Kaunas Artists' House Lithuanian art news website
Skip to main content
The 14th Pažaislis Music Festival was officially dedicated to the millennium of Lithuania’s name. Still, it remained unclear which event distinguished the festival of this year from thirteen former ones. One may surely use such a grand possibility to grant additional weight to constant activity. Still, are these the real rays of glory? Is there no danger to drown in them?
Perhaps we are desperate fanatics of literature as we were easily tempted by the intriguing invitation of the forum to experience “the great pleasure of masterly created text”. We all know that it is easy to get addicted to pleasures. Thus, we were caught in a trap. Now we have to satisfy the instinct of critical thinking and to tell what pleasures and disappointments we experienced in one of the most serious literature events of the year “Nordic Summer”.
In brief: One of the biggest project developers and owners of realty in Lithuania UAB “Baltisches Haus” is making an open creative workshop “Lituanica” for the architects, urban specialists and landscape architects at the Old Town of Kaunas, between the castle and the bridge of Vilijampolė, near the confluence of the rivers Nemunas and Neris. The purpose is to create a vision of how to build up this territory.
It was easier to come back to the city with all burden and happiness of woman’s life than to take a brush to the hands again. The art environment and atmosphere of creation has changed much in Kaunas. The paintings of E.Velaniškytė are not contemporary. Colours do not dazzle the eyes, she uses no irony, does not invite into discussion, she does not care for global themes.
In brief: The absurdity of life is reflected purposefully, paying attention to the problems and not how to forget them. Let’s say, the rebirth of circus clowns: they do not make laugh, their jokes are angry, usually cruel, they perform paedophiles or serial killers. They do not create fiction of life, but present its interpretation.
In the paintings of E. Markūnas we can find sharp, retrograde courage. Things that ones have been important, almost sacred to the author are being ironized in his painting “The Drowned Pinocchio”. It seems like there is an intention to dispose of the past, disregard it. In this painting the author identifies himself with Pinocchio – a pictorial hero of his teacher, painter Antanas Martinaitis. E. Markūnas makes an irony of himself and “drowns” in the green waters of Kaunas.
