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KAUNAS FULL OF CULTURE

Body

2020 DECEMBER Illustration by Ūla Švekauskaitė

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Dancer, choreographer and dance educator Danutė Nasvytytė (1916-1983) was a pioneer of expressive dance in Lithuania who later took her talent and passion to Australia. Born in Moscow, Nasvytytė grew up in Kaunas. In 1936, she took a trip to the Berlin Olympics, where she saw some of the best German expressive dance companies. The Lithuanian met Rudolf von Laban, the founding father of modern dance in Europe, who recognised her talent and recommended her for Jutta Klamt school. In 1939, Nasvytytė came back to Kaunas with a diploma and a suitcase full of ambitions. She performed at the State Theatre and opened her studio. The traditions were later continued by her student Kira Daujotaitė, and later, Birutė Letukaitė, student of Daujotaitė, took the lead. The story continues./ Photo from the personal archive of Danutė Nasvytytė

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A feeling of déjà vu, right? The second quarantine of the year is different than the one in the spring – on the one hand, we have already learned how to deal with it. Still, on the other hand, the end of the year is gloomy enough to also have that on our plate, not to mention the social distancing and the never-ending and tiresome flow of virtual experiences.

Something physical In December, we invite you to get to know the body and its possibilities.

Body as a tool of culture and art and an expression of ideas. In many of this issue’s articles, directly or between the lines, you will feel the touch of Aura Dance Theatre; the various experiences of this issue’s heroes related to it only confirm the excellent aura of Kaunas.

The people we interviewed for the Body issue cannot stay still, so this time we enjoyed the beautiful photoshoots, got inspired to stay active, and were glad to get very specific tips on how to be the best version of yourself. Or perhaps to love yourself just as you are. And we also remember a person without whom Kaunas would not be so agile.

So, turn the page and you will find memories of Modris Tenisons, Kaunas

School of Choreography celebrating its twentieth anniversary, a Finn revealing circus secrets to Kaunas residents, three explosive Kaunas Artists’ House residents, the attentive look of young Kaunas residents at themselves, a cool guy turning pain into art, the chairwoman of the Contemporary Dance Association, who inherited her grandmothers silver ladle as well as enthusiasm, and a turn to the interwar period when the residents started thinking about what should be done with the city’s body. This time, the calendar is almost the one of Advent – one adventure, experience, and inspiration a day. And we thank Ūla Šveikauskaitė, who lives in Austria, for a particularly expressive cover dedicated to the centenary of professional theatre.

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Referring to the principles of his troupe’s work, Modris Tenisons once said, “The whole team is like one person, as one thought from the stage. ... Beginning is movement. Human movement, movement in nature, wind, the human eye movement, hand movement. Thought movement. The movement of human relationships. ...

We create the performance from the movements of the visible world around us. The main idea, the object of all performances, is a person. A person with their problem, with the movement of their soul, the movements of their feelings: suffering, happiness. ... We are trying to conjure up a language. A language that would show the whole beauty of a person; their emotional breadth. To express our world, our worldview. And a human being at the centre.”

Beginning is movement Julija Račiūnaitė

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“Thinking. Mime Zone“ Pantomime 1968–1982. Photo by Vitas Luckus 2020 DECEMBER

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Modris Tenisons, avant-garde and the pioneer of pantomime art in Lithuania, died on September 16, 2020, at the age of 76. Relatively recently, in 2017, during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Kaunas Pantomime Troupe, Modris Tenisons visited Kaunas and participated in the Vitas Luckus photo exhibition Mimes organized at the Kaunas Photography Gallery.

M. Tenisons came to Lithuania from Latvia in 1966, when he was only 21 years old. The young artist soon became involved in the cultural life of the city, gathered a group of like-minded people, and, according to the people who knew him back then, learned to speak Lithuanian very fast and without an accent.

In Vilnius, he founded the first professional pantomime troupe in the entire Soviet Union. Its work immediately attracted the public’s attention, and the actors always had a full house. Soon, due to the more favourable political climate, M. Tenisons moved to Kaunas, where he worked until 1972. A very significant creative era (1967-1970) passed here, mainly related to his activities at the Kaunas Drama Theater. After settling in Kaunas, M. Tenisons became friends with the members of the free-spirited and rebellious youth group Company, who were gathering in the City Garden at that time. Modris invited several of them to join his troupe.

On May 14, 1972, the artist became one of the witnesses to the selfimmolation of Romas Kalanta. Like for many other people who were against the system at the time, this tragedy had repercussions. Due to an alleged negative influence on young people, Tenisons was fired from the theatre, and the troupe

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was closed. The creator was forced to return to Riga, but always actively participated in the cultural life of Lithuania, maintained contacts with colleagues. M. Tenisons was awarded the Order of Gediminas for his contribution to the art of pantomime.

Arkadijus Vinokuras, an actor, pedagogue, journalist, writer, and a member of the Company community as well as Modris Tenisons’ troupe, told us more about the exceptional personality of M. Tenisons and his epochal importance to Lithuanian theatre.

Under what circumstances did you meet Modris Tenisons?

This took place in 1968 at Kaunas Drama Theater, during the Dream of Dreams play. After that, a whole series of plays followed. Their avantgarde form and non-Soviet, nonconformist content were striking: Ecce homo, Collage, Capriccio of the 20th Century. He [Modris Tenisons] looked impressive both in terms of his appearance and style. Modris was like a man from a completely different – free – world. His whole troupe was filled with mystery, exoticism. Its members and their profound thinking especially influenced young people, who, at the time were looking for a similar expression for their internal revolution against the bleakness of the Soviet dictatorship. I was a member of the Kaunas hippie community Company. We really stood out from that grey mass of Soviet conformists. We would all gather at the garden of Kaunas Musical Theater, so we noticed each other. We spiritually agreed with each other and naturally started to communicate. Modris invited us to visit his performances.

Scene from a performance by Tenisons at the Kaunas Drama Theatre, 1968. From the left: Regina Putnaitė, Zigmas Banevičius, Giedrius Mackevičius (sitting), M. Tenisons (lying). Archive of LTMKM .

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What was special about M. Tenisons’ methodology?

As for his methodology, it needs to be analyzed in the context of the Lithuanian and Western theatre of the time. The very format of expression – movement plus pantomime – was a completely new way of doing theatre, which started to become popular in Poland (Tomaszewski, Grotowski) and in the West (Leaving Theatre, etc.) I have seen many productions in the West (I left Lithuania in 1975), so I can safely and objectively say that there weren’t and still aren’t any equivalents to Modris Tenisons’ style to this day. Although, no doubt, similar elements of movement and pantomime can be found.

The influence of Modris Tenisons on Lithuanian theatre is felt to this day. Prior to him, the Soviet theatre in Lithuania and elsewhere was quite static, Stanislavski-like.

Modris revealed the importance of movement in the actor’s work with himself and the director’s attitude towards the importance of movement in a play. This was and can be seen in Eimuntas Nekrošius, Rimas Tuminas, Oskaras Koršunovas, and Artūras Areima productions.

At least I see the philosophy of Modris’ movement choreography in the works of these directors. There was a reason why Modris’ troupe was invited to Kaunas Drama Theatre director Jonas Jurašas’ plays (for example, Mammoth Hunt, Barbora Radvilaitė).

What was Modris looking for in the actor?

It should be understood that the actor and a pantomime actor have different acting premises and forms of expression. What did he look for? Courage. The courage to

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break your own taboo, to leave the comfort zone. After all, the language of the movement requires physical communication between bodies, so his productions were slightly erotic, in the best sense of the word. Aesthetically beautiful bodies intertwined – this impression stays with you forever. Much later, when I staged my play Seven Sins in Stockholm, the largest church in Sweden, I deliberately chose the opposite of Modris’ aesthetics: all my actors were of a different height, fat, thin, different. (I have the photographs, 1984). Modris laughed, though he really liked the idea and the result.

How did the audience welcome the first performances of the pantomime troupe?

You see, I was a member of the second troupe organized by Modris when he was looking for a new form to express his ideas. After a while, I realized that he was a true pioneer of contemporary dance in the Soviet Union. In the West, the equivalent would probably be Rudolf von Laban (1879-1958, the pioneer of contemporary dance who lived and worked in Austria-Hungary). I don’t know if Modris knew about him at the time (the second troupe existed from 1970 till 1973). Somehow, I didn’t think to ask him, although we kept in contact until now.

In terms of the main troupe’s work, the audience’s reaction can be described as a shock. After all, his themes were perceived as antiSoviet; they spoke about the conflict between individual freedom and collective society, dictatorship, moreover, as I have already mentioned, his style was strongly eroticized. After all, classical ballet performances are quite different from what the viewer saw in Modris’

“Thinking. Mime Zone“ Pantomime 1968–1982. Photo by Vitas Luckus

performances. Aesthetics, content, form – that novelty, permeated with courage in the context of Soviet conformism and asexuality was shocking.

What shared creative experience with M. Tenisons was most valuable to you; what lessons did you learn?

I have already mentioned and will repeat again: the courage to break internal taboos. You know, this perception has shaped and is shaping my whole life, my attitude not only to acting/directing but also to my being in society as a citizen.

Modris had a holistic approach to life. He was extremely interested in architecture and Zen Buddhism.

You can ask – what do these things have in common? His performances were construction, and the control of the body relied on yoga. A body as

a tool, where every pore and every muscle had to speak. And he, the body, the troupe, spoke so magically that after the performance or a class you were filled with indescribable inner pleasure and found yourself in some indescribable state.

Maybe you remember some memorable sayings or features characteristic to M. Tenisons?

I remember his body language, gestures, extraordinary sensitivity to the actor. He could quietly approach the actor and say, “Maybe try this ... you understand, don’t you ... there now” and then he would rub his fingertips. Suddenly you would realize that you have caught Maestro’s attention, he sees something valuable in your quest.

Modris never ever raised his voice, he radiated inner peace. He knew how to help the actor feel confident.

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“It would be difficult to count how many children had attended this school,” laughs Lina Navardauskienė, the head and founder of Kaunas School of Choreography, which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year.

The school offers both long-term and shorter programs. Children and teenagers, who study there, often continue their acquaintance with dance and even stay with it for the rest of their lives. Some return to the school after a while.

This year, it is difficult to have a slam-bang celebration of the twentieth anniversary or any other holiday. But choreographers, along with a photographer, found a way. We met with L. Navardauskienė and Aistė Kavolienė, viceprincipal for education, online, but if you happen to take a bus to or from Kaunas by December 10, you will definitely see the festive exhibition.

To dance the pandemic away Kotryna Lingienė Photos by Algimantas Barzdžius

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What motivated you to set up this school twenty years ago?

Lina Navardauskienė: At that time, I was dancing at the Aura Dance Theatre. I was a soloist, raised two small daughters, and studied business management at Vytautas Magnus University. I wanted to combine these activities, so this is how my master’s thesis Dance Arts was born, just like a vision of a future school. I decided it would be interesting to implement this project. I applied to the municipality’s department of education, telling them that there is no dance school in Kaunas, that no one prepares dancers, and that something should be done about that. Slowly, I started receiving support and direction, and after four years of knocking on doors, in 2000, the city of Kaunas established this school. We are a budgetary institution; our activities are partly financed by the municipality. Why is this important to emphasize that? I was asked why I don’t set up a private school. But that doesn’t interest me. Anyone can set up a private school, and it will only be attended by children whose parents will be able to pay for it.

Studying dance is expensive: halls, accompanists, lots of lessons, and it is difficult to work independently.

Therefore, I wanted a school for gifted children, for those who really want and can dance, regardless of the family’s financial situation.

Aistė Kavolienė: I started working at the Kaunas School of Choreography in 2007. I was about to finish my studies at the Department of Choreography of Klaipėda University, and I asked to do an internship here and defend my thesis. And so, I have been here since 2007. I am happy about it because I believe that I am growing, first as a modern dance teacher 1 2

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and now also as a vice-principal for education. Those two positions brought me even closer to school.

Where is Kaunas Choreography School located?

L. N.: We are currently located on V. Krėvės Avenue. We were very lucky because when the school was set up, well... it was set up in the air, without premises or paid positions. So, at first, we settled in the Youth school on Pašilės Street. The school had its desk and a chair. A couple of years later, we moved to the S. Lozoraitis school in Viljampolė. There we already had two classrooms, a toilet, a dressing room, and a hall that we shared with the school students. Many campaigns were made without the help of parents. We looked for ways; we talked to politicians, we argued in every way that we needed the school and that we can, and so on.

And then in 2006, a reorganization of schools took place in Kaunas.

A. Timinskis Secondary School for Russian speakers was merged with A. Puškinas School in the city centre.

The municipality of Kaunas at the time allocated 3000 square meters for us – half of A. Timinskis school building. That is when we started to prosper. We were able to run more programs, take in more students. Of course, it was difficult; we are still renovating some spaces because everything had to be adapted for dance, not ordinary lessons. So many walls were demolished!

Your school also accepts the smallest, four-year-old kids.

What is usually the case with their motivation – do parents want their children to dance?

A. K.: Of course, it all starts with the parents. We say that in our school we work with the whole

family. Teachers, parents, and maybe even grandparents make it possible for a child to dance.

L. N.: Usually, it is mothers who want their daughters to dance, rarely sons, mostly daughters.

The contribution of parents is very important because children need to be brought to school, then parents need to wait and then take them back home. This means that parents spend their free time driving their kids back and forth.

Children of eight, ten years of age are more conscious, know what they are doing here, so they come on their own.

A. K.: At this point, I want to thank the parents because they are looking for information; they show interest and trust their kids with us. They usually have seen a concert or just heard good reviews about the school. That is how we come into contact with the little ones, and they start the life of a dancer. Of course, anything can happen, one tries and realizes that dance is not for him, and another one continues to dance even after graduating from our school. They go on to study at Čiurlionis School of Arts in the capital or at foreign schools; they study dance as performers, as choreographers. I think this is an important thing for a school. We raise them, believe in them, motivate them, and prepare them for their future endeavours.

And does it happen that graduates of your school return to work at school as teachers?

L. N.: Yes, it happens, not often, but happens. Currently, we have four graduates working with us: Justė Bukauskė, Jūratė Koreivaitė, Silvija Navardauskaitė, and Grytė Navardauskaitė. The latter returned as an accompanist

because she was still playing the piano at a music school while also attending our school. It’s also fun when ex-students bring us their kids or return with suggestions to create something together, develop projects.

Lina, you used to dance modern dance too, but the Kaunas School of Choreography is not limited to it. Is that a result of growth (physical as well)?

L. N.: Yes, contemporary dance was the main direction in the beginning. And, as I mentioned, when we moved to V. Krėvės Avenue, we found ourselves with more space.

This is how we started to teach classical, historical, and folk dances from different countries.

Are there any trends in dance?

L. N.: No, there are no trends. The most difficult thing for us in Kaunas is to gather children to a group of folk or historical dances because people simply don’t know what it is.

There is so little of it in Lithuania, only Klaipėda. This makes it more difficult, but if we try harder, give concerts, travel around schools, and present the program, more children want to join the classes.

Of course, sometimes parents know precisely that they only want ballet, yet others want modern dance. On the other hand, we don’t necessarily take their child to their preferred program. We look at what the child would be able to do professionally in the future. It’s like the entrance exams. I know there are rumours that it’s hard to get in, but it isn’t if the child has certain attributes.

After all, we pledge to parents that the child will succeed, that they will be interested, that it will not be too difficult, and a child will be able to achieve something.

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A. K.: I would add that we also have artistic self-expression programs which are intended for dance lovers who do not seek professional heights, but simply want to maintain physical form, love dance, and want to get acquainted with the basics. We have a program for the little ones called I want to Dance and also ballet and modern dance classes for adults. Interestingly, it is joined by mothers who come to watch their children dance. Perhaps this is how they fulfil their dreams for which they had neither time nor opportunities.

Do you feel competition with other children’s activities – sports, music? Is it necessary to regain the pupil’s attention?

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A. K.: The truth is that many of our students attend music schools, for example. So, when arranging the schedules, we kindly coordinate them with other institutions so that children’s education wouldn’t be interrupted. In dance, musicality is extremely important. Others attend gymnastics, which is also very good.

So, there is no struggle; there is dialogue. Of course, when children become teenagers, they often have to make a choice – after all, the workload at school also increases. Still, there is no need to fight for those who really love dance. By the way, there have been cases when boys who attend football practice join our amateur program. And it is the coaches that recommend us because dance is good for coordination. Those who attend karate or judo come as well. And we gladly help them improve.

How interesting!

It’s time to talk about the exhibition išŠok (jump out), dedicated to the school’s twentieth anniversary. Why this specific format – photography – and why now?

L. N.: Quarantine was a major reason behind that format. When we celebrate anniversaries, we usually show what our children are capable of. We had planned a show in spring and then, two weeks until the event, after all the costumes were made, the quarantine was introduced. It was really sad. We moved it to fall, but then we had to cancel again.

Despite that, we continued for ways to commemorate the anniversary.

This exhibition seeks to show that despite what is happening now, with many limitations imposed on negative emotions, that creative energy remains. A person wants to act, wants to continue to live. And the exhibition space had to be such that people would be able to see it under these conditions, after all, the artist doesn’t create for himself but for the people. So maybe even the random passers-by at the station will be positively inspired by the exhibition of photographs in which the dancers are captured in the most unexpected places in Kaunas.

A. K.: I can only be glad that the exhibition is taking place in such conditions. It was an interesting challenge for both teachers and A. Barzdžius. Both the unexpected locations and overcoming one’s fears – especially for those who haven’t been on the stage for a long time – was an interesting challenge. At the same time, it is an encouragement to our students not to give up in any case, no matter how difficult things might get. Like now, we usually meet remotely, via screes, but anything is possible, we must not give up, dance the pandemic away and enjoy the results together.

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We have been cooperating with photographer Algimantas Barzdžius for a long time; he has been photographing our students for many years. One day Algis visited us and said: let’s have a teacher photoshoot!

Despite being professional dancers – from Aura, Musical Theatre, Anželika Cholina’s troupe – they were hesitant, not used to the stage anymore. But they agreed and the creative process started and then Algis said, “You know what? It looks interesting. How about we organize an exhibition?” And the teachers did not object.

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“On the ladder? Yes, I can jump on it, right away.

Although as I child I was very scared I will not catch my classmate; these tricks would bring tears to my eyes,” Aino Mäkipää from Finland says. She welcomes us in a spacious and warm hall – the wall of which is decorated with a nice mural from back in the day – of a grey business center (it must have been called differently when it was being built) in Aleksotas. Aino and her colleagues teach at the first contemporary circus center in Lithuania – Cirko Sapiens. Behind this name stands the international performing arts team Teatronas. Its founder Gildas Aleksa, who was selected as the most memorable Kaunas artist of 2019, currently has moved his focus to the capital and the circus center which was opened in autumn is headed by Monika Citvaraitė-Lansbergienė.

Aino from Finland and a Chinese pole Kotryna Lingienė Photos by Arvydas Čiukšys

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It is no coincidence that Aino found herself in Lithuania and Kaunas.

She graduated from the Salpaus Circus Artist Education school, founded in her native Finland, city of Lahti, a couple of decades ago.

The graduates of this school get a vocational education, the school itself is part of a larger entity offering various specialities. Aino doesn’t specialize in ladders (as you might have thought) and not in aerial acrobatics, although she was happy to demonstrate these skills as well. Our interviewee’s skill is a

Chinese pole. It’s history dates back centuries and started with soldiers who trained on them. Aino also teaches children and adults – who can overcome their fear – to walk on the rope. And juggle. And if you’re interested in aerial acrobatics, you should meet her American classmate Lyla Goldman, who also settled in Kaunas, and the third classmate from Lahti – Kęstas Matusevičius.

Probably we don’t need to tell you that he is Lithuanian. The trio became such good friends during their studies that they formed a

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Here, I can reveal that I met Aino on the ice. Yes, in the Kaunas Ice Arena, where, when there is no quarantine, women, and girls meet every week to learn how to play hockey. Monika, the head of Cirko Sapiens, brought her colleague to the training. It’s no stereotype that all Finns know how to play hockey, and we, the beginners, really appreciate the foreign team member. Aino laughs that, in fact, little Finns learn to play hockey and how to skate during physical education classes. She did that too. However, competing is not her favorite pastime, she is more interested in expressing herself.

And you know what? The things she does on a rubber-covered pole with a grin and full confidence is much more impressive than a goal.

Working with children is fun, they are curious, only maybe talking with them can get difficult sometimes.

And the adults? Well, the circus teacher learns together with them

every day. She has been in the circus since she was 9 years old and now teaches kids in Kaunas. Aino feels great in our city. She already has her favorite jogging routes along the Nemunas and is slowly discovering Žaliakalnis and other districts. It is said that the circus artists are constantly on the move, yet the current situation does not allow any planning further into the future.

But she would like to travel together with Kanta Company and troupe’s performances.

Aino agrees that the situation of the modern circus in Finland is much better than in Lithuania. Basically, it has a longer tradition in Finland.

The mere fact that Lahti, a city no bigger than Kaunas, attracts students from all over the world, says a lot. But it is the countries located further south that should be considered the epicenter of the contemporary circus. And what about the prospects of Circus Sapiens? Aino believes they are boundless. Like the modern circus itself, it is far from a product based on clichés and cheap tricks, designed to make you laugh. It is a part of performing arts that combines theatre, dance, physical culture and accommodates both fun and very serious things. Sad things as well.

Ultimately, this year, Circulation was supposed to take place in the territory of the former Kaunas ghetto in Vilijampolė. Everything can be expressed through the body.

The most important thing is to not be afraid.

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troupe. Kanta Company presented its performance at Circulation festival last year, which took place in the Dainava microdistrict. There was no Circulation this year, but the troupe does not idle about.

Although the festival didn’t take place, the lucky visitors of the international contemporary circus festival New Circus Weekend ‘20 saw the sketch of the troupe’s latest show Clothes and Us where aerial acrobatics are combined with the Chinese pole routine. After all, something did take place this year.

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This autumn, a residential laboratory project was launched at Kaunas Artists’ House, inviting creators to research the issues of art accessibility, work with a new and unfamiliar community, as well as study and increase competencies with the help of experts – people who know the chosen communities well. Three artists enthusiastically joined the project – dancer and choreographer Vilma Pitrinaitė, interdisciplinary artist Marija Nemčenko and dance teacher, performer and choreographer Indrė Puišytė-Šidlauskienė.

All of them use and study the human body and movement in different ways. With all three residents, we discussed their projects, work during quarantine, and the desire to share knowledge and ideas with others.

Creative movement Justė Vyšniauskaitė Photos by Arvydas Čiukšys

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Young rebellion

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Vilma Pitrinaitė joined the Kaunas Artists’ House project to focus on a new audience – not contemporary dance admirers, but young people who do not go to watch dance performances because they are not interested. Often, experimental, conceptual dance is difficult to access for young people due to poor dissemination of information, educational gaps, or other reasons.

“I think that the audience of such a provocative, questioning, thoughtprovoking, socially and politically engaged contemporary dance really exists, namely among young people. Only these people do not yet know that they like contemporary dance. A new generation of viewers is growing, and it needs to be tamed,” Vilma explained her project.

Using her own and other dancers’ bodies and movements, the artist creatively experiments with pop and underground stylistics, provocation, realism, humour, colours, and emotions. Using stylistics and music that is attractive to young people, Vilma aims to make contemporary dance not only accessible but also relevant to the younger generation.

“Self-expression is essential to all people, and dance has always interested me as something that everyone does in their own way.

When you discover yourself, you realize that there are no others like you and that helps people love themselves and in turn others.

Besides, artistic activities create conditions for people of different ages, interests, and opportunities to come together, be in solidarity, learn together, broaden their horizons, improve, and ultimately spend time on profitless things. It is a rebellion against a system in which leisure time is getting shorter, and its quality is deteriorating due to lack of time, energy, education, and the need to put yourself in a box and be better K AU N A S F U L L O F CU LT U R E

than others,” the dancer shared her insights. During the residency, Vilma is analyzing the figure of a rebel and the protest phenomenon through movement together with the youth community.

“A word rebel today sounds like a ghost of some mad feminist haunting serious gentlemen in the government, heads of families, and business leaders. In Lithuania, alternative lifestyles and the desire to rebel are unpopular even among young people, and the culture of protest is only emerging now. During the residency, I invite young people to take a broader look at resistance movements, deconstruct the rebel figure and offer unexpected interpretations of it, somewhat vindicating it. There is positive energy in the idea and dynamics of the revolution. Rebellion arises from the fundamental need to not give up and renounce faith in the possibility of a better life. In this project, resistance is also treated as a unique personal ritual expressed through dance and music,” the choreographer explained.

At the beginning of the project, Vilma, using insights from the experts involved in the project, refined the idea that group dynamics, team building, and mutual help and respect is as important as dance technique and creativity training. The dancer seeks to apply this strategy online since activities could not take place live due to changed circumstances.

During our conversation, Vilma’s Facebook group – the project’s platform connecting the artist with a youth audience – was counting its first days. The platform featured participants’ introductions and first interpretations of tasks and games.

When the opportunity arises, Vilma hopes to extend the project via live meetings.

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Šilainiai Stadium Marija Nemčenko participates in the residency as a representative of BRUT Collective – an architectural and socially based art collective founded together with Hungarian curator Anna Tudos. Both members of the collective are actively interested and engaged in sports.

The collaboration idea was born out of this personal interest. Seeing the advantages of art and sports, the artists decided to look for ways to combine them. “I think it could be a tool that would help different people find common ground,” Marija shared her thoughts. The artist joined the Kaunas Artists’ House project to further explore this topic together with the help of mentors and to find ways to reach her audience – the youth living in the apartment blocks in the Šilainiai district – more effectively.

Marija has been working with people – both in Lithuania and abroad – who live in the apartment blocks built between the 1960s and 1980s. The artist analyzes the stigmas surrounding these places and the adjacent public spaces and how they changed over time.

“In Lithuania, public spaces often become parking lots. Thus, places where people could meet, move and play cease to exist,” the resident said. To respond to this problem, Marija is developing Our Stadium project. This idea arose from the analysis of the importance of sport in the former Soviet Union and workers’ collectives.

“Movement was essential in supporting people’s mental, physical and social activities, and the stadium, as an architectural object, became a place for collective sports,” the artist explained. Marija

seeks to apply these ideas in the courtyards of today’s apartment blocks in Šilainiai and make art and sports accessible to the young people living nearby. The artist hopes that the project will promote community organization, quality youth employment, and education.

During the residency, Marija planned to organize live meetings with the youth of Šilainiai district, during which she would have presented the idea of Our Stadium, creative workshops, film screenings, and other activities that help to discover the common ground between sport and art.

Unfortunately, these ideas had to be postponed due to quarantine.

Now the project aims to employ digital media and objects in Šilainiai playgrounds – especially those that are no longer in use.

The residency combines dance and boxing, noting that martial arts are based on rhythm, step, the sensing of the opponent, and plasticity and that the art of movement requires physical preparation and endurance.

Marija works with physical education and boxing coach Ilma Pašluostaitė and dancer Evgeniy Kalachov, with whom she creates videos. The videos provide instructions on how to practice boxing or dance elements, steps, and other movements using playground objects. “I am not focusing on the result that would necessarily remain in a physical form. Most of all, I want to fire people up with this idea so that they could continue to look for ways to creatively adapt the public space to their own useful activities,” Marija said.

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Invisible dance Indrė Puišytė-Šidlauskienė started dancing at the Kaunas State Musical Theater at the age of seven. Having started her career as a ballet performer, over time, the artist felt the urge to get to know other dance styles and started studying choreography, where she got acquainted with the 2 8

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contemporary dance she is creating now. During the residential labs of Kaunas Artists’ House, Indrė seeks to help people with visual impairments discover dance.

“I would always react sensitively when seeing the spaces in the city that were not adapted for people

“Since this is an audience I have not worked with before, everything seemed very different before I started the residency. Only after meeting the community, more precisely, first and foremost, Lina Puodžiūnienė, the head of the Center of Culture and Art Projects of Lithuanian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired, I was able to determine what is possible and what is not,” the dancer shared her thoughts. Indrė works online with three participants – Laura, Simonas, and Ieva – several times a week. “It is very difficult for people to imagine how we work with blind people online. But we have the gift of language, and we feel each other, so the process is quite smooth.

If we were in a physical space, I would be able to show them what I am trying to say with my body by touching. However, the absence of this also has its advantages. Now every movement of the participants comes from themselves, from personal perception and the way the body works” the choreographer told us about the work done over the internet.

With the help of words, the dancer tries to create images in the consciousness of Laura, Simonas,

and Ieva and through them involves the participants in the movement process.

Through movement, Indrė teaches the participants to relax their muscles and thinking, to link their bodies with breathing, and with the help of thoughts travel to another space. “Then, the body starts to move differently than it is used to. When a person relaxes, they re-evaluate their environment, their quality of life improves,” the choreographer explained. The practical sessions were followed by reflection and discussion about impressions – how the participants felt whether there were any questions, what was difficult, and what was easier.

Indrė believes that this process helps visually impaired people to discover unfamiliar movement opportunities and also allows her to grow. “It also gives meaning to me as an artist – I can share my knowledge with people who need it. In addition, I draw an infinite amount of positive energy from the participants. I think that we could all learn from them about curiosity and the joy of life.”

The choreographer does not plan to stop. She is preparing a project to continue this initiative. So far, the focus is specifically on this audience, but Indrė is considering that in the future, the sessions could be tailored to the broader community. “I want to create tangible material – a methodology that the community of the blind and people who want to work with it can use and continue the movement and body sensing sessions without me,” the resident shared her ideas.

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with disabilities, but I never thought that I could change something as an artist. Recently, I realized that the moment has come when I have the opportunity to share my knowledge with the community of visionimpaired people and help them feel what dance is,” the choreographer explained her choice. Indrė said that when she started analyzing what has already been done in the field of dance in Lithuania, she realized that the community of visually impaired people was almost untouched.

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Agnietė Lisičkinaitė’s grandmother Idalija was one of the dancers of the legendary dance troupe Sonata. When Idalija was getting married, her fellow dancers – of course, while dancing – brought her a silver ladle with an inscription “Sonata” to the Town Hall Square. The ladle that was given by the girls to their friend was tied with a long ribbon, and everything seemed quite Duncan-like, i.e. Isadora Duncan would have liked it. And although Idalija became a doctor instead of a professional dancer, the ladle with all the charms of Sonata was inherited by Agnietė. “The ladle travels with me through all the apartments in Vilnius,” laughs the chairwoman of the Contemporary Dance Association, a dancer and a choreographer. During the first quarantine, she and her colleagues from all over Lithuania were broadcasting Dance breakfast, which provided morning exercise for many. During the second quarantine, we had a conversation via Zoom, and she decided to have her photoshoot at the Arts Printing House, where she spends many hours of her life.

Agnietė and her silver ladle Kotryna Lingienė Photos by Kipras Štreimikis

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So, we should also thank your grandmother, not only your parents, for the fact that Lithuanian dance has you.

But how did you realize that you want to move and express yourself through your body?

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The family has always felt nostalgia and looked at the field of dance with regard. I started to attend an expressive dance group in the former Trestas when I was six. I began with choreographer Aira Naginavičiūtė, with whom I work to this day. I danced in Kaunas until I graduated from high school, after which, I began my studies at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre – again with Aira as a teacher. Back in the seventh grade, I already knew it was my field, that I felt safe in it and fulfilled. I was lucky; I always felt the support of my family and systematically moved towards where I am now.

What does your grandmother think about your current activity?

She has seen all my work. Of course, the expression of dance today is quite different, so it’s interesting to have a close person who has witnessed that change. She probably favours the type of productions we prepare at Aira’s. When in 2014 along with Sigita Juraškaitė we presented our performance Popular Problems at the Arts Printing House, I was worried about how my grandmother would react: the show starts with us going crazy to Shakira’s music. But since my grandma is a true intellectual, she accepts my quests as a natural development, innovative decisions, even though she favours classical productions. Clearly, our personal connection is important here, we have a very good relationship, perhaps she is subjective at times, but she likes contemporary art.

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You mentioned that back at school, you felt safe in dance. Has that state changed somewhat after moving to Vilnius, even though you were taught by the same choreographer?

I always lived in bubbles – in the eighth grade, I moved to Kaunas Art Gymnasium, which was a big creative bubble. Then I entered the academy, which was another bubble.

I haven’t left it until my master’s studies, apart from several short exchange programs, so I started to shape my style and identity as a dance artist only after finishing my studies, at the point when you no longer belong to any institution.

When you are a member of a troupe, you still listen to your mentor; there are no discussions about different discourses, no opportunities to express yourself individually.

Do you think every dancer has a dream of becoming a choreographer?

Oh no. I didn’t plan to be a choreographer at all. When I finished my BA, I said that I would be a dancer, creation did not beckon me but... I simply had nowhere to dance. I was invited to dance at Aura, but I straight away said no.

There were more people like me, so we got together and decided, “If we have nowhere to dance, we have to create that opportunity for ourselves.” That’s how the first works were born, and I realized it was interesting – I can be on stage the way I imagine it should be. Appetite comes with eating. However, I have only created one performance in which I don’t dance because I feel the need to be on the stage, to express myself as a dancer. By the way, this is a common internal conflict that choreographers have – when to stop?

How to assess if it helps your work?

Do you look for yourself or a body closest to yours in other dancers (the one that would fulfil your visions as a choreographer)?

No. I am not looking in terms of form or body content but in terms of thinking. It is important for me to have the same approach to work and the creative process. To know what field of vision the performer or cocreator has. After all, contemporary dance has endless subtypes, so choosing those with whom you can move in one direction is also a process. But maybe I only think like that today, on the 16th of November?

I might get up tomorrow and say, “I need dancers like me, 1,60 meters tall, who dance on the ground.” But that hasn’t happened yet.

How did you decide to also become a bureaucrat, that is, to become the chairwoman of the Contemporary Dance Association? Presumably, now you have a lot of extra work, which is invisible on the stage?

When I graduated from the academy, I made myself a promise that I will be able to live from dance. I do not

want to have extra activities. The field of culture is not the easiest one; people often have to compromise, work extra jobs. I did not want that. I didn’t want to do commercial stuff, get involved in dance projects. My goal is to create that meaningful cultural community and help maintain it. The truth is that I have always been like that.

Both at school and the academy I was a president and part of the student union, I was able to rally people up, to communicate. Last year a session of the association took place. I did not suggest my candidacy because there are really a lot of things in this job that I didn’t know, but I think I was chosen as young blood who sees the situation from a fresher point of view.

I’ve been in this position for nine months, I still have a lot to learn, and it really changes my position in the field of dance.

When climbing on the stage – not necessarily a stage, after all, you held a performance in front of the Belarusian embassy at the end of the summer, were arrested, and got an administrative penalty – do you think that you represent the whole Lithuanian performing arts’ scene?

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When I went to protest at the embassy and when I was sure that I was under arrest, I wondered whether the chairperson should do that?

And then I realized that I was not leading an association of lawyers, I was leading an association of dance artists; we speak about individuality and self–expression. So yes, I must express myself as an artist and then stand as a chairwoman. Only in this way can I maintain my inner vision.

The aim of my chairmanship is not to be the face of the field but rather to help that field and carve out the best conditions for the future.

And where do you think is that line between dance and a social statement, as in this case at the Belarusian embassy? Why is it important for you to do that?

I have spent quite some time researching the topic of contemporary dance as a tool for social activism.

The art project is called Hands Up.

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I think it is important for artworks to carry a message, to express an opinion. It started in 2015 when Greta Grinevičiūtė and I presented the first joint project B and B Dialogue (we created two characters B & B).

One of the main goals of B & B is to stand for the LGBTQ+ community.

We actively communicate with the Lithuanian Gay League and many other organizations fighting for equal rights. I believe that a work of art can help bring about social change and at the same time remain art. And I find it interesting.

Hands Up is about protesting. Sometimes I ask myself; perhaps it would be better to just go out and protest?

Why keep those hands up on the stage? Maybe I should actually go and do a physical act to bring about change? Yet still, we all have our own combat tools. Dance is my tool, my poster. Perhaps it will bring new people to the theatre?

Absolutely. Each quality and professional move into a more public space opens up a new audience. The best example is G. Grinevičiūtė’s premiere of Dance for the Washing Machine and Mom, which was announced on the evening news. My father, who is not into any art, saw Greta on TV, called me on Saturday and told me, “I was online and watched Greta’s performance,” I think it was the first Lithuanian dance performance premiere online and it worked. New doors, new worlds opened up for us, and they will not shut down after the quarantine. It is difficult but also amazing.

And in terms of Sports Palace and the Vilnius part of the Dance Plus City project, I think the series is powerful because five different artists – choreographers and dancers – show up in the videos, and all of them with their own messages.

The Lithuanian Dance Information Center immediately offered me not to just dance but create Hands Up. We did not have to prepare much; we met with the director Jevgenij Tichonov maybe once. He had already reviewed my materials, I told him about the things that I thought

should remain – we had to find a compromise between architecture and dance. We filmed for eight hours. It was physically challenging, but worth it for the sake of the piece that finally succeeded. Such projects prove that this kind of art is not only about dance, that it is multi-layered and doesn’t have to be limited to the theatre. It all depends on the muscle of our creativity. Therefore, I view the pandemic period as an exercise on how many more things can you come up with.

How to give the body a chance to rest?

I don’t dance to the point that I would wear my body down. But in addition to revitalizing the body, it is important to prepare it. I try to follow my Ashtanga yoga routine as regularly as possible. When you keep your body on constant standby, it helps reduce the negative consequences. And then the simple things – a hot bath, lying in bed, just allowing yourself to relax.

Now both you and I are sitting at home. Where do you get your inspiration from when everything is on the screen? Is a digital impression enough?

I don’t have it easy with digital content. I watch many films, but it is worse with the theatre because a lot of it has been digitized in poor quality, it is not suitable for the screen. Here’s a lesson for everyone – if you want to upload something on the internet, it has to be made for the internet. I do watch such works. And inspiration...

For me, creativity is like cooking. You cook and cook and suddenly a time comes when all the products end and you need to go to the store for shopping. Then you look for ways to step back, take a breath. And these ways are different for everyone.

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Audience development is a good topic. You were recently on the video clip of the Dance Plus City project initiated by LRT PLIUS, which was implemented together with Dance Information Center and the Architecture Foundation.

You were filmed at the Vilnius Palace of Concerts and Sports, and it reminded me of how wonderful that building is.

Can such works, which combine several arts – dance, architecture, music (composer Adas Gecevičius) – prompt a deeper interest in at least one of them and culture as the environment surrounding us in general?

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Scars that heal

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Randai (scars) is Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022 Kaunas Challenge youth program’s project. More precisely, one of the projects born in the minds of youngsters who will be cultivating Kaunas in the future. For example, the audiovisual poetry project Puota – which has liberated quite a few thoughts – organised in public spaces, proved to be successful. Meanwhile, Randai invite people to look and read more carefully. First, to delve into the stories of others, then into yourself, your body, and marks that were left on it.

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Gunars Bakšejevs Gunars Bakšejevs Photos by Agnė Papievytė

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Girls believe that in many stories, readers can discover feelings that they also once felt, “But we rarely think about the fact that we are not alone in feeling this way. Those people, who at first hesitantly spoke about their feelings, were able to share them more freely after receiving feedback.” And what else, except scars themselves, does talking about them out loud for the first time heals? “Loneliness.”

The stories published in the magazine are chosen in a way that would help us understand that physical scars often hide feelings. The situations these people have experienced are very different, but each story is full of many colours.

“It’s only a small part of what we share in our project.”

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“Initially, we had an anonymous letter idea, which would allow us to feel again what it means to get a physical letter and would build a connection between people. This was followed by the idea of doing a project on people’s differences, due to which they are discriminated against in society. We thought about art installations and events that would tackle these issues. Scars were among these topics as well. We decided to take on only this idea and analyse it further,” Simona Šmitaitė, one of the representatives of the project and Kaunas Challenge program participant recalls.

She is working on Randai along with Aurėja Karvelytė, Saulė Čibiraitė, and Liepa Spietinytė. The author of the photo series Open-Eyed, excerpts of which are featured here, is Agnė Papievytė.

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The Open-Eyed photo exhibition has already taken place in Kaunas, Vilnius and Klaipėda. So, the first phase of the project is over, but Randai will not disappear. The team will share the stories online; they also plan a series of videos about emotions that help us break free.

Randai will also turn into postcards, and in the second half of next year, an exhibition is planned about the scars left by the Lithuanian history, or more precisely, the Soviet occupation.

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Story #1

At the age of nine, I saw a small dimple in my forehead. I thought life would end, that I had become an ugly duckling, and everyone will start making fun of me now. Being dramatic, I ran to my mother to complain, and she reassured me that no one would even notice the scar.

Oh, the irony of life! Now, I have so many dimples and scars that I no longer notice new ones myself. I have acne and frequently visit the dermatologist. I inherited acne as well as my eyes and facial features from my father. Many people, for some reason, become health and hygiene experts when it comes to this matter. “Perhaps you don’t wash enough”, “probably, you pop the pimples yourself”, “looks like you’re not popping them at all, you shouldn’t leave them like that.” Everyone has opinions, tips and rules, but no one has acne.

Throughout all these years, I have felt a strange stigma in my environment.

As if using various skin care products and taking care of yourself is not manly. When my acne started, my mom’s partner was strictly against using cleansers or creams. He used to say that a man only needs a bar of soap for everything – to wash and to shave.

I will never forget his face when my mother, at my request, masked several of my pimples with her makeup – a symphony of fright, disgust and anger.

However, he was not the only one; I have been criticised by many. It is worth emphasising that they were all men. Why rub yourself with cleansers, creams, or oils, when scars make men more handsome! I have heard this phrase so many times that I could tattoo it on my chest if it wasn’t scarred. But I haven’t worried about scars for a long time now. I have so much of them that people have called them a star chart. Funny, maybe even romantic?

Story #3

Over time, I began to see myself differently – not as a disabled person, “the one with that device on the arm” or the like. I started to see diabetes as part of myself, all the more so, a part that no money would eliminate. I continue to observe myself and see how I grow, and diabetes gives me strength and patience. By the way, diabetes is a great conversation starter in any situation, so I am grateful to it for the ability to avoid awkward pauses.

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At the age of eighteen, I contracted meningitis. I spent Christmas, New Year, and my sister’s birthday in 2015 in an induced coma. A total of eight days of doctors fighting and family praying for my life. When I woke up, I couldn’t raise my hand, the world was spinning with every turn of my head, and my limbs were gangrenous.

I then had to spend two months in the clinics, in the plastic surgery department, because the fingers of my right hand and toes on both feet had to be amputated. Despite all the other scars caused by sutures and plaster allergy, I was very happy to have survived. And now I can share the beauty and power that lies in each of my scars.

I have been living with diabetes for seven years now, and I get questions about my punctures, scars, and “devices” from every new person I meet.

You can’t run away from the question that has followed you since childhood. I don’t have any pronounced physical scars, but the onset of the disease and the acceptance of my fate left many emotional wounds that I live with today. Diabetes in early adolescence lowered my self-esteem, causing a lot of anger and questions, “Why me?”

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Body suspension – a term that has not been decently translated into Lithuanian – is something that has been done for thousands of years. During the suspension, the human body is hung on large hooks through temporary piercings. This tradition originated back in ancient times, as an initiation ritual for teenage boys who would be suspended like that for 24 hours. Those who survived the suspension became real men in the presence of the whole tribe. Once in a while, the first Lithuanian body suspension team Skintense – founded in 2013 by my interviewee Tomas Garšva – invites you to marvel at the aforementioned suspension experiences.

Quality as inspiration Monika Balčiauskaitė

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Photo by Rasa DambrauskaitÄ— / Devilstone Festival

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In addition to the constant search for adrenaline, the riding experience was like an opportunity for Tomas to break free. It allowed him to escape the conservative environment he was growing up in and immerse himself in personal quests, “While riding, I slowly started experiencing a very strange but also interesting sense of freedom. In the long run, it put me on a quest, not necessarily for myself or for that extreme sport, but for the topics that have remained relevant to this day. I never liked to behave the way I didn’t want to, so I allowed myself to continue my search.”

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Tomas grew up on a bike. As far as he can remember, he always spent his days actively, as if chasing the adrenaline. “I have no recollection of how active riding came into my life. Sometimes it seems like I was born and immediately tried to learn how to ride. In the long run, of course, I wanted something more complicated, so I decided to try the MTB street bike. You could say it’s almost the same as a BMX; only this riding experience is a bit more extreme,” the interviewee explained.

This resulted in body modification, which Tomas discovered when he was 17. Unexpectedly after watching the documentary Modify, he became acquainted with the birth of the body modification industry and the activities that he pursues to this day: piercing and body suspension.

“Before these discoveries, I was never interested in these activities; I was an ordinary rider. But after seeing the film I was fascinated and started thinking about the possibility of doing this for the rest of my life,” T. Garšva recalled.

Tomas had one of his first piercing experiences in 2008. He spent a lot of time in contact with other masters and reading relevant literature. “If

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you are able to learn systematically and pick up the most important information, in the long run, you will understand where to focus your attention.”

Over time, not only the piercer’s knowledge increased but also his desire to experiment. The highest number of piercings Tomas did in a day was 27. He mentioned that this was both a moral and emotional limit. “At first, when I just started, I wanted to do as much as possible and as interestingly as possible, but in the long run things calmed down.

With the passing years and work experience came a desire to simplify everything and make everything as safe as possible. It is important to me that everything heals well, not just looks beautiful,” Tomas opened up.

Gradually, the piercing industry led Tomas toward the slightly larger piercings needed for body suspension, which required the right circumstances, a specific physical condition, and clearminded people on the team. In the Baltic countries, this activity is very rare. There are currently two or three teams in Lithuania, although there was only one four years ago, so it is important to select the best and most reliable people to work with in a team. We must not forget the moral preparation just before the suspension. It turns out, the pain depends not only on a specific place in the body but also on the environment or situation. “I’m glad because part of the knowledge about body suspension coincides with what I learned about piercing.

Hygiene, sterility – the basics are the same, only the size of the piercing differs. The other part, which concerns the equipment, lifting and braking, has a lot to do with engineering and requires knowledge of mountaineering equipment,” Tomas said.

Photo by Rasa Dambrauskaitė / Devilstone Festival

One of the most mystical moments of the experience is the adrenaline and endorphins, which inhibit pain, released during the suspension.

“You cannot get used to the pain, but you can try to put it aside with your thoughts. It hurts because it presses on the nerves. The brain

does not understand what is going on, neurons rupture and a lot of adrenaline and endorphins that suppress pain are released. Although with the years it gets more and more complicated and more painful.

Maybe not only the body changes but also the suffering itself,” the interviewee said.

Continuity is very important in T. Garšva’s work processes. The ability to create what only a few hundred people do professionally on a global scale encourages improvement. “I like the challenge.

I have driven my body to all kinds of extreme situations when I met my limits, and now, I know how much I can handle.” In addition, Tomas cares a lot about his community.

He is always happy to see people whose faces show interest and good emotions during the show. It gives strength and inspires to work.

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“It all just seems impossible,” Tomas opened up. Imagine looking at your feet rising above the ground and not falling. The mind is deceived.

Of course, in the long run, the experience repeats itself and no longer provides as much emotion as before, “It may sound strange, but now I see much less personal stuff in my performances, and I pay more attention to the audience. During the first times, it seemed that I am on top of the world and able to overcome all my fears. The body is shocked, and you are unable to gather your thoughts. You raise your legs, and you don’t feel any pain. You don’t feel anything.”

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The heritage hotspots of the interwar period

Jungtinių Tautų Švietimo, mokslo ir kultūros organizacija

2015 m. paskelbtas UNESCO kūrybiniu miestu

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Although separate Lithuanian laws since 1919 stated that cultural heritage should be protected, a large part of the questions related to the architectural heritage was left without any organization. The Archaeological Commission was supposed to take care of the issue, but from 1936 Vytautas Magnus Museum didn’t have enough power, and up until the second half of the 1930s, the opinions of the cultural world representatives often went unheard. Having this context in mind, we invite you to look at the several “hot” cases of 1920-1940 concerning the historic architectural heritage of the city.

Paulius Tautvydas Laurinaitis

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Kaunas priest seminary in 1920. Postcard © Vytautas the Great War Museum 2020 DECEMBER

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N G I S E D F O Y T I C O C S E N U – S A N A U K Jungtinių Tautų Švietimo, mokslo ir kultūros organizacija

2015 m. paskelbtas UNESCO kūrybiniu miestu

Buildings on Vilniaus Street before their reconstructions in 1922-1924. Drawing by K. Šimonis

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Looking at the writings of the press or cultural heritage organizations of the early 1920s, it is clear that since the first years of independence, the dominant approach to what should be protected was quite loosely defined. For example, although less than a decade had passed since the last of its objects were built, there were calls in the press as early as 1922, to protect even the Kaunas Fortress.

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One daily newspaper suggested the forts should be demolished and new buildings constructed from those bricks. The author from another newspaper countered this proposal emphasizing, among other things, that similar fortresses are protected in Western Europe, and referred to the calls for demolition as a “failed, unjustifiable, quasieconomic vandalism.” And yet, the

shaky principles of the bureaucratic reality at the time took precedence over calls to consider the importance of historic buildings. At a similar time, despite the negative opinion of the people from the art world, St. Gertrude Church was covered by a three-story building from Laisvės Avenue side.

One of the most striking stories of the 1920s, related to the changes made to the valuable building was in the case of the Gothic building (Vilniaus St. 7), which, as is now known, once housed the old rectory of the city. The Samogitian diocese that owned the building added the third story in 1923-1924, and the adjacent Baroque entrance to the plot was almost destroyed, incorporating the front part of it into the two-story building that appeared here. Protests by artist, engineer, and architect societies and statements by the Archaeological Commission, paled into insignificance when it came to imperfect bureaucratic processes, non-compliance with permits, and various disagreements between institutions. The city’s cultural community heavily criticized the decision (which was blessed by the official building authorities) to build a third story based on F. Vizbaras design on the Bernardine Monastery, which forms an extremely valuable Gothic ensemble together with the church of St. George. “Nobody cares about the architectural beauty of Old Kaunas,” art critic Paulius Galaunė had stated back then.

Such processes continued in the Old Town. In 1925 a new structure was erected on the Jesuit gymnasium, which, according to architect V. Landsbergis-Žemkalnis, “broke the basic rules of architecture and destroyed the spirit and character of this architectural heritage.” That is how St. Francis Xavier’s church was sandwiched between four-story

buildings, and its influence on the silhouette of the Town Hall Square building and the panoramas of the Old Town diminished.

With the establishment of principles and a change of attitude, there were fewer such cases in the 1930s; however, one case particularly stood out – the reconstructions at the Town Hal Square protected by urban engineer Karolis Reisonas.

These were especially criticized by Mstislavas Dobužinskis and representatives of the younger generation, architects Algirdas Mošinksis, Vytautas Landsbergis-Žemkalnis, and Jonas Kovalskis. The first described the project of the bishop’s palace as “seeking a cheap effect” and “viewing the classical forms speculatively”, and it was characterized as having “bulky profiles” that overshadow the surrounding historic architecture. Mošinskis also actively defended the former horse post office complex – located in front of the building – in the press from the imminent demolition, “The demolition of these ... important buildings would further damage the square ... they constitute an urban completion of the square, in the form of two smaller squares”. Another Reisonas’ novelty in the western part of the square – the palace of the Museum of Ecclesiastical Art (now Rotušės Sq. 21) inserted between St. Trinity Church and St. George Church as well as Bernardine Monasterybelfry–received similar criticism.

In 1940 the Law on the Protection of Cultural Monuments was finally adopted in Lithuania, the various projects of which have been floating among idealists and bureaucrats for almost a decade. However, it was the representatives of the new regime that put the signatures on this earlier-drafted document.

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Calendar Dear readers, please keep in mind that public gatherings are currently limited due to the situation of the pandemic in Lithuania and the world.

Because of that, in December, for culture enthusiasts, we recommend spending quality time at home, enjoying virtual events or safely visiting outdoor spaces. Do check beforehand if a certain event, be it real or virtual, is not postponed or cancelled. Stay safe and healthy!

where the country’s inhabitants could move in case of danger.

An odd yet heartfelt friendship arises between the two men. The film streams on Mubi through December 8.

Thursday, 12 03

International textile art exhibition “Contemporary thinking. Textile seeing” www.irgigalerija.lt

Watching “Nova Lituania” www.mubi.com

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Film still

The debut full-length by Karolis Kaupinis has already achieved much international and local appraise and is the official Lithuanian candidate for the Academy Awards. The film is set in 1938. While Lithuania celebrates its Independence Day, war looms on the horizon. A young geographer pitches to the Prime Minister the idea of creating a backup state overseas,

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K AU N A S F U L L O F CU LT U R E

Ieva Krumina. Magic Shirt. Author’s technique, polyethene (PET waste), acrylics. 110 x 89 cm, 2017. Textile Art Department at the Art Academy of Latvia

This interactive exhibition brings together nine international contemporary textile art centres from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Poland and Great Britain. Each higher education institution has its own way of perceiving textile media in the context of contemporary art, but all are characterised by both technological mastery and conceptual approach. Techniques

December range from traditional, such as sewing, hand embroidery and hand-woven tapestry to the use of new technologies, such as digital printing, computerised jacquard weaving and laser cutting. Alongside traditional forms of expression, we find drawing, installation, mixed media, video and sound art, performance and robotics. The experimentation and use of unusual materials, such as sandpaper, medical bandages, optical fibre, metal, wood, glass, plastic and resin are more evident than ever. All this shows that contemporary textile artists are pushing the boundaries, breaking the rules and continually experimenting within the field.

at home has taken Kaunas 2022 community programme Fluxus Labas together with photographer Gabija Vainiūtė. Their joint photo project was created in Spring and is now travelling around Kaunas and Kaunas district’s open spaces. Maybe it’s directly below your window?

After Panemunė, on December 7, the exhibition will travel to Pažaislis and will remain there for a week.

Monday, 12 07

International Civil Aviation Day Online

Sunday, 12 06

Travelling exhibition “Quarantine windows” Panemunė pinewood

Photo by Mindaugas Kavaliauskas

Photo by G. Vainiutė

Quarantine has become part of everyone’s daily life… Again. Some look at the world through computer screens, others through home windows. The desire to capture people’s moods and time spent

The purpose of International Civil Aviation Day is to help generate and reinforce worldwide awareness of the importance of international civil aviation to the social and economic development of the world, and of the unique role of ICAO in helping countries to cooperate and realise a truly global rapid transit network at the service of all humankind. For this occasion, we invite you to visit the Lithuanian Aviation Museum virtually. It is located in one of the oldest functioning airfields in Europe.

Welcome: dev.vturai.lt/19_aviacija_lt

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Calendar Wednesday, 12 09

Photography exhibition “išŠok” (Dance it away)

Kaunas Bus Station, Vytauto pr. 24

Friday, 12 11, 10 am – 7 pm

International symposium of contemporary art “Enacting Knowledges”

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Photo by Algimantas Barzdžius

We tell the story of Kaunas School of Choreography in this very issue.

Until December 10, if travelling to and from Kaunas, you can visit a photography exhibition revealing the creativity of the school’s staff and photographer Algimantas Barzdžius.

The display is in the waiting hall of the station.

More events visit.kaunas.lt

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“Enacting Knowledges” is an event intended for the professionals operating in the contemporary art field. The symposium will place its attention on the relation between knowledge and communality going off the questions, How is knowledge embodied, localised and performed?

Who gets to enact and possess it, and how do these acts create ‘us’ as a community? The programme of the symposium is made up of internationally recognised presenters who will share their insights into how large art events are affected by the pandemic in the present, what directions the politically engaged institutions of the Eastern and Central Europe are taking, and what challenges the independent art institutions and organisations face in Lithuania and its neighbouring countries. The symposium will be

December followed by an artistic programme by VMU arts gallery 101 and Aikas Žado laboratory (Žeimiai manor house).

Vaida Stepanovaitė and Adomas Narkevičius curate the symposium.

Event is free of charge and will take place in English. Registration is required. More at www.kmn.lt Wednesday, 12 16

Exhibition “Once Upon a Time There Lived Isaac” Maironis Lithuanian Literature Museum, Rotušės a. 13

True stories, facts, and documents are combined into one fictional diary story, and the story will shine in the most bright colours.

Isaac is a fictitious character which represents the history of Jews in Kaunas. Before WW2, they made up 30 per cent of the city’s population, while in the Slabada (Vilijampolė) neighbourhood, the number was 66.21 per cent.

Thursday, 12 17

Live music event “You, Me and Music“ www.facebook.com/fsashm

Photo from the archive of the museum

As of December 10, the museums and galleries in Lithuania should open their doors again to visitors.

This very exhibition was opened during the CityTelling Festival by Kaunas 2022 and dedicated to Jewish tradition in Kaunas, as well as 2020, the year of the Vilna Gaon and the History of the Jews of Lithuania.

In one day of Isaac, depicted in his diary, many aspects of the city and the realities of Jewish life in it are revealed – there’s a lot that can happen in a day, including a football match, a date or a visit to a canteen.

Photo by the organisers

Each year, KTU students’ association SHM of the faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities invite everyone to share their music. This year, the kaunastic event goes online, but you can still join if you have something melodic to share. Just fill out the registration form available at the Facebook event.

2020 DECEMBER

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Calendar Friday, 12 18

Reading issue #5 of Magazine from Kaunas Home

Saturday, 12 19

Exhibition for the centenary of Lithuanian theatre

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Courtyards of National Kaunas Drama Theatre

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Visualisation of the mural “The Forerunners” by the organisers

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The photographic and literary magazine analyses both the historical and contemporary narratives and topics of Kaunas. This helps to start a conversation between the real city of the past and present, between its people. The fifth issue of the bilingual magazine initiated by Kaunas Gallery is all about flora and fauna of Kaunas. Wonder how unique it is? Contact the gallery and grab your copy.

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On the occasion of the anniversary, the courtyard of the National Kaunas Drama Theatre – more precisely, the labyrinth of courtyards between Laisvės Avenue and Kęstučio Street – is bustling with new art.

Various creators unleashed their imagination to present the history of Lithuanian theatre. Start your tour from the gate between Laisvės Avenue 65 and 67, where you will find artwork by street art legend Vytenis Jakas. After entering, give a nod to the sculpture Incarnation by sculptor Tadas Vosylius. Then there’s a portrait exhibition of the theatre collective by photographer Dainius Ščiuka. And do you see, there, a little bit further, the faces of Sofija Čiurlionienė, Juozas Vaičkus, and Petras Kubertavičius showing on the wall? It is “The Forerunners”, a work of landscape and street art that will never be finished but was started by Tadas Vincaitis. Those

December wandering between the buildings will be entertained by the caricatures of theatre legends and fascinated by sand, glass, and ceramics installations. The theatre is alive! It is fun to visit the exhibition during different times of the day or time of the year.

Friday, 12 25

Christmas Day

Thursday, 12 24

Christmas Eve Home

Kūčiukai. Photo by Aistė Jūrė / Real is Beautiful Stock

Traditionally in Lithuania, Christmas Eve, or Kūčios, is even more important than Christmas Day. Kūčios is also the last day of Advent.

Before the festive meal can be eaten, lots of preparations have to take place. The whole house is cleaned, the bedding is changed, and everyone washes and puts on clean clothes ready for the meal. Some people fast (don’t eat anything) during the day. The Kūčios meal also shouldn’t contain any meat or dairy products but hooray for kūčiukai, our favourite Advent snack.

Dick Higgins. “Two Motives for Celebrating Christmas” (1976) © Fondazione Bonotto

Merry Christmas! Let’s not forget George Maciunas, the godfather of Fluxus, was born in Kaunas. Here’s what one of the artists of the movement Ken Friedman came up with for the festive season back in 1964. “Take a Christmas tree into a restaurant. Place the tree in a seat next to you. Order two cups of coffee, placing one in front of the tree. Sit with the tree, drinking coffee and talking. After a while, depart, leaving the tree in its seat.

As you leave, call out loudly to the tree, ‘So long, Herb. Give my love to the wife and kids!’”

Saturday, 12 26

Boxing Day

Fluxus invitation, 1962 © Collective Fluxus, Fondazione Bonotto

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Calendar Yet another Fluxus idea for a (virtual, we suggest) gathering comes from the Swedish artist Bengt af Klintberg.

Here’s his tip from 1967.

Send invitations to all your friends—except one—with the following: Green party green clothes And to one person: Red party red clothes.

Exhibition “Elephants and Chameleons. Visual Art of 1978 – 1985” Kaunas Picture Gallery, K. Donelaičio g. 16

Tuesday, 12 29

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the then young generation of artists, which coincided with the commence of the “perestroika” that involved political and economic reforms initiated by a new leader of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev.

A group of young artists from Kaunas had changed the current perception of the tradition and led to the introduction into art studies a term ’a new worldview’. That was also the time when usual state commissions began to disappear, the creation of monuments ceased; instead, smaller, individualised forms took shape in painting and sculpture. The exhibition runs through January 10.

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Exhibition “BETWEEN THE SKY AND THE SEA II”

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Kaunas Picture Gallery, K. Donelaičio g. 16

Photo from the archive of the gallery

In this exhibition, the observations on Soviet dependence delve within a short period of 1978–1985. That was the time when the visions of socialist reality were still alive. Loyalty to the Soviet government mattered – in exchange, artists were provided with workshops, commissions, invitations to Plein airs, creative trips; they, too, were granted bonuses, and household privileges. The review of the period winds up with the creation of

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V. V. Tarabildienė “Summer by the lagoon”. 1975

December “BETWEEN THE SKY AND THE SEA II” is the first exhibition meant to view the artistic heritage created on the Curonian Spit during the Soviet years. Almost one hundred works of art by more than 30 painters feature the unique landscape and inhabitants, disclose significant changes on the spit. The exhibition runs through January 31.

Only a few prewar residents – the Curonians returned to the spit after the war, many more new settlers have been recruited by the new Soviet government to develop the fish industry on the emptied peninsula. Likewise, the old Curonian sailing ships were being replaced by smaller and faster motorboats – trawlers, dories and boats that were more likely to implement and exceed the Soviet five-year plans. The works on display in the exhibition also reflect the history of the Neringa resort. Since the 1950s, the then Lithuanian government, having appreciated the uniqueness of the Curonian Spit landscape and realising that fish resources in the Curonian Lagoon were limited, started thinking about establishing a resort. The paintings depict the wonderful nature of the spit, its unique architecture, people who lived, worked and rested there.

They tell us how Neringa has grown from devastated post-war villages and fishing collective settlements into a recognised and coveted resort, famous not only in Lithuania.

Thursday, 12 31

Getting rid of bad thoughts day Home

Photo by Open-Air Museum of Lithuania

A Lithuanian tradition says that on December 31 a blukis (tree stump) should be dragged around the house three times – another version mentions the main street of a village – and burned in the fire to burn up the ending year and all the bad things in it. Stay safe, but let’s agree it’s a classy way to say farewell to 2020!

2020 DECEMBER

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pilnas.kaunas.lt fb.com/kaunaspilnaskulturos @kaunaspilnaskulturos pilnas@kaunas.lt

“I always wish the same for the spectator – to be interested. When you feel you didn’t get the show, you should dig deeper. … I also wish the spectator always to remain curious and to search for new experiences in both life and art.

One should not be afraid to take an unknown road and get to know it.”

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Kaunas Artists’ House, V. Putvinskio g. 56

Editorial office:

Birutė Letukaitė Kauno šokio teatro „Aura“ įkūrėja, choreografė

KAUNAS FULL OF CULTURE Monthly magazine about personalities and events in Kaunas (free of charge)

Autors: Artūras Bulota, Arvydas Čiukšys, Austėja Banytė, Emilija Visockaitė, Julija Račiūnaitė, Justė Vyšniauskaitė, Kęstutis Lingys, Kipras Štreimikis, Kotryna Lingienė, Monika Balčiauskaitė, Paulius Tautvydas Laurinaitis, Rita Dočkuvienė, Ūla Šveikauskaitė

Patrons:

KAUNO MIESTO SAVIVALDYBĖ

RUN 500 EGZ. TIRAŽAS 10 000 EGZ.

K AU N A S F U L L O F CU LT U R E

ISSN 2424-4465

Leidžia: Publisher:

2020 2017Nr. Nr.122 (64) (18)