Exhibition

Every four years, Plunge becomes the world capital of Žemaitijan culture. Artists who originate from or live in this region, or who profess their unique – Žemaitijan – identity and way of thinking from Lithuania, Europe and other distant lands, come here to present their work.

This year one of the oldest gatherings of artists in Lithuania – the World Exhibition of Žemaitijan Art (hereinafter – Exhibition), is undergoing organizational changes. The result of the cooperation between the Exhibition curators and the architects is an expository set-up consisting of several segments that reflect the concept of the Exhibition. It rejected the traditionally formulated theme of the exhibition and focused on a rich scale of Žemaitijan artists’ genre expression. Painting and graphics, which usually dominated in the Exhibition are enriched by outdoor sculptures, interdisciplinary works and/or experiments of young artists.

The Exhibition, held for the 9^th time, presents the works of more than 80 artists from Lithuania and abroad. One of the biggest expositions “Vocations” consists of the works of authors selected through a public competition. The quests of more than 40 artists spread from color expression to objects, from video to works of applied art, often erasing the usual boundaries of genres.

Painters working in traditional oil or acrylic techniques exhibit over 30 works at the Exhibition. Many canvases echo the strong spirit and stylistics of Lithuanian expressionism. A. Gudaitis, A. Samuolis or J. Švažas touch, thick stroke, color aesthetics penetrate, but do not overshadow. On the contrary, it often becomes a starting point for creative solutions of the artists (A. Garjonas, V. Kundrotienė, F. Linčiūtė-Vaitiekūnienė, A. Stasiulevičius, A. Šeronas, J. Šalkauskaitė, V. Žukas). Next to them, there are painters paying tribute to abstract art (A. Gražys), photo realism (D. Galminienė, A. Santockytė), primitivism (V. Simutis) or minimalism (J. Uznevičiūtė), and finally to digital aesthetics (M. Snarskis). In terms of the subject, nature and domestic motifs dominate, but exterior, interior (A. Bugailiškytė, P. Griušys) or landscapes (A. Kulikauskaitė Krivickienė, A. Kasputienė) are also trying to be seen in a new way.

Most graphic artists boldly dive into mosaics of mixed techniques and savor the conceptual twists of the content (Z. Inčirauskienė, I. Janulienė, V. Janulis, O. Judakova, T. Vaičaitis, G. Skroblytė). Classic technique, black-and-white aesthetics are represented only by A.V. Burba. However, watercolor masters R. Šimelionytė-Kapalinskienė and E. Štrumaitė can also be attributed to the classical mastery.

Innovative solutions are also expressed in applied art, so seeing its pure form is becoming more and more difficult. The representatives of ceramics and sculpture (K. Dzimidavičienė, A. Lemežis, D. Ložytė) as well as metal masters (P. Baronas, L. Kalinauskaitė, A. Olbutas, A. Šimkutė) seek to interpret traditional art forms in a new way. The interdisciplinary section is unusually rich this year. Installations, ready-made objects, video and photo formats – everything questions the layers of our past, present and future. D. Drulys and N. Erminas’ installations reveal the flaws of the nowadays, M. Skudžinskas and L. Ringelienė’s compositions rephrase images born from the old traditions, R. Inčirauskas and K. Venclova give new meanings to today’s objects and heroes, and J. Pociūtė, O. Stasiulevičiūtė, A. Žalpys reflect personal and collective life experiences.

The exposition “Vocations” is in a way opened and closed by the exposition “Archives” of the Faculty of Telšiai of the Vilnius Academy of Arts. In it, the works of former and current teachers and graduates (A. Anusas, J. Erminaitė, A. Gedvilas, P. Gintalas, E. Čejauskaitė-Gintalė, R. Inčirauskas, Z. Inčirauskienė, N. Poškutė-Jukumienė, K. Kazlauskaitė, L. Kėrienė, D. Liekmanis, A. Mikuta, M. Norkus, A. Skublickas, A. Šimkevičienė, T. Vaičaitis, R. Vaitkutė, B. Zdramytė) are presented in racks intended for archiving. Changing over time, but always relevant creative works of the authors of the most important art school in Western Lithuania invite for a dialogue between the materials and technologies of the past and the relevance of the today’s form and art work’s message (be it political, social, ecological, etc.). The concept of beauty and aesthetics in this exposition is ambiguous, and a peculiar irony is a code to read the stories of the art works (or maybe archival exhibits?) on display.

Another important exposition is entitled “Comebacks” and dedicated to the guest authors. Artists who work mainly outside Lithuania are presented here: R. Jusionytė, Ž. Kempinas, E. Mikalauskis, A. Plioplys, E. Racevičius, I. Šerpytytė, K. Zapkus.

Installation “Tube” by Ž. Kempinas (lives in the US) represented Lithuania at the 53^rd Venice Biennale in 2009. This year it is presented for the first time in Western Lithuania. As usual, the artist uses his favorite creative media – magnetic video tapes. The optically and physically impactful construction of the work allows the viewer to simultaneously be in the object, and look through it, and/or simply feel the vibrations or sounds of the air. In the large-format canvases of another prominent Lithuanian artist working in the USA, K. Zapkus, abstraction is combined with the social context, and the images themselves are based on the principles of musical composition and architectural space structuring. Neurological research, genealogical origins and artistic feeling meet in the silk scarves of A. Plioplys (USA). Modeling the colorful dialogues of the visible world and the subconscious, he enriches the photographs of brain impulses with Lithuanian details (fragments of chronicles and photographs, national symbols, etc.).

I. Šerpytytė (based in UK) uses various media in her work, from video art, photography to textiles, sculpture and installation. It is often archival film and audio material, used as means of expressing emotions and inherited memory. In her work, she cares about issues of history, humanity, and trauma. A representative of conceptual graphics, E. Mikalauskis also talks about relationships with the environment, society, and human inner states, using classical graphic techniques. His ambiguous works often have a hidden spice of play or irony, but the most important thing for the artist is to free his mind, to search for new forms of creation and connection with the audience.

The works of E. Racevičius (Germany) combine the simplicity characteristic to old Lithuanian folk sculptures with ready-made aesthetics and abstract form. Each time the same man dressed in black pants and a white shirt is a universal sign that embodies the very idea of ​​a human. However, the author himself claims that he shows the wood in his works, and nothing else. The fantastic duets of man and animal pierce the paintings of R. Jusionytė, who lives in France. According to researchers of her work, paintings suggest thinking about invented multiple identities, communication with all possible others and different, allowing artist to break down the opposition between culture and nature, interior and exterior, image and word in various ways.

A special place in the palace of the Museum goes to R. Daugintis exposition in memoriam “Chanting bird”. It is intended to honor the memory of one of the first co-authors of the Exhibition. According to the art researcher V. Liutkus, the sculptor was an incomparable “storyteller” of small plastic, who was able to create a narrative, movement, action, intrigue, folklore detail in small-scale works and combine all this with the lively energy of baroque forms, the harmonious sound of smooth or wavy surfaces in space.

The sculptures are also displayed in the exposition of the park. Ten sculptures by six authors balance traditional stone processing and innovative object experiments. The unique touch of each sculptor and contact with the environment determines the conceptual beginning of the work. D. Jankauskas-Duonis remains loyal to his favorite monkey motif, D. Repeika and A. Jukumas question the reverse side of objects, R. Milkintas plays with replicas of geometric shapes, A. Janulis gives new meanings to ready-made objects, and M. Jankauskas savors the natural materiality of stone.

The exposition of works by young artists is divided into two parts, named after their locations: “Cellar” and “Officine”. In these untraditional spaces, young people (P. Čeikauskas Pidžinas, P. Gadeikis, E. Globytė, A. Grašys, E. Laurinavičiūtė, A. Manukian, S. Martinkutė, U. U. Pilitauskaitė, G. Razmaitė, M. Šimkevičius, I. Vaičaitytė, P Vasiliauskaitė, J. V. Venckutė, A. Zaburaitė, I. Zdanevičiūtė) present a whole range of genres from painting, ceramics, graphic illustrations to installations, design objects or even sound, light art, graffiti drawings on the walls. By joining the ranks of the world’s Žemaitijan artists, they not only ensure the continuity of the Exhibition, but also complement it with an innovative artistic language.

In 2024, the Exhibition will be held at the Žemaitijan Art Museum in Plunge, from June 22^nd until December 31^st. It will be accompanied by a traditional scientific conference, this year dedicated to personalities – “Personalities marked by Žemaitija: From Creators to Legendary Heroes”, as well as special events, including meetings with filmmakers and artists, concerts, creative workshops for the community, etc.

Four years later, the Exhibition is once again becoming an event that unites the entire region and artists from the diaspora, an enduring tradition that pays tribute not only to the representation of art, but also to the assembly of the Žemaitijan family. It is extremely symbolic that this year's event also coincides with the 30^th anniversary of the Žemaitijan Art Museum – one of the most important cultural and scientific centers of Žemaitija.

Goda Giedraitytė