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III Vilnius
Public Event 09 June - 30 September, 2023

The Odyssey of Vilnelė River. Creative Currents

Vilnius City Museum, Critical+Xwhy Agency
Site-specific installations • Urban renewal and the reinvention of the city

Date

09 June – 30 September, 2023

Language

Lithuanian

The Vilnelė River connects different urban Vilnius settings: post-industrial landscapes targeted by creative communities, soviet housing estates, natural landscapes and the massive new real estate developments. Vilnelė can be interpreted as a metaphor of the city in perpetual change, a connector of different scenarios of future development of neighbourhoods. During the three month-long residencies, three emerging artists with experience in creating participatory artworks for public spaces, together with the residents and communities of Naujoji Vilnia, Paupys and Markučiai districts co-created temporary site-specific installations in public spaces along the banks of Vilnelė river. The installations reflected different scenarios of the past, present and future of the specific district and took the role of local communities as the core issue. They helped to actualise local challenges that the inhabitants identified during the Vilnelė Odissey Symposium and invited local residents to imagine desired future scenarios for their districts. The installations were launched in June 2023 with events fostering the participation of local communities, local administration, real estate developers, artists and experts. There is currently discussion about them becoming permanent.

Participating artists
1. Vladas Suncovas, artist, and residents of Paupys District.
2. Aurelija Kniukštaitė, Jonė Virbickaitė, Kotryna Bajorinaitė, architects and residents of Nauja Vilnia District.
3. KAD collective (Margarita Kaučikaitė and Evelina Vasiliauskaitė, architects) and residents of Markučiai District.

The installations were intended to remain until 30 September, 2023, but may become permanent.

Credit: photographer Gintarė Grigėnaitė

Credit: photographer Gintarė Grigėnaitė