ART NEEDS NO ROOF
Vilnius has reinvented itself once again this summer, this time transforming into a giant open-air art gallery! 100 artists, 100 works of art and 100 zones in the heart of the capital were on exhibit as part of the three-week Art Needs No Roof festival!
In the beginning of summer 2020, the Municipality of Vilnius announced plans to turn the central part of the city into a large open-air art gallery. It subsequently received a record number of applications from artists – more than 500 artists applied for a spot on one of the 100 outdoor billboards and in the project’s virtual gallery.
“We received such a huge amount of artwork in just four days,” said Remigijus Šimašius, the Mayor of Vilnius. “It shows that both parties are open and eager to collaborate closely.”
The quarantine forced art galleries to close and kept artists from exhibiting their work and being able to reach out to audiences and collectors. As such, transforming the city into an open-air gallery was a creative way to bring the city’s art community some much-needed exposure.
Moreover, having as many as 100 outdoor billboards in the centre of Vilnius exhibiting everything from painting and photography, to sculpture and video art undoubtedly brought a new aesthetic to the city.
The physical exhibition ended in July 2020, but you can still visit the virtual exhibition here.
FAQ
All professional artists and the galleries representing them were able to apply. The initiative was open to all sorts of mediums, including painting, graphics, ceramics, sculpture, videography and photography. Each artist could have had one piece exhibited on one of the billboards.
A commission set up specifically for the initiative selected the works of the 100 participants featured in the open-air exhibition, but there are even more pieces in the online gallery. The selection board members were as follows:
- Art critic Virginijus Kinčinaitis has been actively participating in social, expert, and applied art research activities. He has executed 70+ international art projects, is the author of three books on art and serves as a member of the Lithuanian Council for Culture.
- Art critic Karolina Tomkevičiūtė, who is also JCDecaux Lietuva’s communication manager and an editor of art shows and publications.
- Karolis Žukauskas is a representative of the Municipality of Vilnius, an advisor to the Mayor of Vilnius and a communications expert.
Photos of each work of art were printed and exhibited on 100 different outdoor billboards in the centre of Vilnius. A virtual map of the exhibition was also published on the site so that residents of Vilnius and guests could easily find them.
No, the artists decided which works to submit themselves.
No, this project was free. JCDecaux Lietuva provided the outdoor billboards and the Municipality of Vilnius took care of the printing costs. The city also made sure that as many residents of Vilnius and guests to the city as possible could see the exhibition.
The Municipality of Vilnius, together with the billboard company JCDecaux Lietuva, were responsible for organising the project.
Quarantine has limited the ability of artists to access their fans, so the Art Needs no Roof project allowed artwork to be exhibited to a wider audience, including potential buyers, both in Lithuania and abroad.
Buyers can contact the artists directly to purchase their works. The prices and contacts for each piece are indicated in the virtual gallery next to each exhibit.
Have any questions? Contact
karolis.zukauskas@vilnius.lt
