7 MUST-VISIT GALLERIES AT ARTVILNIUS’17 ART FAIR

June 3, 2017 Tanja Muravskaja, “Estonian Race”, Digital C-type photograph, series of 12, 92×68 cm or 68× 50 cm Presented by gallery FOKU, Estonia
The ArtVilnius’17 contemporary art fair taking place on 8 – 11 June will host 55 galleries and as many as 200 artists. For art buyers not to get lost in the labyrinths of contemporary art, Sonata Baliuckaitė, art critic and art project manager for the fair, recommends seven galleries not to be missed.

Why is it worthwhile investing in art in general? According to Sonata Baliuckaitė, it is not necessary for all of us to be art collector; we can decorate our homes with artworks or simply enjoy the emotional value they bring. “Most art collectors are driven by emotion, so it is very important to like the piece of art we choose to buy. It could be that an original and unique work of art costs the same as photo wallpaper or a sofa. But art at home has a totally different emotional value. We do not need to have an art collection. Instead, we can pick up works of art for ourselves, for our home or office, and simply enjoy them.”

Baliuckaitė says that all galleries participating in ArtVilnius’17, which were selected by the professional commission, are worth attention. Yet, out of 55 international galleries, she’s made her subjective list of seven galleries which includes Latvian and Estonian galleries, French Nivet-Carzon and two Lithuanian galleries.

Established by the Estonian Union of Photography Artists, Foku gallery presents two interesting photography artists at ArtVilnius’17: Tanja Muravskaja and Anna-Stina Treumund. The latter one was among the pioneering artists in Estonia who publicly announced being homosexual and this theme is the central axis in Treumund’s photographs.

Galerie Nivet Carzon

Galerie Nivet Carzon (France) appears to have ambitious intentions this year, presenting at the art fair their curatorial exposition Hotel Europa participated by even 33 foreign artists. In this exposition, the artists representing different media, including painting, video art and performance, will mobilise the European mentality through their own stories. The visitors will have the opportunity to consult not only the curator of the exposition, but also the artists who will be arriving in Vilnius in a large group.

One of the oldest private galleries in Estonia existing for twenty years, Tallinn-based Haus Gallery participates in the art fair for the first time, presenting famous Estonian artists enjoying recognition in the international art market, in particular, Maarit Murka, Alice Kask, August Künnapu, Maria Sidljarevitš and Juss Piho. Special attention should be paid to the painter and creator of installations Maarit Murką, who we can baldly say is one of the most renowned Estonian young artists.

An active participant of art fairs, Meno Parkas gallery from Kaunas, is presenting three artists: Rosanda Sorakaitė, Patricija Gilytė and Povilas Ramanauskas. Sorakaitė was the winner of the Young Painter Prize 2016 held last autumn. In September, her works were displayed at Start art fair at Saatchi Gallery in London.

Riga-based gallery Māksla XO is already well-known to the visitors of the art fair. This prestigious Latvian gallery, a regular participant of international art fairs, has already presented in ArtVilnius art fairs famous artists such as Kaspars Podnieks, Kristaps Gelzis, Ieva Iltnere, etc. This year, photorealistic paintings by young artist Magone Boleiko should be of particular interest to the visitors of the art fair.

Māksla XO

The Rooster Gallery, representative of the young generation of Lithuanian artists, enjoys great attention from buyers at the art fair every year. This year, the visitors ArtVilnius’17 will be amazed by a non-standard presentation of the exposition displaying works of art by Kristina Ališauskaitė, Auksė Miliukaitė, Adomas Danusevičius, Eglė Karpavičiūtė, Vita Opolskytė and Andrius Zakarauskas.

Developer and disseminator of art, science and their forms, new Riga-based gallery RIXC belongs to the art and science centre under the same name. The founders of the centre, artists Rasa Šmite and Raitis Šmitsas, together with artists Rihards Vitolsas and Daina Taimina, will be bringing to the art fair extremely interesting symbiosis of art and science.

Sonata Baliuckaitė, ArtVilnius’17 art project manager, suggests that visitors do not only rely on their intuition while selecting art works, but do not hesitate to ask the gallerists for advice. ArtVilnius’17 will take place on 8-11 June at Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre Litexpo. For more information, visit www.artvilnius.com

Patron of ArtVilnius’17 – Vilnius City Municipality, main sponsor – Lithuanian Council for Culture, main partner – Litexpo, exclusive partner – Lewben Group, maecenas – Law Firm COBALT.