On 18 October, Donatas Jankauskas-Duonis’ exhibition opens at “apiece”, a showcase-style gallery strategically focused on autonomous artistic expression. Here, Duonis presents a new piece that encompasses the gallery in its entirety.
The work has been inspired by a caricature, and the artist made a model of the exhibition out of a small aquarium and kept it on his windowsill next to his working desk. Previously, in an interview with Agne Narušytė, the artist said: “I’d love (…) to turn the “apiece” gallery in Vilnius, at the beginning of Čiurlionis Street, into a skyscraper. I once saw a caricature made of two drawings and laughed a lot. One of the drawings showed King Kong hugging the top of a skyscraper in New York, while the other one had a big office in this skyscraper, there was a shareholders’ meeting going on and through the window they could see this: King Kong’s genitals stuck to the window. Ha-ha-ha (…)”.
The exhibition DUNGASKROODIS fuses romantic capitalism and Čiurlionian visions: the light source installed at the top of the sky-splitting spire refers to the plot of M. K. Čiurlionis’ painting “Truth” (1905 (1906?)), while “The Altar” (1909) is embodied in a more contemporary architecture. The artist usually uses polyurethane materials to create his works, and this is no exception. Coincidentally (or not), the outer walls of the gallery are also coated with polyurethane, so that the work organically extends the gallery’s spaces and mercilessly alters its dimensions.
With this work, Duonis adds to his list of works in public spaces (Sapiegos Park, Paupys district, the CAC courtyard, among others) and claims to be an artist/public activist. Presented in the form of an exhibition at the “apiece” gallery, the work, with its Duonis-like character and peculiar title, is, by common accord, a joke in earnest.
Donatas Jankauskas-Duonis was born in 1968 in Seda. In 1994 he graduated in sculpture from the Vilnius Academy of Arts. Since 1990 he has been actively participating in exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad. Duonis creates sculptures, sculptural objects, video art, installations, costumes and sets for theatre, and organizes artistic actions. His works have been acquired by the Lithuanian National Museum of Art and the MO Museum in Vilnius.
Exhibition curators: Milena Černiakaitė and Aušra Trakšelytė
Communication: Menų Komunikacija
Graphic design : Marek Voida
Exhibition partly funded by Vilnius City Municipality
Exhibition open until 30 November 2023
Exhibition open 24/7