On June 19-20 and July 5-12 2020, Gediminas G. Akstinas’s project “Nudes“was presented in Vilnius.
The main starting point of ‘Nudes’ is the practice of plastering walls and different samples of plastered surfaces collected from buildings in Vilnius currently under construction. The work of a plasterer in the project unfolds both as a way of thinking and as the creation of neutralizing surfaces and economic objects. Special attention is given to aesthetics determined by both the speed of the global economy and impulsive, often irrational decisions, the thin line between authorial and anonymous action, and the connections between collective work and individual discoveries. The material side of ‘The Nudes’ is also important: the surfaces of plastered walls created by skilled hand movements allow the craftsman to remain unnoticed.
The first part of ‘Nudes’ was Gediminas G. Akstinas performance “Untitled” (6 min.), which took place on June 19-20, at 6 and 8 pm, at Savanorių pr. 6-25, Vilnius. During the performance, the hypothesis of the ancient Greek philosopher and poet Empedocles, who claimed that vision is enabled by light emanating from the human eye, was tested. More information here. [1]
The second part of ‘Nudes’ was an exhibition of Gediminas G. Akstinas’s new sculpture series ‘Nudes’ presented at Paneriai Sculpture Park in Vilnius. The sculptural series ‘Nudes’ is based on different samples of plastered surfaces collected from buildings currently under construction in Vilnius. More information here. [2]
A publication consisting of interviews with wall plasterers and experiences captured in daytime nightclub parties will be released this fall.
Special thanks to: Antanas Laukaitis, Gerda Paliušytė, Alexandra Bondarev, Virginija Januškevičiūtė, Gediminas Akstinas, Gvidas Seibutis.
The project is supported by the Lithuanian Culture Council.
Gediminas G. Akstinas (b. 1987) is a Lithuanian artist currently living in Vilnius. Akstinas graduated from the Sandberg Institute in 2015. Among the artist’s last personal exhibitions are: ‘Companions’ (Gedimino Ave. 45-2, Vilnius (2017)); ‘SHIP’ (The Amsterdam Kunstverein (2015)); and ‘BROWSERS’ (short-term rental apartments in Vilnius (2014)). In 2017, Akstinas’s publication ‘it depends’ was presented at the San Serriffe bookstore in Amsterdam and in the reading room of the Contemporary Art Centre in Vilnius.