Refuge: inaugural exhibition at Sapieha Palace in Vilnius
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Tuesday, November 12, 2024


Refuge: inaugural exhibition at Sapieha Palace in Vilnius
The exhibition will run until the end of the year, evolving with new work and new configurations throughout this period.



VILNIUS.- The inaugural exhibition of the Sapieha Palace seeks to showcase the newly-found venue—a new branch of the Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius—and consider what it might mean for contemporary art to enter the historical building at this particular time. The exhibition serves as a subtle, transparent layer over the partially restored 17th century architecture of the palace, where the spaces have been drawn and redrawn countless times throughout history. It highlights the involvement of diverse forces and voices—both known and unknown—in the formation of what is now considered heritage, and speaks to the present moment defined by the urban, geopolitical, cultural, and emotional climate permeating Vilnius today.

The title of the exhibition, Refuge, points to the Latin inscription on a marble plaque above the front door of the building: it proclaims that “the grand palace, rising from the ruins, will shelter those worn-down by war and surround them in quiet and peace”. The inscription was installed by Kazimierz Jan Sapieha, commander-in-chief of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, who built the palace as his representative country residence. The themes of victorious glory and peace were especially significant in the decoration of the palace, along with the choreography of space and allegories of virtue unique to the High Baroque. The entire ensemble, comprising the residence, its park, and the adjacent Trinitarian monastery, was intended to serve as a testament to the past and future achievements of the Grand Hetman and his influential family.

However, due to a brief civil war that erupted specifically to counter the dominance of the Sapiehas, the palace served its original owner only very briefly. The themes of healing and warfare inscribed in the marble plaque continued nevertheless to resonate throughout its more than three hundred years of history. At different times, the edifice has served various owners and armies as an instrument of conquest, a trophy, a warfield, army barracks and a war hospital. Right after WWI it was repurposed by the Polish government as an eye clinic, and after WWII it was a school where Soviet military personnel were trained to operate anti-aircraft radars.

The exhibition breaks away from the common ways of tracing history through the nobility, owners and family histories, or even through the grand works of singular architects and artists, venturing instead into the domain of material histories, speculative (re)construction and repurposing of affects embedded in the architecture. The one who is weary of the warfare now is perhaps the contemporary visitor. Here, in this exhibition, the spells, meditations and visions shared by the artists aim to provide conversation and refuge for enduring situations that one would rather not be in. The works offer insights and models of endurance, engaging with the themes of war and refuge, illness and healing, miracle and disaster, beginning and end.

As restorers continue to uncover more traces from different periods, the walls of the palace reveal inconsistencies, interruptions, contradictions, and a wealth of diverse perspectives on the past. What may have seemed irrelevant, unwanted, or disposable at one time has been valued anew in others. The many nuances of history often remain unknown.

The exhibition will run until the end of the year, evolving with new work and new configurations throughout this period.

Artists: Andrius Arutiunian, Vytautas Balčytis, Giulia Crețulescu, Bojana Cvejić & Lennart Laberenz, Vladas Drėma, Ulrik Heltoft, IC-98 & Kustaa Saksi, Mindaugas Lukošaitis, Marianna Maruyama, Petras Mazūras, Domas Noreika, Rita Olšauskienė, Alina Popa, Miljohn Ruperto, Iza Tarasewicz, Gintautas Trimakas, Peter Wächtler, Darius Žiūra. Event programme participants: Andrius Arutiunian, Florin Flueras, Yen Chun Lin and Gediminas Žygus, Agnė Matulevičiūtė. Curators: Edgaras Gerasimovičius, Virginija Januškevičiūtė.










Today's News

September 3, 2024

Gao Zhen, artist who critiqued the Cultural Revolution, is detained in China

Simon Verity, world-renowned stone carver, dies at 79

Hamiltons Gallery to open 'Nobuyoshi Araki: Hanaguruma II'

Stephenson's, Philadelphia's foremost estate specialists, to host diverse Sept. 6 Decorative Arts Auction

Olafur Eliasson, 'Open' at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

Galerie Eva Presenhuber will present its ninth solo exhibition of US artist Sam Falls at P21 Gallery

Galerie Max Hetzler will open Danielle Mckinney's first solo exhibition with the gallery

Exhibition at The Met to explore Himalayan Buddhist devotional art throughout history

The Dorsky Museum will unveil new exhibitions at a Season Opening Party on Sept. 7

Gagosian to present Social Abstraction, the second installment of a two-part exhibition, in Hong Kong

Belvedere 21 announces highlights of the Civa media art festival

Tuition: $9,400. Dorm room interior designer: $10,000?

Anna Zorina Gallery announces Alonsa Guevara's fourth solo exhibition with the gallery

Solo exhibition by John Stezaker celebrates The Approach's 20-year working relationship with the artist

The timely dude-ology of MJ Lenderman

Discover Constable and The Hay Wain this winter at The National Gallery

MOCA Tucson announces an exhibition of work by the poet CAConrad

Pete Wade, guitarist on countless Nashville hits, dies at 89

Exhibition of new paintings by Detroit-based artist Conrad Egyir to open at Miles McEnery Gallery

Refuge: inaugural exhibition at Sapieha Palace in Vilnius

First solo exhibition by nicolás paris to be presented in a German institution on view at Kunsthalle Münster

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Workout Gear for Men

Spread Holiday Cheer with Dog Christmas Cards

Industrial Automation: Driving the Global Economy Forward

AI-Designed Bobble head dolls custom: Craft Unique Mini-me Gifts Today!

Batch commuter ebike

How to Transition to an Outsourced Accounting Model

Tattoo Prodigy Paul Aramayo Ready to Ink America's Skin with Art, Not Rebellion

Top Grocery App Development Company in the USA

Compass Mobile Dollar Tree Login

Behind the Velvet Curtain: Exploring Israel's Thriving Strip Club Scene




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Holistic Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful