One of the most mysterious of Lithuanian contemporary artists, Antanas Zabielavičius, presents a select collection of his works  ( ⸧ 1996 ⸧ 2019). He was at his most creatively prolific from 1995-2004. He was one of the leaders of his generation in developing the traditions of so-called conceptualism. In 2004, Zabielavičius stopped participating in public exhibitions. However, he continued to work. Reality and real life situations often dictated and helped to clarify one idea or another that gained a vocal-virtual or more easily grasped tangible form. The artist’s creative work can be called a process because, on one hand, creative works come from the environment and from situations that metaphorically (ex)tend one another, as if commenting on the life of the artist himself. On the other hand, every single action, thought, word or object that is captured and/or (em)bodied can be understood as whole and independent products.

Antanas Zabielavičius’ select collection is comprised of iconic works from his very earliest period. The artist also exhibits products from the process that came about after he withdrew from public exhibitions that provide a unique and until now unknown (except for a small group close to the artist) genesis of his creations.

This project combines an archival exhibition with a solo art exhibition. It’s an opportunity to remember and/or get to know a truly original artist and to remember this unique branch of conceptualism from the second period of independence. It combines the intellectual with the emotional and, as can be seen, this branch did not die or disappear, but continued to expand independently in the shadow of institutional contemporary art processes. That is why this branch and the return of this artist to a public exhibition space can be considered to be an unexpected commentary on today’s official contemporary art “strategy”.

Opening of the exhibition: 26th of September, 6 P.M. at JMVAC, Malunu street 8