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The closure of the M.Žilinskas Art Gallery for a lasting reconstruction has become a headache for the Kaunas 2022 team – where the planned events here should move is being debated.
Several employees were fired
After receiving a large number of visitors on the last day of June, the M. Žilinskas Art Gallery closed its doors: reconstruction begins. More precisely, the preparatory work: before the builders enter here, the works of art are packed and ready for the trip to the temporary home.
When the gallery emptied after a day filled with education and other activities, its staff closed the hallways and sat at a modest banquet table. For some of these women, it was their last day of work: their services were denied when these exhibition spaces were closed for a three-year reconstruction.
So far, 18 employees from the so-called corridors have worked in this department of the National Museum of Art M.K. Čiurlionis. These are women who supervise the works of art displayed in the gallery rooms during the museum’s business hours. “We shot six or seven, I couldn’t say exactly,” said Daina Kamarauskienė, acting director of the M.K. Čiurlionis, who is currently on vacation. – We did it by agreement of the parties. Many of them are women of retirement age, and we divorced amicably. “
According to the interlocutor, other women who worked in the gallery rooms move to work in other departments of the museum. Other employees, although their workplace so far has been physically located in this gallery or in adjacent facilities, are said to be able to successfully continue their work in other facilities. “The restaurateurs also worked there, there are also the museum’s Applied Arts and Graphics, the Mykolas Žilinskas art collections and many other departments, which will now move to other locations and continue to operate there,” promised D. Kamarauskienė.
The exhibitions will be downloaded in stages.
The exhibition and funds of the M.Žilinskas Art Gallery currently contain around 100,000. exhibitions. “There are also little ones, like porcelain, a cup, a plate, or a teaspoon, and the sculptures are the biggest. There are the biggest paintings and the little medals. And they all need to be packed. So, the work year begins,” he said. the acting director of the museum.
According to D.Kamarauskienė, the first visitors will return to their favorite gallery in 2023. November, but it is not ruled out that the reconstruction may take a long time.
D.Kamarauskienė could not say how long it will take to transfer a number of exhibits from the closed gallery. “We have to move everything by October. The removal of the exhibits is carried out in stages, because it is a very long and expensive process. We need special packaging materials and special transport. We need enormous physical forces that we do not have. We have to ask for help. the country, hire people and transport companies, “said the interlocutor.
There are the largest paintings and smallest medals. And they should all be full. Then the work year begins.
In accordance with strict rules, each exhibition is packed under the supervision of specialists and restaurateurs, the condition of each work of art is described when it leaves the museum and must be described when the work reaches its destination. “Transporting the works is a complex museum work. And since the numbers of exhibits are large, it is very difficult to say how long it will take to transport. Until now, it is difficult to even calculate the amount of packaging materials we will need to pack each exhibition, “said D. Kamarauskienė.
Security in different places.
One of the most expensive works in the M.Žilinskas art collection kept in the gallery is from the 17th century. The “Crucified” was painted in the early 19th century by the famous Flemish Peter Paul Rubens. For security reasons, museologists do not reveal how accurately the most expensive works in this collection have been valued. Previously, the representatives of the museum have mentioned that the prices of the most expensive works conserved here reach 500 thousand. euros
These valuable exhibits, according to Nijolė Adomavičienė, the chief custodian of the M.K. Čiurlionis, will be stored in the new warehouses in the central museum building on V.Putvinskio Street. “At least the most expensive paintings will definitely be stored there, because there are now the best conditions for that. There are still spaces to store other exhibitions. We have planned some spaces, but there are ongoing acquisitions for the temporary exhibition storage service; whoever wins the competition will be safe. ” “The conditions stipulate that adequate conditions must be created for the storage of the exhibits: a certain temperature, humidity, etc. The security of the exhibitions must also be guaranteed. We cannot transport works of art to the wrong facilities and store them there for two or three years, “said N .Adomavičienė.
One of the most expensive works in M.Žilinskas’ art collection will be hidden from the eyes of visitors for a time: the 17th century. The “Crucified” was painted by P.P. Rubens in the early 19th century.
While the reconstruction of the gallery lasts, the works of art in its collections will not be completely separated from the spectators.
Exhibitions of these works are promised at that time. “It will be difficult because the museum funds are moving to other places. But the exhibition activities will not stop. What is stored in the M. Žilinskas Art Gallery is necessary for the entire museum and for our visitors. And it will be more physically difficult to organize exhibitions, because something However, next year we will celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the museum, and 2022 is approaching, when Kaunas will become the European Capital of Culture “, – according to D. Kamarauskienė, the exhibitions will take place at full speed, just outside the gallery.
When asked if in 2022. any event is planned in the closed gallery, the interlocutor replied: “It is difficult to predict how things will be there in 2022, but so far we are only planning events in the empty gallery, when the exhibits will be removed , but the builders have not yet arrived. “
The work was prolonged
The reconstruction of the M.Žilinskas Art Gallery will be carried out in three stages: isolation of the building, modernization of the gallery and construction of the storage and restoration center. The total value of the project is 15 million. euros According to D.Kamarauskienė, the building’s energy efficiency project will be financed with funds from the Public Investment Development Agency (VIPA) with the help of state funds, the modernization stage will be financed with EU structural funds. And for the third stage, it is expected to receive financing from public investment.
The management of the M.K.Čiurlionis National Museum of Art well remembers the lasting overhaul of the main museum building on V.Putvinskio Street and the construction of the annex. The work was planned to last five years, but actually lasted eleven years, ending only in 2016. Aren’t the interim directors intimidated by such a protracted rebuilding prospect? D. Kamarauskienė did not rule out the possibility that the building, which will be closed for three years, may open its doors only after five or six years. “That is the probability, because there is no co-financing, there is no clear allocation of all the money. This means that each time the next stage will have to search for money again. There is a possibility that everything will take longer. The object is terrifying. just because it’s so “Of course it’s scary, but what can’t we do? We can’t let the building collapse either. It is the largest gallery in Kaunas and the most serious gallery of foreign art collections in Lithuania. It is a representative gallery, and its reconstruction must be done in one way or another, in three or five years, and that dream, three years, is due to the fact that there is a phase of EU financing, but it is very difficult to predict in our country. surprises happen all the time, start with extra work, change the contractor, make some design inaccuracies and stop everything, you get redesigned. “
D.Kamarauskienė assured that she was ready for a challenge such as the reconstruction of a large museum unit, she has delved into the problems related to financial and construction engineering: “While acting as temporary director, I do not want to face it. I had to find out how Things will happen here, I’ve been here more than once. ” “After meeting with designers, specialists in public procurement, I had to visit the Ministry of Culture as a result. Now he reluctantly wants to postpone museology in the country and carry out repairs. Unfortunately, this is the job of the museum director.”
Yesterday it became clear that D.Kamarauskienė will continue to take care of the repairs of the museum’s departments: it was announced that he had won the competition for the director of the National Museum of Art M.K. Čiurlionis organized by the Ministry of Culture. In addition to D.Kamarauskienė, two more people participated in the competition. This position became vacant in 2019. In the late 19th century, when Ina Pukelytė, who had managed the museum for less than a year, resigned during the official inspection. The competition announced at the beginning of the year did not take place.
Why not E. Miliūnas?
The first stage of the reconstruction of the gallery (isolation of the existing gallery building) will be carried out in accordance with the project prepared by the architect Indrė Pažemeckienė, who represents the Vilnius company “Eksploit”. After the public announcement of this information, a criticism was received as to why the reconstruction of the gallery was not entrusted to one of the authors of the construction project (together with the architects Kęstutis Kisielius and Saulius Juškis), the architect Eugenijus Miliūnas, whose competition is beyond question.
According to D.Kamarauskienė, it is incorrect to say that the designer was selected for the entire reconstruction. “The designer has not yet been selected for the second and third reconstruction stages. E. Miliūnas studija’s project proposals have been submitted for the other stages. But a competition has not yet been announced for these stages, and who is unknown. will win. ” E. Miliūnas studija also participated in the competition for the first stage. However, in announcing the winner of the tender, the lowest bid criterion was followed and the price offered by E. Miliūnas studijos was four times higher than the cheapest bid. Of course, we are interested in having the author of the reconstruction project design the building itself. But they did not win the first round of the competition. Maybe they win the second one? “- D. Kamarauskienė argued.
However, the representatives of E. Miliūnas studija provided different data. “The E.Miliūno studija individual company is a legal entity and is not the author of the project (legal entities are not authors, only individuals). Eugenijus Miliūnas is the owner of the individual company E.Miliūno studija, the architects Kęstutis Kisielius and Saulius Juškys are in no way connected to E.Miliūnas studija. Regarding participation in the public procurement tender: E.Miliūno studija (but not the authors of the project) participated in the tender for the reconstruction works of the first stage, together with the company Ademo group, having concluded a joint activity. The document published by the National Museum of Art MKCiurlionis states that the cheapest price was 33,746.90 euros, VAT included, the offer of the company Ademo group was 50,820.00 euros, VAT included “, reported the architect Aurimas Ramanauskas , a person authorized by the owner of E.Miliūnas studija.
In my mind with O. Daugelis
According to D. Kamarauskienė, one can only hope that the building insulation work in the gallery will start in October: “When it will really start, it is difficult to say until the tender for the contractor. Unfortunately, such public tenders are sometimes drowned in court and their procedures take a long time. “
Preparations for the reconstruction of the gallery begin at a time when the former director of the M.K. Citurlionis Osvaldas Daugelis National Art Museum is in a very difficult condition: he is being treated in the revival of the Kaunas clinics. After learning of his condition, some of the museum staff invited him to pray, and the long-term director recalled the gallery’s closing night, a toast to his health. “How can we not remember our former director, colleague, friend? He was and is loved by everyone in the museum, everyone is very concerned. Whoever imagines is trying to help: who is lighting candles, who is praying. But work doesn’t stop there. ” – said D. Kamarauskienė.
This fact seems painful to us, because the most important part of the Kaunas 2022 visual arts program had to take place here.
Without a representative space
2022 Kaunas will become the European Capital of Culture, but even in those very significant years for the entire city, it will have to operate without the largest exhibition space in the city: the M.Žilinskas Art Gallery will be renovated at that time . “We found this painful, because the most important part of the Kaunas 2022 visual art program had to take place here. In this case, we wish for one thing: that the gallery be repaired and not remain closed anyway. After all, no there are guaranteed funds for the second and third stages of reconstruction. ” Chief of Kaunas 2022 Virginija Vitkienė.
Before the gallery builders are abandoned, some 100,000 people will have to move into temporary houses. works of art preserved here.
She hinted that where to transfer the planned Kaunas 2022 projects in the gallery is currently being considered. V. Vitkienė admitted that without the M.Žilinskas Art Gallery there are few exhibition spaces in the city. “It is true that there are new places, such as the Lithuanian Basketball House, with which we are actively negotiating, we are coordinating some future exhibitions. Of course, we will use Kaunas Picture Gallery, non-traditional exhibition spaces. Much of the Capital’s program Of Culture will take place in modernist buildings “. – In the words of the interlocutor, this is done not because of the lack of exhibition spaces, but to show Europe the breadth and diversity of the interwar modernism of Kaunas.
V.Vitkienė admitted that she is also connected to the M.Žilinskas Art Gallery because of emotional ties: here as artistic director she began to organize the Kaunas Textile Biennial, which later became the Kaunas Interdisciplinary Biennial, which became prehistory of the Kaunas 2022 project.
“The exhibitions in this gallery were always the most visited. Where we exhibited the exhibitions of the Kaunas Biennale, the largest attendance was at the M.Žilinskas Art Gallery. For people it was an art sanctuary. What will you do? The building it is very worn, it really needed major repairs. We were still considering “It has been possible to use the current condition for a while, but this rainy summer season has shown that it is impossible: everything is working there. It was not possible to postpone the reconstruction “, the head of Kaunas 2022 is convinced.
Will repair elsewhere
The M.Žilinskas Art Gallery is not the only department of the M.K. Čiurlionis that has closed its doors due to repairs. Maintenance work should begin immediately on the J.Zikaras House Museum, the L. Trikikis House Museum and the M.Rakauskaitė House Museum are preparing to repair the roof. “The funds for the repair of the J. Zikaras House Museum were provided with borrowed state funds. At that time, during the quarantine, money was allocated for the renovation of the infrastructure of various cultural objects. The J. Zikaras House Museum received 350 thousand euros according to a previously prepared project “. D.Kamarauskienė said.
The house of the famous interwar sculptor will be restored: authentic wooden architectural details will be restored and Belgian linoleum between the wars will be restored. The security of the building will also be increased and the conditions for exhibitions will be improved.
“Due to the restoration and other works, it is also necessary to remove the exhibits from this museum. Now, like Rome, we are going through a period of moving,” smiled D. Kamarauskienė.
Next year has been declared the year of Juozas Zikaras in Lithuania. Then the 140th anniversary of J. Zikaras and the 100th anniversary of the sculpture “Laisvės” will be commemorated. The house museum is planned to open in 2021 after the renovation. at first.
Photo by Andrius Aleksandravičius, Vilmantas Ruapelis
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