A new “garden” has emerged in the center of Vilnius, a contemporary work of art that symbolizes the city’s transformation, advancement and changing interrelationships.

The work is donated to the city of Vilnius by Dr. Irmantas Norkus, managing partner of the Cobalt law firm, who purchased the installation at the ArtVilnius’20 international art fair. “Sodas” is also the best installation recognized by the ArtVilnius’20 evaluation commission, it has been awarded for its constant professionalism and contextuality.

“Art objects create a special atmosphere in cities, and a person who has stopped at a work that has appeared in an open space can be ready for the showroom the next day.” Gifts for Vilnius “educates and enriches “said Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius.

10 antennas and towers of the installation: a symbol of diffusion of communication, interpersonal communication

The installation “The Garden” is part of the series “Antena” by the sculptor Rafal Piesliak (represented by the gallery (AV17)). The antennas and towers were created in memory of the television towers of Riga or Berlin, but without representing them, but in order to create a new and possible idea for a television tower.

“When thinking about modern society, antennas are becoming an important part of the diffusion of knowledge and diverse communication. Meanwhile, nature adapts to such man-made formations. For birds, for example, the antenna becomes a transit object to rest on, look around. Thinking about it, the meanings of different objects to society and the natural environment become interesting to me. When creating the installation “Garden”, I thought about communication and its nature in the society of the last decades. Not only on the benefits of the dissemination of information, but also on the transformations of interpersonal communication, which depend not only on the technologies that are developed, but also on the impact of the environment ”, explains artist Rafal Piesliak.

Through the prism of the rethinking of communication, the installation “Garden” reveals both the changes in the living environment and the adaptation of the person to them, as well as the change of habits and integration. At the same time, it is as if he is trying to hypothetically speculate on what kind of communication there might be in the future.

Place of work: on the Neris embankment, symbolizing progress, communication, with the Vilnius television tower integrated in the background

The location of the work next to the Neris River was not chosen by chance. The installation, which was first presented at the ArtVilnius art fair, also had a specially chosen location, when the Vilnius TV tower was visible in the background of the work. In the same way, in this permanent place of the sculpture, the television tower seems to be integrated into the work and become part of it, and the work itself becomes part of the urban landscape. In this place, work forces us to look not only at ourselves but also at the surrounding environment, to rethink the processes that take place in it. This side of the quay is also the side of the new Vilnius buildings, new sports fields, companies, progress and communication. So the work fits into a place where its importance makes sense.

The installation is made of steel, since this material is used to make real antennas. It is also a durable and long-lasting material that allows the sculpture to survive in public space for many years. At the same time, it is a building material that also contributes to the progress of urbanization, urban development.

“The purpose of this gift to Vilnius is to make sense of the city’s public space with a contemporary work of art, to give all Vilnius residents and guests the opportunity to become familiar with and enjoy the actively interacting conceptual Garden of Antennas and organically integrates into the panorama of the city of Vilnius. Seen on the one hand, the work responds to the motifs of the Vilnius symbol – the Vilnius television tower, and on the other hand, it refers to the church towers of the old town. It is symbolic that this work appeared during a pandemic, when communication technologies, their development, are more important than ever and interpersonal communication is valued more than ever. We hope that the “Garden” created by Rafal Piesliak will enrich and decorate the recreation area and become a favorite meeting place for Vilnius residents and tourists, where everyone will be able to communicate with each other, “said Dr. Irmantas Norkus.

The “Garden” installation is the second installation of Dr. A gift from Irmantas Norkus to the city of Vilnius. 2019 has already donated to the city the work “Water Lilies” by the well-known artist in Lithuania and in the world Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė. The work is built next to the old Wingry Well (Vingri’s oldest springs), near the MO Museum of Modern Art.

“I am very happy with this success story for the artist and a gift for the city of Vilnius. It is very important to us, the organizers of the ArtVilnius international art fair, that so many high-quality contemporary works of art appear in the public spaces of the city, so that art becomes more open and easily accessible to the public in overall, which is the goal of our organizers of the art fair in which this installation was purchased, director Diana Stomienė.

Rafal Piesliak: a conceptual artist who explores human well-being and the connection of emotions with the surrounding environment.

Rafal Piesliak (b. 1983) is a space objects and installations artist living and working in Vilnius. One of the most important and most studied themes in R. Piesliak’s work involves the connection of human well-being and emotions with the surrounding environment. During his studies, the author presented his work in public spaces: sculptural objects in Vilnius and Krzyzowa, Poland. Rafal Piesliak has been participating intensively in exhibition activities since 2009. Since then, he has organized eleven solo exhibitions and actively participates in group exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad (Italy, Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Latvia, etc.). In addition to exhibitions, the artist also creates scenery for performances. 2010 the author received the Polish State Award for Cultural Merit.