On February 19, 2016, the Jonas Mekas Visual Arts Center opened Analai IX, a (non)retrospective exhibition of the works of MeKuSa, a scandalous informal arts scene group from Klaipėda. The exhibition was an extension of a project begun in 2015. The exhibition presented documentation of MeKuSa’s (counter)culture, (non)art, (non)music and other (non)activities. The exhibition provided a documentary overview of various (counter)culture activities, photographs of performative interventions, documentation of artistic video processes, original video works by members of the group, films (Man With a Video Camera, John OFF, Film Without a Title – Without a Beginning or an End), objects – mostly artifacts from artistic endeavors, audio installations, drawings, sketches, archival material, video footage and reports from the grindcore and similarly abrasive genre of music at the Ont GRIND’ų festival, reports from the Klaipėda Cultural Journal etc. A book about MeKuSa with copious illustrations of their work was launched during the exhibition.
Man with a Video Camera was screened during the opening of the exhibition and was accompanied by a live soundtrack provided by Hassokk.
The exhibition closed on April 10. Artists from Vilnius had to pay a fee for entry. Artists from Klaipėda were provided free admission. It is noteworthy that before the exhibition closed, a dispute arose among the group as to the content and concept of the exhibition. This fact once more served to confirm the group’s scandalous image. We can only hope that the group will continue to remain disunited and torn apart and that both their internal and public scandals will only increase.
Los Artistas Unidos Jamás Serán Vencidos!
