Autumn, dedicated to the painter Arūnas Vaitkūnas 3
In brief: "Everything vanishes - old or saturated with the breath of life. I am only interested in the old real things, old houses, historical, sacred places. Many events seem to have been imprinted in them and those imprints attract me. Contemporary objects don't yet have a history," said painter Arūnas Vaitkūnas (1956–2005). Art lovers have an opportunity to get acquainted with his relevant art phenomenon in Kaunas throughout September.
The exhibition Arūnas Vaitkūnas (1956–2005). Painting principle, held at the Kaunas Picture Gallery (works will be exhibited until the 9th of October) can be considered as the main one. The exhibition reveals A. Vaitkūnas’ strategy, i.e. his best works, because of which he is recognized in the art scene. The exhibition stands out with its consistency and carefully selected works (curator Aušra Vaitkūnienė). The exhibition represents how the artist treated painting, what emotions it caused. It is important that the figure of the painter remains in the viewer's minds, continues to be remembered.
A. Žmuidzinavičius Memorial Museum presents A. Vaitkūnas' students' exhibition dedicated to the memory of the teacher and to marking the 20th anniversary of the Vilnius Academy of Arts, Kaunas Faculty Painting Studio (currently Painting Department). The works will be exhibited until the 25th of September. The exhibition is made from the series Today before yesterday, i.e. a part of the continuous project Masters and students. The exhibition features works made by the former A. Vaitkūnas' students as well as those who finished the painting studio later.
The curator of the exhibition Jovita Aukštikalnytė-Varkulevičienė says that it is a big responsibility to organize an exhibition in memoriam of A. Vaitkūnas, "I was his student, and therefore I want to find the words that would aptly name his legacy to us, his students." The curator brought together and selected the authors who would best illustrate what the teacher, whom they really appreciated, meant for them.
Completely different energy can be felt at the gallery Meno parkas which also features an exhibition highlighting a category of students (exhibition will run until the 16th of September). Curator J. Aukštikalnytė-Varkulevičienė, here, moves away from giving the vivid sense to A. Vaitkūnas memory, but shows how the students - mostly current ones - transform and deconstruct the teacher's aesthetics.
The exhibition at the Meno parko gallery is fascinating, because the works are not focused on one topic or idea. It is dominated by the variety of works revealing the different authors' creative features and philosophy, however, they are all focused on the figure of A. Vaitkūnas. The works make you search for connections that would highlight the painter's creative legacy and contemporary artists' approach to the past.