''PART OF A LARGER WHOLE'' COMES TO PILSEN
On Wednesday the ambassador of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Aurimas Taurantas, visited Plzen where the traveling exhibition of Lithuanian contemporary art, Part of a Larger Whole, already exhibited in Prague, was opened.
Before the opening, the ambassador met the first Deputy Mayor of Plzen, Martin Zrzavecký, Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of Commerce of the West Bohemia of the Czech Republic, Ing. Jan Michálek, Manager of the Information Bureau for EU Affairs of the Czech Government, Jana Němcová, Plzen – European Capital of Culture 2015 Manager of the International Programme, Adriana Krásová. During the meetings, the ambassador discussed opportunities for Lithuanian–Plzen economic and cultural cooperation, and talk about perspectives for academic exchanges.
The soon to become European Capital of Culture, the West Bohemian city of Plzen was chosen for the introduction of Lithuanian contemporary art because of its recent cultural programmes. The exhibition of the most distinguished modern Lithuanian artists, prepared by the Contemporary Art Centre upon the initiative of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is in the contemporary art centre Pap-rna - a new cultural area in Plzen that has opened its doors in a former paper factory on the bank of the River Radbuza. The transformation of this industrial space into a contemporary art centre is related to Plzen’s European capital motto: “Plzen, open up!”
The exhibition Part of a Larger Whole shows the fragment’s possibility to reflect the whole, i.e. the aspiration of the exhibition’s creators to give an overview of Lithuanian contemporary art history.
The exhibition displays work by the following artists: Aidas Bareikis, Gintaras Didžiapetris, Laura Garbštienė, Arūnas Gudaitis, Kristina Inčiūraitė, Donatas Jankauskas, Patricija Jurkšaitytė, Žilvinas Kempinas, Juozas Laivys, Dainius Liškevičius, Mindaugas Lukošaitis, Raimundas Malašauskas, Darius Mikšys, Deimantas Narkevičius, Mindaugas Navakas, Audrius Novickas, Artūras Raila, Eglė Rakauskaitė, Nomeda and Gediminas Urbonas, and Darius Žiūra. There will also be a video installation selected specially by Czech exhibition mentors – CAC TV show; the poster print is included in the displayed collection of Lithuanian art.
The presentation of Lithuanian contemporary art in Plzen is organised by the Lithuanian Embassy in the Czech Republic in cooperation with the Lithuanian Contemporary Art Centre, Plzen – European Capital of Culture 2015 Organisational Committee and the Plzen cultural centre Pap-rna.
