An international exhibition Modernism for the Future 360/365 is opened in Kaunas, Lithuania! The expo includes artworks created within the framework of Modernism for the Future 360/365 project in four cities — Kaunas, Brno, Kortrijk and Lviv; the artists from Tel-Aviv joined the project as well! Here we can see Lviv artists’ pieces of art — Olha Kuzyura and Andriy Linik! And also recognize Nuepiko dance company with dance performance at the Trade Unions Building in Lviv in a video exponating.
The MoFu 360/365 expo launched the program «Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022». Premier Minister of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė, the Lithuania Minister of Culture Simonas Kairys and delegations from other countries have taken part in the event. Premier Minister of Lithuania and the Ukrainian Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko and the Poland Ministers of Culture Piotr Glinski watched the projects of Ukrainian artists. After the official opening part visitors had an opportunity to watch alive a new performance of Nuepiko dance company (Kaunas), observe the artworks as well as 3D-models of the buildings processed by MoFu artists, get acquainted with the history of Post Office and talk with the artists. Photos from the Opening.
The MoFu exhibition is situated in Kaunas Central Post Office, which belongs to modernist interwar architecture heritage, and marks the beginning of a new period for this space — now the Architecture Center is launching hefe! The MoFu 360/365 exhibition lasts until April, 2022.
The MoFu exhibition is situated in Kaunas Central Post Office, which belongs to modernist interwar architecture heritage, and marks the beginning of a new period for this space — now the Architecture Center is launching here!More than 6,000 buildings in Kaunas embody the spirit of interwar modernism! Furthermore, as the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said at the grand opening, modernism was more than an artistic style, it was a brand new vision of the future for Lithuanians and Lithuania based on pragmatism, progress and independence. The MoFu 360/365 exhibition lasts until April, 2022. We are very happy to see exciting and so different works of art, their creators and project teams from different cities together under the same roof — modernist roof! Finally, after 2 years of working together, the MoFu family met together. This is a great day today!
The team of Cultural Strategy Institute also visited Kaunas: head of CSI Yulia Khomchyn, coordinator of the Lviv MoFu Yaryna Korotkevych, project communication manager Iryna Shutka, Lida Savchenko-Duda, CSI manager, and MoFu artist Olha Kuzyura, Myroslava Liakhovych the MoFu interwar modernism researcher.
Right after MoFu opening — in the evening of January, 22 — the grand opening of the «Kaunas — European Capital of Culture 2022» Program took place. It was The Confusion performance, the first part of the Contemporary Myth of Kaunas. Around 40,000 spectators gathered to experience a fusion of music, opera, scenography, poetry, video projections on a glass facade of the Zalgirio Arena telling the story of Kaunas as «a living, constantly renewing miracle». Photos of ECoC Opening.
«The Mythical Beast of Kaunas» is a project designed to create a unifying narrative for the city. It is a trilogy comprised of the Confusion, the Confluence (May 20–22), and the Contract (November 25–27). Dozens of festivals, exhibitions, events, and concerts will take place in Kaunas over the next twelve months, in particular exhibitions by Yoko Ono and William Kentridge! Discover more: https://kaunas2022.eu/en/.
This year, three European cities take the mantle of European Capital of Culture. Alongside Kaunas, there is Esch-sur-Alzette (Luxembourg), and Novi Sad (Serbia). The European Capital of Culture initiative, launched in 1985, is one of the most successful projects among the European Union in the field of culture. More than 50 cities have already been awarded by this title. It is an opportunity to reveal the uniqueness and diversity of European culture, and for a city with this status — to demonstrate its cultural life throughout the year. We congratulate our colleagues and partners from Lithuania Kaunas 2022 with the beginning of a long and rich cultural year!
Modernism for the Future 360/365 — an international project aimed at (re)thinking of the modernist heritage through art — covers 14 art residencies and thematic events in partner cities: Kaunas, Kortrijk, Brno, Lviv. The partners of the project: Kaunas 2022 (Lithuania), Intercommunale Leiedal (Belgium), Vaizard (Czech Republic) and Cultural Strategy Institute (Ukraine). The project is implementing with the grant support of the EU Creative Europe programme.