ArtVilnius`22 October 7-9
Well-known Lithuanian artists: Mantas Bžeskas, Tadas Gutauskas, Audrius Gražys, Vilmantas Marcinkevičius at the beginning of their creative journey, they implemented many projects together. In 1999, the group, which called itself Without Shadows, was crowned by a solid catalog presenting their creative platform. In it, Nijolė Adomonytė wrote: "the name Without Shadows is neither a reason nor a goal. It is suitable for the general impression of the exhibition and the account of the meanings found in it". At that time, the artists were united by the search for new, unusual forms of expression at the time. M. Bžeskas, transferred the woodcut to the canvas, figured out how to expand the formats of the traditional print, V. Marcinkevicius - boldly (without shadows) used bright, inky ultramarine in the painting. Audrius Gražys drowned in the search for abstract, minimalist painting spaces. T. Gutauskas was looking for archaic signs and their decorative expression in both painting and sculpture. On that day, the artists were united not only by related searches for an artistic form, but also by their youthful desire to change established art traditions, an open, often provocative circle of chosen topics.
Today, after everyone has found their own creative path, they return with new experience and again seek to join forces in joint projects, to remember the unforgettable moments of the former start, when they became, as it were, the first ambassadors of the reviving Lithuanian culture, in cooperation with the German Embassy. A stylish photo of a group of artists before and after twenty-five years, it's like the beginning of a new creative start, preparing for joint projects. The idea of bringing these artists together came to me while preparing to participate in the Berlin Art Fair. Whether it is important for them today to highlight the common stylistic platform that unites the group, each of these artists has already quite clearly defined their further creative aspirations. However, being in one exhibition space, as shown by the first group exhibition at the ArtVilnius`22 fair, is good for them. The forms of painting, graphics and sculpture easily communicate with each other. As it seemed to me, in the general exhibition, there appeared a kind of "healthy" desire to challenge each other. I was surprised by the vitality of T. Gutauskas fireclay sculptures, bursting plastic and colors. M. Bzeskas large-format works, where graphics are combined with new technologies, when you get close to the picture and scan the microchip, it's as if another breath of the picture opens up. The subtle and expressive pictorial quests of Audrius Gražys and Vilmantas Marcinkevičius were pleasing. So, we will wait and hope for new creative performances of the group in the future.
Art critic Algė Gylienė
