Lithuania may seem an unlikely hub of the avant-garde, but as the birthplace of Fluxus founder George Maciunas and avant-garde filmmaker Jonas Mekas, the country has an undeniable place in art history. Its capital city of Vilnius is quickly becoming an emerging location for cultural activity. Set to be Europe's 'Culture Capital 2009,' rumors of a new Guggenheim/Hermitage outpost, and the recent opening of the Jonas Mekas Visual Art Center, Vilnius seems to have 'arrived' on the growing global culture circuit. The inaugural show, 'The Avant Garde from Futurism to Fluxus' (which runs through the beginning of February) highlights the place of Vilnius in the history of the avant-garde. Mekas' impressive collection of documentation Collection of 40 Films forms the backbone of the show, and works by other key artists including Maciunas, Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik and Shigeko Kubota strengthen it. A Mekas-curated film series, which includes classics by Luis Bunuel, Marcel Duchamp, Hans Richter and Fernand Leger, is hopefully an indication of future programming. Of course, the degree of fanfare and attention this capital city is currently getting is not always a great thing, and a number of quotes from the press release (e.g. "Scott Weinkle designed the super white cube space of the Art Center-- a formidable transplant of a New York Chelsea gallery to Vilnius") hints at the more troubling trend of art world homogenization. But with the Center's mandate to promote film, video and computer based arts, let's hope that Vilnius will embody the nature and spirit of its Fluxus and avant-garde fathers. - Caitlin Jones
Jonas Mekas, Fluxus on the Hudson, 1971
Update: This post covers the opening of the Jonas Mekas Visual Art Center. It implies that Vilnius is not seen as a contemporary art hub when, in fact, the city is a thriving center of avant-garde practice, home not only to Mekas and Maciunas, but also to the eminent CAC and many other artists.- Ceci Moss
Of course its great to see Mekas's center in Vilnius, but Vilnius is hardly a void waiting for Manhattanization. On the contrary, the Contemporary Art Centre (http://www.cac.lt/) has just celebrated its fifteenth anniversary. Every time I visit, I'm struck by how strong the work there is, a contrast to say, New York and L. A., where the scenes seem so played-out sometimes. So Vilnius has been doing more than just embodying the spirit of its avant-garde fathers, its been moving forward for quite a while now. Hopefully the new attention to the city as the cultural capital of Europe will build on what the city already offers, not impose predigested images of what it should be onto it.
Of course its great to see Mekas's center in Vilnius, but Vilnius is hardly a void waiting for Manhattanization. On the contrary, the Contemporary Art Centre (http://www.cac.lt/) has just celebrated its fifteenth anniversary. Every time I visit, I'm struck by how strong the work there is, a contrast to say, New York and L. A., where the scenes seem so played-out sometimes. So Vilnius has been doing more than just embodying the spirit of its avant-garde fathers, its been moving forward for quite a while now. Hopefully the new attention to the city as the cultural capital of Europe will build on what the city already offers, not impose predigested images of what it should be onto it.
Thank you for the thoughtful comment. We clarified our emphasis. You're right–the CAC should most certainly not be overlooked, and neither should the important and vibrant art community in Lithuania.