THE FOURTH ATVILNIUS’13: THE AMBITIOUS FACE OF LITHUANIAN ARTS

On 26-30 June, it is for the fourth time when Art Fair ARTVILNIUS’13 is inviting collectors, gallerists, art lovers, students, and lecturers to visit the Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre LITEXPO.

Today ARTVILNIUS is the greatest event dedicated to contemporary arts in Lithuania; this is where the visitors can keep their fingers on the pulse of contemporary arts, see what is new today in art galleries and what artists they present, compare Lithuanian galleries with foreign ones, and, certainly, acquire some art pieces. Someone may use this opportunity to supplement their art collections, others – to start collecting. In any case, the satisfaction of curiosity is guaranteed to everyone.

According to Mrs. Diana Stomienė, director of ARTVILNIUS, “this Art Fair is an important cultural industry for Lithuania that contributes to the development of art market in the Baltic region and increases the flows of foreign tourists and visitors. The Art Fair is also expected to contribute to the creation of economic and cultural added value for Lithuania in the future, as there are no analogue events organised in Central Europe”.

This fourth Art Fair ARTVILNIUS’13 is hosting 50 galleries from 11 countries of the world: 36 Lithuanian galleries and 14 foreign galleries. A broad panorama of countries includes galleries from Denmark, Italy, Great Britain, France, Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Byelorussia, Portugal, and Latvia. Visitors will see the authors and galleries they are already familiar with and, certainly, will find new names and titles. The galleries have been selected by a commission composed of painter Algirdas Griškevičius, art critic and director of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association Publishing House Dr. Danutė Zovienė, president of the Lithuanian Art Gallerists’ Association, ARTVILNIUS director Diana Stomienė, art critics Ernestas Parulskis and Sonata Baliuckaitė.

According to the member of the Selection Commission Dr. Danutė Zovienė, “this Art Fair already has its strategy and value. The developing art market of Lithuania and the Baltic Region should first of all pay due to attention to the values that are wantonly left outside the sweep of the State – there is no secret that museum funds are torpidly supplied with artworks of the turn of the 21st century and contemporary art pieces due to the unfavourable economic situation in the country. That is why collecting professional artworks is gaining popularity among private collectors for whom this Art Fair offers a unique opportunity.”

In addition to usual activities, the Art Fair offers a programme of parallel events. The visitors of ARTVILNIUS’13 are invited to attend a conference dedicated to the prominent Lithuanian painter Augustinas Savickas, discussion on “Art Law in Lithuania: Problems, Challenges, Solutions” (moderator: Dr. Simona Makselienė, directress of the Vilnius Auction), and various events offered by guest galleries. The Lithuanian Artists’ Association Publishing House will present a book about painter Rimas Bičiūnas, Vytautas Magnus University’s Art Gallery 101 will invite to a photo session. Young authors are also active in presenting their works: works of the students of the Department of Photography and Media Arts (Vilnius Academy of Arts) will be demonstrated every day.  The visitors will be able to see video films by 16 authors.

Meetings with young artists will be held during two special screenings. Documentary film programme Portraits of Artists by Juozas Matonis and Vytautas Damaševičius will be demonstrated separately, and new film Vladas Karatajus by Matonis and Damaševičius will be presented. Visitors can also see a corporate collection of RAIDLA LEJINS&NORCOUS, Maecenas of the Art Fair, and paintings by Vytautas Pakalnis. Dedicated exhibition of sculptures and installations TAKAS (THE PATH) will offer works of Vladas Urbonavičius, Kęstutis Svirnelis, Martynas Martišius, Mindaugas Tendziagolskis, Marius Skudžinskas, Andrius Erminas, Nerijus Erminas, Algis Kasparavičius, Andrius Petkus, Rafal Piesliak.

One of important components of the parallel events is educational programme involving participation of students of the Department of Photography and Media Arts (Vilnius Academy of Arts), Artistic Training Centre and creative workshops of the Faculty of Architecture (Vilnius Gediminas Technical University), Vilnius Children and Youth Arts Gallery sheltering creative workshops led by painters Jūratė Stauskaitė and Rūta Katiliūtė, and Creative Laboratory Small Spaces. The Labyrinth of Rooms.

According to art critic Ernestas Parulskis, “the Art Fair has already proven itself to be a successful project. Last year, the turnover of the Art Fair exceeded half-million litas (in a direct financial expression, not mentioning the value of contacts which is hardly possible to measure). Being a business project on the one hand, it also serves as a platform of creative ideas, and this is much more important and interesting. The creative laboratory character of the Vilnius Art Fair is quite conservative. However, the experience of previous art fairs demonstrates the development of specific, innovative conservativism in Vilnius. The organisers and participants of the Art Fair have been, for several years in turn, echoing the latest but silent trends of international art fairs that are acceptable both to spectators and buyers.”

The fourth ARTVILNIUS presents an ambitious and intense programme. It is a large-scale event for tourists and collector, students and art lovers from Lithuania and foreign countries, aimed at exhibiting the trends of the developing regional art market which are expected by the organisers to be continued in the future.