August

In brief: The exhibition of masks of the sculptor Tadas Gutauskas dedicated to the European Men’s Basketball Championship was presented at Kaunas Devils’ Museum last Thursday. Thirteen bright-coloured masks, T-shirts and caps decorated by their motifs, amulets and cardboard masks should bring professional and ethnographic art closer, should familiarise the public with the national cultural heritage and let in some air of contemporary life to museums in the author’s opinion.

Varnished masks made of oak picture traditional characters of Mardi Gras: devils, witches, totemic ancient Lithuanian animals. Motifs of ancient Lithuanian Mardi Gras and contemporary features intertwine in the masks: they are coloured by bright stripes, dots and abrupt motifs.

The masks are part of the project of T. Gutauskas and architect Algirdas Kaušpėdas “Unique LT”, which offers to look at the Lithuanian heritage in the contemporary way and to represent Lithuania in an interesting way. To spread this idea, the authors of “Unique LT” project created an entire series of goods related with masks: rattles, cardboard masks, amulets, fridge magnets, business gifts (small devils’ masks covered by gold for several hundred litas).

Speaking about the project, T. Gutauskas brought up the question of value of art. “A deeper question is why art is needed in general? Artists think about the meaning of life ostensibly, they give existential questions while the real life passes by on its won. Why are they creating then? For themselves? Art is for the public. If people do not accept it, it is not needed by anyone, why are they creating it then?” the author questioned.

In his opinion, the most important for art is to reach people and for the artist to render his/her ideas in the way that he/she would be heard and felt.

Masks will be showcased at the Devils’ Museum until the 25^th of November.