Andrius Erminas, Mutations V, 2015, mixed media
Vane is pleased to announce the first solo exhibition in the UK by Lithuanian artist Andrius Erminas.
In ‘Mutations’ Erminas creates multi-layered sculptural compositions that transform the everyday, using easily recognised objects, both natural and man-made, to create new and personal stories. The objects are transformed not only physically but emotionally and symbolically.
Self-portrayal, philosophical reflections and contemporary cultural references are interwoven in his sculptural objects and installations. Natural elements – trees, roots, animal skeletons, honeycombs – are combined with artefacts taken from visual art, architecture, religion, everyday life and the modern world. All of them undergo mutations, involved in a game without clear boundaries and rules, shifting between their original nature and the new characteristics given to them by the artist. Cultural objects that had a single defined, fixed meaning are surrounded by unexpected paradoxes and new significance. Erminas encourages the viewer to look for the boundary between what is real and what is a fiction created by art.
‘Mutations’ is part of a UK-Lithuania exchange between Vane and (AV17) gallery in Vilnius. Also during November and December, (AV17) gallery will be hosting a solo exhibition, ‘rocks/water/trees/clouds’, by London-based Vane represented artist Matthew Smith.
Preview: Wednesday 16 November 5-8pm
The exhibition is supported by the Lithuanian Council for Culture and the Lithuania Culture Institute.
Vane
First Floor
Commercial Union House
39 Pilgrim Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 6QE, UK
