ArtVilnius’21 Invites to a Traditional Walk on the Path (Takas)
October 13, 2021
The contemporary art fair ArtVilnius’21 does not depart from tradition – on October 15–17, visitors will be greeted by the exhibition of sculptures, installations, and performances Takas. It will feature 22 new artists this year.
The international exhibition of sculptures, installations, and performances Takas is an annual exhibition of contemporary art in ArtVilnius. Having grown and expanded its boundaries during the 12 years of its existence, this exhibition receives special attention – galleries discover new artists, and collectors – unexpected works.
Last year, the installation Garden by the artist Rafalas Piesliakas, a participant of the Takas exhibition, was purchased by Dr. Irmantas Norkus, the managing partner of the law firm Cobalt, a long-term Maecenas of the event. He donated this installation to the city of Vilnius.
From the beginning of the art fair, the exhibition Takas was curated by art critic, prof. dr. Raminta Jurėnaitė, later by art critic dr. Elona Lubytė, and Sonata Baliuckaitė, Art Director of ArtVilnius. This year, curator Vytenis Burokas has been invited to take over the helm of Takas. “Every curator has their own vision and, dare I say, taste. Since Takas is a competition exhibition, it is very interesting to watch how one curator selects one artist, and next year the same artist may not be included, because it is really very important to show diversity at the fair, to reflect the trends in the art world,” says Diana Stomienė, the head of ArtVilnius’21.

Takas/The Path curator Vytenis Burokas. Photo by Vika Paškelytė
For me, Takas is associated with a walk, a change of perspective, as well as with a different style of movement and pace. It is a journey along an educational trail where we can encounter works by artists of different generations,” says V. Burokas, the curator of Takas.
Curator of exhibitions and education at the National Gallery of Art, one of the curators of the exhibition JCDecaux Prize, lecturer of the Sculpture Department of Vilnius Academy of Arts, artist V. Burokas states that this year, the themes of Takas’ works – objects, sculptures, installations, and performances are very different. They could not be pinned like strawberries on one straw, so the exhibition becomes a diagnostic tool that talks about what their authors care about and what they have created in recent years.
“Along with the applications to participate in the exhibition, the artists sent us descriptions of their latest works. That’s what we used when laying the segments of the path, its creeks, clearings, and thickets. They provide an opportunity for art fans to explore what artists of different generations have created over the past year of the pandemic. These are sculptures, objects, performances, color field paintings that came out of conventional frames and turned into light installations,” says the curator of the exhibition V. Burokas, adding that Takas exhibits the works of both sculptors and other artists, works that spill out of their genre, turn into spatial installations, or otherwise raise questions of materiality, spatiality.

Dalia Truskaitė. Installation Nepasakyti. 2017.
The exhibition will also present the performance program, which is very popular among the visitors of the fair, where visitors will be able to see an impressive performance of Monika Dirsytė’s endurance and will, as well as performances by Nancie Naive, Gabrielė Vetkinaitė, and Edvinas Mikulskis. Different creators will examine the issues of popular culture and its iconicity, the formation of the individual in the family and society, gender stereotypes. One of the performances, Domas Raibys’ Fake Art Critic will become an integral part of the fair – the artist will conduct a performative tour of the fair, in which he will tell fictional stories that emerge in his mind while looking at works.
Takas will also present the work Nothing Holy by Goodhearter Wisher, artist Vytautas Viržbickas. It will also present a new work Self-portrait. The Nightmare by Kristina Ališauskaitė, the first and only Lithuanian artist included in Thames & Hudson’s book 100 Painters of Tomorrow, which lists the most promising painters in the world.

Domas Ignatavičius. Installation Siurbantys, 2021.
Sculptor and creator of installations and objects Tauras Kensminas will present his Vilnius Basilica, and Matas Janušonis, who created the work Iškabos (Signboards) this year, will present his transformations. Undoubtedly, a lot of thoughts will be provoked by the sculptor Mykolas Sauka’s Head, as well as works by other artists of the exhibition – Danas Aleksa, Jonas Aničas, Evelina Dapkutė, Tomas Daukša, Andrius Erminas, Nerijus Erminas, Domas Ignatavičius, Džiugas Karalius, Iveta Laure, Domas Mykolas Malinauskas, Živilė Minkutė, Kęstutis Svirnelis, Paulius Šliaupa, Dalia Truskaitė, Karolis Vaivada.
The exhibition Takas at the contemporary art fair ArtVilnius’21 will start this Friday, October 15.
ArtVilnius’21 is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture
Patron – Vilnius City Municipality
Maecenas – the law firm Cobalt
Exclusive partner – Lewben