunas is the main criterion for the selection of our proposed artists and artworks. They live, paint, and culturally enrich Kaunas. Some of them – Adelė, Lukas, and Sandra – painters of the younger generation, not visible, haven’t had their breakthrough yet.

Advertising is very important to them as well as confidence, which grows with every painting sold. Others – Elena, Eimutis – are more or even very well-known representatives of culture, whose works would definitely enrich the “shelves: of both collectors and novice art lovers. By combining these two different age or popularity groups, we want to show that they can all fit well in a joint exposition and that both need not only moral but also material consideration.

Merkurijus Vita Opolskytė and Kazimieras Brazdžiūnas

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Eimutis Markūnas.

“JO AKYSE ATSISPINDĖJO KALNŲ VIRŠŪNĖS” 285 x 183. graphite and acrylic on HDF board, 2016. 10000€ eimismarkunas@yahoo.com

2 Jovita Aukštikalnytė.

“Kita pusė” 196 x 140, oil on canvas, 2020. 1000€ jovita.aukstikalnyte@vda.lt 861554015

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3 Adelė Urbanavičiūtė.

“Paskutinė vasara”

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150 x 150, oil, acrylic. 900€ adeleurb@gmail.com

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Lukas Kolmogorcevas.

“Mano dangus” Dyptich, 235 x 140 or 235 x 280, oil/enamel. 2019. 1450€ / 2900€ lukaskolm@gmail.com 868456229

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5 Lukas Marciulevičius.

“Koridorius” 140 x 180, canvas, acrylic. 600€ lukasmarciulevicius@yahoo.com

6 Elena Brazdžiūnienė.

“Tatoo” 160 x 150, oil and acrylic on canvas, 2014. 3700€ balsiukaite@yahoo.com

7 Sandra Kvilytė, “Matrioška.

Nervo uždegimas” 200 x 190, chalk, enamel, oil, 2000.

1000 € sandrakvilyte@gmail.com 860209591

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Events at home Friday, 05 01

Premiere of restored movie “Moteris ir keturi jos vyrai” (Woman and Her Four Men)

Saturday, 05 02

Performance “Kandidas arba optimizmo mirtis” (Candide, or the Death of Optimism)

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Lithuanian Film Centre had initially planned to invite everyone to watch the restored Lithuanian classics on the big screen, but due to quarantine, the premiere has moved to TV channel LRT Plius. The movie by Algimantas Puipa is a balladic story from a Baltic fishermen´s settlement set at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Life is merciless towards the main heroine. Two of her men were taken by the cruel sea, with which they struggled daily for a poor catch and just for their survival. Her third husband was killed by some vagabond. But there is always someone from her family to come and take care of her children and her house.

Now it is the turn of the father of her first husband, released from prison. He arrives to provide for his grandsons, protect her family from destitution and look after a house exposed to wind and storms.

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Photo by Donatas Ališauskas

Teatronas, a contemporary theatre company, has moved one of its biggest hits to virtual reality until the end of quarantine.

After securing a ticket, you’ll have 47 hours to watch a performance presenting a clash of young ambitions, idealism and maximalism against the reality, in which survival and getting along steals time from following your dreams. In the real world, you have to follow your job routine, and learn how to survive in the world instead of fixing it. Directed

by Gildas Aleksa. In Lithuanian.

May Sunday, 05 03, 20:00

Theatre ONL1NE: “Aušros pažadas” (Promise at Dawn)

goodbyes and meetings in letters are shown in the play while the motors of the planes of World War II are roaring in the background.

In Lithuanian.

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Online performance #PROTESTAS

Photo from the archives of National Kaunas Drama Theatre

Just before Easter, National Kaunas Drama Theatre launched a virtual project called THEATRE ONL1NE. Every day, it offers to listen to performance soundtracks, discussions with directors and actors, and, of course, streaming of some of the most interesting works from the theatre’s archive.

For Mother’s day, it’s time to revisit a piece inspired by the autobiographical novel by Romain Gary. All the life of a famous writer and diplomat, his mother was always beside him: from birth to becoming a man, a war hero and a winner of Prix Goncourt. She gave her only son unconditional love and hopes. “You will be a great artist, Romushka!” – the mother predicted and encouraged all his talents. The trip of two close people to Paris,

Actor Gytis Laskovas. Photo by Kosmos Theatre

#PROTEST is an experimental theatre project by director Žilvinas Vingelis and experimental visual theatre company Kosmos theatre.

Inspired by circumstances of quarantine, the project aims to analyze the boundaries of theatre and seeks to adapt with the current situation with openness, quickness and relevance with theatrical creation. Online performance broadcasted live from actors’ home offers a fresh thought of current humanity issues in themes of loneliness, isolation, social distance,

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Events at home online communication, the narrowness of expressions, obscurity, fear and responsibility to others. #PROTEST, created especially for this project created by Goda Simonaitytė, takes us to a utopian republic of Monaksy (Greek Μοναξιά – “Loneliness“) in 2220, where isolated people meet each other online to learn forgotten social skills and to bring back lost emotions.

In Lithuanian.

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Friday, 05 08

Exhibition “The Europeans: The Former Capital”

of The Europeans. The Europeans is a portrait of modern Europe.

Travelling from region to region and from theme to theme in this multiyear project, the Dutch authors will create a 21st-century timepiece on the European Heartland. Hornstra and van Bruggen see Europe on the eve of drastic change. Populism and authoritarianism are on the rise, ghosts from the past seem to return.

Their exhibition about Kaunas was planned to be opened physically, too, and it might still happen at the end of May. For now, find “The Former Capital” in Artsteps platform.

Wednesday, May 13

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Online discussion “How can culture recover from the crisis?”

Visualisation by Artsteps

The photographer Henri Cartier Bresson published his book Les Européens in 1955. He looked beyond nationalism or local customs in the individual countries. He sought evidence for a greater identity, a European parable shared by the people and the landscape. More than sixty years later, photographer Rob Hornstra and writer and filmmaker Arnold van Bruggen share this ambition. It’s time to come up with a new version Photo by cottonbro / Pexels

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May The cultural sector has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Events were cancelled, revenues lost, and questions about how to survive this time are worrying many artists and organizations.

With more quarantine restrictions lifted in Lithuania, some cultural institutions can already open their doors, yet other cultural sectors are still waiting for the green light.

However, now it is time to ask: how can culture recover from the crisis? How can culture retrieve its paying customer as the country‘s economy declines? What steps should be taken now, and what new initiatives may be needed in the future? And to what extent is the state responsible for the sustainability of the cultural field, and to what extent is the cultural field itself?

Culture professionals Gintarė Masteikaitė, Julija Reklaitė, Virginija Vitkienė and Živilė Etevičiūtė, will try to answer these questions during the discussion.

It will be moderated by Monika Gimbutaitė, the cultural editor of 15min news website. The discussion will take place online and will be broadcast live on Kaunas Artists‘ House‘s Facebook page and 15min.lt

Wednesday, 05 20 – Friday, 05 22

Virtual European Capital of Culture Forum 2020: “Culture in the Time of Corona” The organisers of Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022 transfer the annual forum of the European Capital of Culture to the virtual space and, together with the Creative Europe Desk in Lithuania, initiate a discussion bringing together European artists, cultural creators, private and public sectors, aimed at exchanging views on cultural innovations and the future. It is predicted that, influenced by the coronavirus pandemic, the cultural sector, the habits of our participation in culture and our social life will inevitably change, but will it really happen and how?

How can cultural and artistic creators prepare for the challenges of the future? What skills and innovations could be used to do so? How can international cultural cooperation be preserved when the European Union suffers from fragmentation caused by political battles?

More culture visit.kaunas.lt

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Events in the city Monday, 05 04

International Firefighters’ Day

Tuesday, 05 05

Visiting Maironis

Maironis Museum of Lithuanian Literature, Rotušės a. 13

Palace for Firefighters in 1930s. Photo from album “Kaunas” by J. Skrinskis / Archive of Kaunas City Museum

What a great day to observe – at least from the outside or online – the kaunastic Palace for Firefighters.

In the late 1920s, The curved shape of the building introduced architectural diversity and modernity to the New Town of the temporary capital. Although there was another project prepared in 1929, which was entirely historical in its architecture, the final result turned out to be closer to modernism.

The Palace for Firefighters had a quite large team of prominent people working on its architecture and construction: the draft for the palace was drawn up by engineer E. Frykas and designer P. Markūnas, and built by contractors – brothers D. and G. Ilgovskiai. Technical maintenance was carried out by architect J. Peras and engineer A. Jokimas. It was decided to build the palace on the corner of Krantas and Nemunas Streets, replacing the former Kaunas market.

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Photo by Donatas Stankevičius

The main branch of the museum dedicated to Lithuanian literature is located in the heart of Kaunas Old Town, a former palace owned

by Maironis, a legendary poet and priest. You’re welcome to visit his authentic apartment and exhibition halls after a month-long quarantine-related break from May 5. Other branches of the museum, including authentic homes of local writers, are also open again.

Gegužė Wednesday, 05 06

International No Diet Day

Thursday, 05 07

Exhibition of folk art “I’m getting married. 1900” Kaunas City Museum Folk Music Branch, L. Zamenhofo g. 12

Photo from the archive of Chaika Kaunas

We suggest every day should be a “treat yourself” day, but if you need a special occasion, let it be May 6. A kaunastic way to spend the International No Diet Day would be at Chaika, a tiny colourful cafe on M. Daukšos street. It’s famous for its vegan desserts and delicious hot or cold drinks. The magazine shelf is also impressive.

More culture visit.kaunas.lt

Linen towel by Genė Šimėnienė. Photo by Ona Bričkutė.

In our contemporary culture, a wedding is still considered to be a significant family celebration. How would the preparation for it look like if it were held in 1900? The main differences between modern and traditional wedding can be seen in customs, ceremonies, and the duration of the wedding. The exhibition presents the works of two folk artists from Rokiškis.

Romualdas Kaminskas is a woodwork artist who has devoted the last years of his creative work to the production of chests and other functional items (spoons and towel hangers) used in the household.

Genė Šimėnienė is a weaver who learned this delicate craft from her mom, also a famous weaver.

Her works reveal the traditions of our great-grandparents’ creation, transferred from generation to generation and expressed in subtle national patterns. The exhibition runs through May 12.

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Events in the city Tuesday, 05 12

Exhibition “Temporary Capital in Paintings” Kaunas City Museum, Pilies g. 17

Thursday, 05 14

Exhibition “Vincentas Vasiliauskas (1895–1989) – a sniper, a shopkeeper, a painter” A. Žmuidzinavičius Memorial Museum, V. Putvinskio g. 64

Painting by Vincentas Vasiliauskas

In pairs or solo, you’re welcome to visit the new painting exhibition at the tower of one of the city’s oldest buildings until May 31.

The show presents works created in a workshop where the artists were invited to find their own relationship with the former Temporary capital – Kaunas. The result is multiple contemporary views to the history of Kaunas and its interwar phenomenon.

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A self-taught artist Vincentas Vasiliauskas (1895–1989) started painting only after he had retired.

An elderly man with primary education had already lived through most of his complex biography, actually had done every job he could, from a shopkeeper, a sniper to a meat chopper, had survived the war and Siberia, had brought up children and grandchildren.

Only after having accumulated the wisdom of experience did the passion for painting burst forth, even though with no artistic education. The artist’s legacy covers almost 400 works, each one encompassing absolutely complete and meticulously presented worldview. In terms of genres, V. Vasiliauskas’ paintings follow

May the tradition – landscapes, still lifes, portraits; gouache, oil, watercolours on paper or cardboard. Everything is as simple as that. However, every piece seems to explode from the power of a concept, when striving for a complex task of expression.

Obviously, the author is not looking for an easy way of expression, instead, he is seeking for a highly individual, authentic solution. Buildings and trees are very cute in their chaotic perspective which is strengthened by carefully drawn details. But the fight between architecture and nature is won by the latter; it is nature that is imposed with the warmest feelings and sincere admiration.

The open-air photography exhibition is ready or your attention in the front garden of the Historical Presidential Palace in Kaunas! The garden is open to visitors every day from 7 am to 9 pm. The exhibition will be on display until late autumn.

Historical photos and thorough captions both in Lithuanian and English tell the story of the major turning point in Lithuanian history – the gathering of the Constituent Assembly.

Saturday, 05 16

Visiting new exhibitions

Galery “Meno parkas”, Rotušės a. 27

Friday, 05 15

Open-air exhibition “All hail the Governor of the State!

Centennial anniversary of the Lithuanian Constituent Assembly“ Historical Presidential Palace in Kaunas, Vilniaus g. 33

Photo by E. Virketis Leonas Strioga at his workshop. Photo by Kaunas Full of Culture

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Events in the city The opening parties might have been cancelled, but new exhibitions are most certainly not. Until June 6, the gallery invites you to visit, keeping a safe distance, three of them. Works by a member of Post Ars collective, painter and video artist Aleksas Andriuškevičius can be explored on the first floor. The walls of the second floor are occupied by paintings of Eglė Ulčičkaitė, and the third floor is dedicated to sculpture of a 90-year-old legend Leonas Strioga.

pandemics – the truth is, the small museum depends solely on ticket sales and tourists, and it won’t be seeing the regular thousands from Japan and Israel this year. Locals should do their part!

Thursday, 05 21

Photography exhibition “Greetings from the 20th century” M. Žilinskas Art Gallery, Nepriklausomybės a. 12

Vaižganto g. 30

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Tuesday, 05 19

Visiting the Sugihara House

Photo by Artūras Bulota

The Year of Chiune Sugihara in Lithuania is an obvious reason to finally visit the small modernist villa in Žaliakalnis if you haven’t yet, and to discover the inspiring personality of the Japanese diplomat. Another is the

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Photo by Antanas Sutkus

May “Greetings from the 20th century” – such is a favourite phrase of one of the most prominent and conspicuous Lithuanian photography artist’s Antanas Sutkus (b.1939). The extensive exhibition in Kaunas is distinguished for the abundance of new photographs. Sutkus has worked with his photography archive for more than twenty years and still discovers forgotten moments and many affecting images from the past. These works feature a whole photographic epoch that introduces Lithuania and its people of the 20th century. Sutkus invited young colleagues Berta Tilmantaitė and Artūras Morozovas to be curators of this exhibition. “These photographers are close to me for their sensitivity to humans, and I am especially curious about the interpretation of my works from a younger generation’s point of view,” says the photographer.

While selecting the works, the curators aimed to show already seen and well-known works as well as the new ones, including the photographs taken during the last few years. The exhibition runs through May 31.

More culture visit.kaunas.lt

Saturday, May 22

Exhibition of Vilnius Bookbinders Guild “Bookbinders Books”

M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum Of Art, V. Putvinskio G. 55

Vilnius Bookbinders Guild was established in 2003 and unites 20 members at present. Among the founders of the guild were book restorers at the largest libraries in Vilnius, later they were joined by several leather art masters (graduates from a well-known leather art and bookbinding school in Estonia), one graphic artist, a representative of book art, an art historian, and a connoisseur of paper marbling – all of them being related to the craft of bookbinding, in one way or another. The guilders not only restore and make ordinary bookbindings. Alongside with bibliophilic artistic bindings, they create experimental or conceptual works and design authors’

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Events in the city books-objects. Besides, members of the guild perform training and education practice, carry out research, participate at exhibitions and organize them themselves, thus popularizing the craft and art of bookbinding. The exhibition presents over 60 works, as well as photographs taken before and after the restoration, and a stand of the marbled paper. You have time to visit the exhibition until August 9, 2020.

Saturday, 05 23

Putvinskis Street Day V. Putvinskio st.

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For a few years now, Kaunas Artists’ House has been implementing a new tradition on the street the building is located in. The street is also home to a university, the world’s only devils museum and a few other cultural institutions, most of which are located in gorgeous modernist buildings. This year, the block party is affected by the pandemic, so the residents, both public and private, are invited to brainstorm a little bit and do something nice for V. Putvinskis street on their own. A poetry reading from your balcony seems like a good idea.

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Photo by Lukas Mykolaitis

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Saturday, 05 23

Kaunas city birthday in your courtyard

Photo by Kaunas City Municipality

Every May, the biggest event in our city is its birthday, celebrating the Medieval occasion of acquiring Magdeburg rights. This year, we’ll do without a massive party in the Old Town – being well is what’s most important. Nevertheless, Kaunas 2022 invites everyone to hold a small party in their yard and combine the Kaunas birthday with the yearly Neighbours day. Play some music, dance a bit, make a kaunastic dish – whatever rocks your boat!

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May Sunday, 05 24

Exhibition “The New Concrete City. From Kaunas to Tokyo”

Kaunas City Museum Kaunas Town Hall department, Rotušės a. 15

Tuesday, 05 26

Painting exhibition “The Way”

Kaunas Picture Gallery, K. Donelaičio g. 16

Photo by CELSIUS 273

The exhibition by Gerda Liudvinavičiūtė presents two CELSIUS 273 concrete jewellery collections inspired by the architectural trends of the twentieth century – modernism in Kaunas and metabolism architecture in Tokyo. They combine the emotional memory of society and the quest to give meaning to humanity in the architectural details which create the new concrete city. The exhibition runs through June 28.

The creative path of Stanislovas Glinskis began in the 1960s. The beginning marks the search for more creative genre, form and style. During this period of creative work Glinskis’ individual character is formed: dark colours, minimalistic expression, and deformation of the visual object.

Part of the works of the author of this period is presented in the exhibition. Glinskis’ work, on the one hand, represents a certain alternative of the painting style formed during the Soviet period, on the other hand, it is an

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Events in the city

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individual painting of the author, to whom he has been loyal for almost five decades. The author focuses on highlighting and coding the detail. The painter’s works focus on aesthetics and form, sign and symbolism, symbolic language of certain details.

In the period of 1969–1991, the artist’s works evoke favourite images of a clown and an old man. The genres of still life and landscape, which focus on form and colour to create the dynamics of the composition, are also emerging during this period.

The author’s priority becomes the creation of a common symbolic image rather than a detailed urban or natural landscape.

What do the works by the artist tell the art lover of today? The exhibition reveals the artist’s difficult path in the Soviet era, trying to avoid imposing stereotypes, ignoring mandatory themes and fashions. By choosing an outsider posture, an orientation to the classical modernist tradition of Western Art, Glinsky remains loyal to himself to this day.

More culture visit.kaunas.lt

Wednesday, 05 27

Chilling out in an open-air terrace

Photo by “O kodėl ne?”

It’s still April as we’re putting together this issue, but the open-air terraces have already been opened in Kaunas, taking in mind all health and safety precautions. We hope the last Wednesday in May will be sunny and warm, and you can enjoy one of the numerous cosy hideouts our city has to offer. Maybe “O kodėl ne?” in Vytautas park? Its name means “Why not?”, after all.

Thursday, 05 28

Exhibition “Alighted by the fire of Monmartre: Rokiškis manor art collection” M. Žilinskas Art Gallery, Nepriklausomybės a. 12

The manor’s residents having a picnic. Photo from the Rokiškis manor album, the 1930s.

Rokiškis regional museum, RKM-20416

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May M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, in cooperation with Rokiškis Regional Museum, is presenting an exhibition, where for the very first time the manor valuables stored in Rokiškis and Kaunas are exhibited. The foundation of the collection was formed by Count Konstanty Tyzenhauz (1786 – 1853), who established a picture gallery and an ornithology cabinet in Pastovys (now Belarusian territory).

Saturday, 05 30

A self-guided tour with “It’s Kaunastic”

“It’s Kaunastic” is an illustrated route series launched in May 2016.

The first map we published was the general English-language city map with a few kaunastic twists; Twenty-something routes have seen the light of the day ever since, including maps for architecture and street art lovers, foodies, travellers with kids, Jewish culture explorers, sports fans etc. All of the maps are free of charge and also available online. So, if you can’t yet book a tour with a real guide, this is a nice alternative.

Sunday, 05 31

Free Museum Sunday

Photo by Lithuanian Aviation Museum

Please double-check if the initiative is on this May – we found no updates regarding it before going to press, but as the museums have already been opened, we see no reason the Free Museum Sunday at institutions ran by our Ministry of Culture shouldn’t be happening.

Prepare to queue, though.

Photo from the archive of Kaunas IN

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pilnas.kaunas.lt

“I believe everyone is good and I love everyone, as long as they work and serve the progress of Lithuania.”

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Kaunas Artists’ House, V. Putvinskio g. 56

Editorial office:

Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas

KAUNAS FULL OF CULTURE Monthly magazine about personalities and events in Kaunas (free of charge)

Authors: Artūras Bulota, Austėja Banytė, Daktarė Kvin, Emilija Visockaitė, Julija Račiūnaitė, Kazimieras Brazdžiūnas, Kipras Štreimikis, Kotryna Lingienė, Kęstutis Lingys, Monika Balčiauskaitė, Rita Dočkuvienė, Vita Opolskytė.

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K AU N A S F U L L O F CU LT U R E

ISSN 2424-4465

Leidžia: Publisher:

2020 2017 Nr. 5 2 (57) (18)