Six weeks of the Lithuanian contemporary art at Tokyo Gallery Strenger (August 29-October 11)
Tokyo Gallery Strenger, specializing in the European art, will feature young contemporary Lithuanian artists Agne Jonkute and Vidas Biveinis in two consequent exhibitions united under the title “Lithuanian Contemporary” from August 29 to October 11. Both artists were nominated by the Lithuanian Art Museum Contemporary Art Information Center curators to represent the contemporary Lithuanian art developments.Part 1 . Agne Jonkute (oil painting and mixed media): to capture being by depicting “un-being”Venue: Gallery Strenger, Kobo Bldg. 2, 2-12-4 Azabu Juban, Minato-ku, TokyoPeriod: Friday, August 29 - Wednesday, September 17, 2008Opening: Friday, August 29, 6:00- 8:00 p.m. with participation of the artistPart 2. Vidas Biveinis (photography): illustration of the time line by capturing a momentVenue: Gallery Strenger, Kobo Bldg. 2, 2-12-4 Azabu Juban, Minato-ku, TokyoPeriod: Saturday, September 20 – Saturday, October 11, 2008Opening: Saturday, September 20, 6:00- 8:00 p.m. with participation of the artistInquiries: tel./fax. 03-5443-8894; e-mail: [email protected]: www.gallery-strenger.jpGallery opening hours: Tue-Sat 12:00-7:00 p. m. /Sun & Holidays 1:00-6:00 p.m. /Mon by appointmentSatellite shows: French restaurant Le Cheval3F 1-25-30 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku, TokyoInquiries: 03-3205-9182, e-mail: [email protected]' profileAgne Jonkute - painter, photographer and video and performance artist - was born in 1974 in Alytus town of Southern Lithuania. Her education history shows a variety of talents and interests. Jonkute attended secondary school with specialized education in mathematics and music school, where she was majoring in piano. Later she studied artistic needle work at Alytus Handicraft School, fashion design at Kaunas College Faculty of Arts and painting at A. Martinaitis Art School. She received BA and MA degrees at Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts, Kaunas Faculty of Arts, Painting Division in 2001 and 2003 respectively. Jonkute participates in numerous exhibitions in Lithuania and Europe since1999, also co-ordinates art events. She is a member of Lithuanian Artists Association since 2005 and was awarded Lithuanian Ministry of Culture Scholarship for Artists for of 2006-2008.Agne Jonkute. "Facts of Inexistence", 2005, oil on canvasJonkute’s oeuvre disobeys canons of classical painting and echoes the tendencies of postmodern art. The artist focuses on self-reflection, analysis of human existence and mundane objects’ life.“She paints emptiness, nightfall, empty rooms and unrecognized spaces in which one can grasp a feeling that a man has just been her. Crumpled sheet, bending lines of a tablecloth or head mark on the pillow directly speak of the touches of the human body, seals, physical marks (“Facts of Inexistance”). Eliminating body from the above mentioned system of images Agne Jonkute is able to lift man’s being to metaphysical spaces, in which the contact with the objects cover them with the aura of human value.” (Virginija Vitkiene, art historian/ curator) “Jonkute is not concerned with the documenting of the objects and spaces; her interest rather lies in her states of being as invoked by the surroundings and their objects, as well as their physical effect, emotional charge and collected memory. The artist seeks to register all this and find its form on canvas or paper.” “Another hardly tangible state of matter that falls into the field of artist’s interests is light. On the one hand, light is trivial therefore almost unnoticeable, invisible element of everyday life; on the other hand, it is multifaceted as blocked by object it becomes a shadow, i.e. the region of darkness (“Šviesa”/ “Light”). For Jonkute, the important part of the process of painting or drawing is the physical contact with the canvas or paper: the repetition of the same movement that takes into the state of trance. Jonkute does not confine herself strictly to the painting; she also draws, conducts performances, makes installations. The perception of material is part of her conception of art.” (Milda Zvirblyte, art critic)The exhibition in Gallery Strenger is the first Jonkute’s show outside of Europe. The exhibition will feature cycles “The Facts of Inexistance” (2005, oil on canvas), “Light”(2008, mixed media) and other works.Vidas Biveinis was born in 1977 in Ignalina, the region celebrated for its beautiful lakes landscapes. He lives and woks in Vilnius as a freelance photographer, web and graphic designer, video film maker. Biveinis studied technology of photography at Vilnius Technology College and programming at Vilnius Electronics’ College. Since 2007 he is a member of the Union of Lithuanian and Young Photographers United (YPU). The artist takes an active part in national and international exhibitions, competitions and festivals. His latest achievements include the winner prize in the Runner-up Category and the Emerging Talent Award for Europe at the International Nikon contest 2006-2007, the main award in the photography category at the 2nd Moscow International Festival of Arts, 2008; prize at 2007 International Gomma contest “This is Love”. In 2008 he was selected as one of Lithuanian representatives at the “European Night” project organized by Les Recontres D’Arles (France). Other international shows this autumn are scheduled for China and Poland.Vidas Biveinis. "7th Day", 2007, photography“Vidas Biveinis was nine-year-old boy when took the camera into his hands for the first time. Nevertheless the artist works as a freelance professional photographer, he has retained the youthful openness and admiration of everyday life, nature and human being within it. Biveinis divides his artistic interests among art and commercial photography, web and graphic design. Interdisciplinary character of his works can be recognized in the cycles “7th Day” (2007), “Fears”, “Sea” (both 2006) and “Falling Stars” (2007) that will be presented at the exhibition at the Gallery Strenger.” “In most of his cycles, the main object of observation is human being and water. According to the artist, water is the best medium to reveal human emotions; the water affect them at the greatest extend. Therefore, most often water in his photographs epitomizes the duel between good and evil, fear and courage, menace and tranquility.” “Photo cycle “7th Day” was the very first manifestation of young artist and attracted attention to his work. Black and white series present report on hot summer day filled with swimming joys of youngsters. Contrasts of light and shadow spotlight the flying bodies in the blue sky. As the result we see the essence of captured moment – joy and beauty of young bodies, we feel the heat of sunshine and life giving coolness of the water.” “The series titled “Fears” tend to leave noisy environment and explore the silence and calmness of water world. With self-made water resistant camera box the photographer merges himself into the water to discover two different worlds at the same moment – under and above the water level.” “The third cycle “Sea” approaches the theme of water from distant shore. Artist’s efforts to express the limitless horizon of the sea sometimes are interrupted by human figure or wooden posts. These slightly moving or standing still dots serve as counter forts in the vast planes of water, sand and sky.”“Recent series titled “Falling stars” represent the attempts of the photographer to introduce the city context to his works. The photos are filled up with falling snow, which melts the lines of unrecognizable city and human figures, leaving only light traces from passing by cars.” (Ieva Mazuraite, photography critic).The satellite show at le Cheval will feature film “Sky Runners” and very new photo series “The Wall”.The project “Lithuanian Contemporary. Agne Jonkute & Vidas Biveinis” is co-organized by Gallery Strenger, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania and the Embassy of The Republic of Lithuania in Japan in collaboration with the Lithuanian Art Museum Contemporary Art Information Center and International Cultural Programs Center (Lithuania), supported by Le Cheval (Japan).
Part 1 . Agne Jonkute (oil painting and mixed media): to capture being by depicting “un-being”
Venue: Gallery Strenger, Kobo Bldg. 2, 2-12-4 Azabu Juban, Minato-ku,
Period: Friday, August 29 - Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Opening: Friday, August 29, 6:00- 8:00 p.m. with participation of the artist
Part 2. Vidas Biveinis (photography): illustration of the time line by capturing a moment
Venue: Gallery Strenger, Kobo Bldg. 2, 2-12-4 Azabu Juban, Minato-ku,
Period: Saturday, September 20 – Saturday, October 11, 2008
Opening: Saturday, September 20, 6:00- 8:00 p.m. with participation of the artist
Inquiries: tel./fax. 03-5443-8894; e-mail: info@gallery-strenger.jp
website: www.gallery-strenger.jp
Gallery opening hours: Tue-Sat 12:00-7:00 p. m. /Sun & Holidays 1:00-6:00 p.m. /Mon by appointment
Satellite shows: French restaurant Le Cheval
3F 1-25-30 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku,
Inquiries: 03-3205-9182, e-mail: flatoria_tanakashigeki@heartop.com
Artists' profile
Agne Jonkute - painter, photographer and video and performance artist - was born in 1974 in Alytus town of Southern Lithuania. Her education history shows a variety of talents and interests. Jonkute attended secondary school with specialized education in mathematics and music school, where she was majoring in piano. Later she studied artistic needle work at Alytus Handicraft School, fashion design at Kaunas College Faculty of Arts and painting at A. Martinaitis Art School. She received BA and MA degrees at Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts, Kaunas Faculty of Arts, Painting Division in 2001 and 2003 respectively. Jonkute participates in numerous exhibitions in Lithuania and Europe since1999, also co-ordinates art events. She is a member of Lithuanian Artists Association since 2005 and was awarded Lithuanian Ministry of Culture Scholarship for Artists for of 2006-2008.
Agne Jonkute. "Facts of Inexistence", 2005, oil on canvas
Jonkute’s oeuvre disobeys canons of classical painting and echoes the tendencies of postmodern art. The artist focuses on self-reflection, analysis of human existence and mundane objects’ life.
“She paints emptiness, nightfall, empty rooms and unrecognized spaces in which one can grasp a feeling that a man has just been her. Crumpled sheet, bending lines of a tablecloth or head mark on the pillow directly speak of the touches of the human body, seals, physical marks (“Facts of Inexistance”). Eliminating body from the above mentioned system of images Agne Jonkute is able to lift man’s being to metaphysical spaces, in which the contact with the objects cover them with the aura of human value.”
(Virginija Vitkiene, art historian/ curator)
“Jonkute is not concerned with the documenting of the objects and spaces; her interest rather lies in her states of being as invoked by the surroundings and their objects, as well as their physical effect, emotional charge and collected memory. The artist seeks to register all this and find its form on canvas or paper.”
“Another hardly tangible state of matter that falls into the field of artist’s interests is light. On the one hand, light is trivial therefore almost unnoticeable, invisible element of everyday life; on the other hand, it is multifaceted as blocked by object it becomes a shadow, i.e. the region of darkness (“Šviesa”/ “Light”). For Jonkute, the important part of the process of painting or drawing is the physical contact with the canvas or paper: the repetition of the same movement that takes into the state of trance. Jonkute does not confine herself strictly to the painting; she also draws, conducts performances, makes installations. The perception of material is part of her conception of art.”
(Milda Zvirblyte, art critic)
The exhibition in Gallery Strenger is the first Jonkute’s show outside of Europe. The exhibition will feature cycles “The Facts of Inexistance” (2005, oil on canvas), “Light”(2008, mixed media) and other works.
Vidas Biveinis was born in 1977 in Ignalina, the region celebrated for its beautiful lakes landscapes. He lives and woks in Vilnius as a freelance photographer, web and graphic designer, video film maker. Biveinis studied technology of photography at Vilnius Technology College and programming at Vilnius Electronics’ College. Since 2007 he is a member of the Union of Lithuanian and Young Photographers United (YPU). The artist takes an active part in national and international exhibitions, competitions and festivals. His latest achievements include the winner prize in the Runner-up Category and the Emerging Talent Award for Europe at the International Nikon contest 2006-2007, the main award in the photography category at the 2nd Moscow International Festival of Arts, 2008; prize at 2007 International Gomma contest “This is Love”. In 2008 he was selected as one of Lithuanian representatives at the “European Night” project organized by Les Recontres D’Arles (France). Other international shows this autumn are scheduled for China and Poland.
Vidas Biveinis. "7th Day", 2007, photography
“Vidas Biveinis was nine-year-old boy when took the camera into his hands for the first time. Nevertheless the artist works as a freelance professional photographer, he has retained the youthful openness and admiration of everyday life, nature and human being within it. Biveinis divides his artistic interests among art and commercial photography, web and graphic design. Interdisciplinary character of his works can be recognized in the cycles “7th Day” (2007), “Fears”, “Sea” (both 2006) and “Falling Stars” (2007) that will be presented at the exhibition at the Gallery Strenger.”
“Photo cycle “7th Day” was the very first manifestation of young artist and attracted attention to his work. Black and white series present report on hot summer day filled with swimming joys of youngsters. Contrasts of light and shadow spotlight the flying bodies in the blue sky. As the result we see the essence of captured moment – joy and beauty of young bodies, we feel the heat of sunshine and life giving coolness of the water.”
“The series titled “Fears” tend to leave noisy environment and explore the silence and calmness of water world. With self-made water resistant camera box the photographer merges himself into the water to discover two different worlds at the same moment – under and above the water level.”
“The third cycle “Sea” approaches the theme of water from distant shore. Artist’s efforts to express the limitless horizon of the sea sometimes are interrupted by human figure or wooden posts. These slightly moving or standing still dots serve as counter forts in the vast planes of water, sand and sky.”
“Recent series titled “Falling stars” represent the attempts of the photographer to introduce the city context to his works. The photos are filled up with falling snow, which melts the lines of unrecognizable city and human figures, leaving only light traces from passing by cars.”
(Ieva Mazuraite, photography critic).
The satellite show at le Cheval will feature film “Sky Runners” and very new photo series “The Wall”.
The project “Lithuanian Contemporary. Agne Jonkute & Vidas Biveinis” is co-organized by Gallery Strenger, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania and the Embassy of The Republic of Lithuania in Japan in collaboration with the Lithuanian Art Museum Contemporary Art Information Center and International Cultural Programs Center (Lithuania), supported by Le Cheval (Japan).
