November

www.kamane.lt , 2010 11 12

The Hill of the Pope in the Confluence Park. Photo of KAUET

Project of the monument to the Pope John Paul II in the Confluence Park in Kaunas. Photo of KAUET

Monument to the Pope. Photo of G.Prikockis

In brief: Kaunas Architecture and City Planning Experts’ Council (KAUET) considered the project of the monument to the Pope John Paul II of the Polish sculptor Cz.Dzwigaj in Kaunas Confluence Park. The sculpture was presented by the author himself. The architectural part of the monument was introduced by Gintaras Prikockis and Stasys Pūtvis.  

The opinion of KAUET concurred with the opinion of architects, artists and Kaunas intellectuals of various fields who objected to the construction of such monument. The experts‘ council did not approve of the presented project due to the unsuitable concept of the commemoration and recommended to improve the project.

The meeting was headed by the architect Neringa Blaževičienė.

Members of KAUET who participated in the meeting: Gintaras Balčytis, Gražina Bernotienė, Neringa Blaževičienė, Saulius Juškys, Algimantas Kančas, Jolita Kančienė, Audrys Karalius,  Vygintas Merkevičius, Gintaras Prikockis, Ramūnas Raslavičius, Alvydas Steponavičius, Linas Tuleikis, director of KAUET Jūratė Merkevičienė.

Other participants:

Kaunas archbishop Sigitas Tamkevičius, chancellor of the Curia Adolfas Grušas, vice-mayor Algimantas Kurlavičius, head of the City Planning Department Nerijus Valatkevičius, chief specialist of Kaunas Territorial Branch of the Department of Cultural Heritage Rymantė Gudienė, chief specialist of Kaunas Territorial Branch of the Department of Cultural Heritage Loreta Janušaitienė, deputy head of the Utility Department of the Municipality Zenonas Girčys, chief specialist of the Division of Cultural Heritage Danutė Rūkienė, deputy head of the Division of Cultural Heritage Vida Jasaitytė, Kaunas ceremony master Kęstutis Ignatavičius, sculptors: Robertas Antinis, Kęstutis Lamauskas, Mindaugas Jurėnas, painter Gintautas Vaičys, etc.

After the project was presented, the experts‘ council discussed the offers and accepted to the following decision:

1. The presented project of the monument to the Pope John Paul II of the Polish sculptor Cz.Dzwigaj in Kaunas Confluence Park (architectural part presented by Gintaras Prikockis and Stasys Pūtvis, the sculpture – by Prof. Czeslaw Dzwigaj) should not be approved of. It is recommended to present the project for consideration once again taking into regard the made notes of experts:

1.1. The background walls behind the sculpture are not acceptable – they are too aggressive, active and bombastic (9 experts).

1.2. If another concept of immortalisation were chosen, the place could be suitable. The chosen classical model of the sculpture should stand in the classical urbanised, chamber surroundings (6 experts).

1.3. The place is historically fixed and suitable for the monument. The blessing pope will grant attractive spiritual dimension for the recreational space (5 experts).

1.4. A place should be created for the sculpture: a parterre, space, terrain and horizontal graphics of the surroundings. The parterre could be fitted to the object with the help of plants (5 experts).

1.5. The artistic expression and means of the composition of the sculpture should be motivated: perhaps a bas-relief, memorial board, chapel pole or modern composition would suite in this site better (4 experts).

1.6. The base of the presented sculpture should be more generalised (4 experts).           

1.7. The functional conflict between the stadium of the park and the formed sacral memorial place is evident (4 experts).

1.8. It is offered to widen up the mound, to avoid the pivotal composition. The background of the sculpture should better be formed with the help of plants (3 experts).

1.9. The present stadium could be moved closer to the confluence and it could be renovated (2 experts).

Prepared by Jūratė Merkevičienė

(According to the minutes of KAUET of 2010 11 03)