Mindaugas Navakas is one of the most significant Lithuanian sculptors whose work is known not only by art enthusiasts. Artist’s large-scale sculptural objects have become a major part of urban spaces both in Lithuania and abroad. The work of Navakas has greatly contributed to the renewal of sculptural expression in the 80’s and 90’s, with the artist still retaining an integral position in the contemporary art scene. His work is characterized by enormous scales, heavy, massive forms and materials, and unexpected display solutions.
The exhibition presented in Bernardinai garden (5 Objects) has been inspired by the artist’s previously created Vilnius Notebook (1981-1985) – a series of sketches drawn up using photomontage. The new series of steel sculptures by Mindaugas Navakas distinguishes itself with its volume and mass, its suggestive irony, and its provocative qualities that are directed towards both the audience and its surroundings, disturbing one’s mindless stroll, subsequently encouraging a reevaluation of public spaces and the shift in values.
Exposition More China, a continuation of the exposition China shown in (AV17) gallery two years ago, presents Navakas’ most recent sculptural production. Porcelain is frequently associated with luxury, aesthetics, sophistication, and gracefulness – aspects that are put to test in massive “Navakas-like” shaped sculptures. Unexpected sculptural choices produce tensions that reveal a sense of metaphysical and existential moods, emphasize the aesthetic and cultural differences between East and West. The forms and materiality of the sculptural objects presented in both exhibitions complement and expand the limits of the sculptor’s boundaries.
