Martynas Gaubas created the sculpture “Lietuvaitė” in 2020, and at that time it was exhibited in various spaces across Lithuania. Most recently, from August 19-22, “Lietuvaitė” was exhibited in Kaišiadorys. The Kaišiadorys Cultural Center also shared this on the social network “Facebook”.
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“In recent days, the sculpture “Lietuvaitė” by Martynas Gaubas exhibited near the Kaišiadorys Cultural Center has attracted much attention and various evaluations. Visitors from Kaišiadorys and city guests show that a live encounter with the artwork and the diversity of opinions are broader than just comments on social networks.
Near the cultural center – a natural space for culture and art – the artwork gains a context in which it can encourage conversation, reflection, and raise questions. Knowing that this sculpture may receive different reactions, on August 19 during the “ARS MIX” festival, we held a discussion “Lietuvaitė: how to understand contemporary art?”. It featured a respectful and open dialogue between art historian Evelina Januškaitė, the author Martynas Gaubas, art managers Elena Prusakova and Gintarė Masteikaitė, the director of the Kaišiadorys Museum Olijardas Lukoševičius, and the director of the Kaišiadorys Cultural Center Lina Brazionienė.
The artwork created in 2019 has already been exhibited in various Lithuanian spaces, and during the contemporary art days “ARS MIX” it arrived in Kaišiadorys. Contemporary art does not have to please everyone or conform to the concept of classical beauty – it can raise questions, offer a different perspective, and be evaluated very differently,” the post reads.
You can see the post here
As A. Manchester stated, she learned about the sculpture from her mother. The woman does not hide that the sight confused her. She spoke about it on the social network “Instagram”.
“I support creative freedom and contemporary art, but in this case, I really find it hard to accept. I understand that contemporary art can provoke and spark discussions, but calling this sculpture “Lietuvaitė” and exhibiting it in a public space seems completely inappropriate to me. It is not the woman’s body that bothers me. What bothers me is the degrading pose, the very title, and the context.
Galleries are places for provocative art where a person chooses whether they want to see it. However, public spaces belong to all of us – including children. Provocation itself is not progress. Lithuania has an incredibly beautiful and rich cultural identity. I would like it to be reflected in our public spaces with more respect and dignity,” Asta wrote on the social network “Instagram”.
When contacted by the news portal Žmonės.lt, Asta elaborated on her position. It turned out that she learned about the artwork that became the subject of discussions from her relatives.
“I learned about this sculpture from my mother – she showed it to me, and I must admit that my first reaction was very unpleasant. Nudity itself does not bother me – the female body in art is not a problem. I also support freedom of creation and expression,” Asta said.
However, even while supporting artists’ freedom, she emphasized that in the case of “Lietuvaitė” the whole was simply confusing to her: “In this case, the whole combination confused me – nudity, a pose that in my eyes is degrading, the title “Lietuvaitė,” and the fact that the artwork is exhibited in a public space. For me, such a combination created an unpleasant and disrespectful image of a Lithuanian woman. The context of the exhibition is also important to me. It is one thing to see such an artwork in a gallery or another closed art space where a person comes consciously.”
In the woman’s opinion, when exhibiting artworks in places where families and children walk, the responsibility should be greater: “It is quite different – a public space where people of various ages, families, and children visit. In my opinion, in such a place, not only the artistic idea but also the image the artwork creates should be responsibly evaluated.”
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The famous woman did not hide that such manifestations of contemporary art cause her disappointment.
“All this also caused a certain disappointment in how provocation, art, and aesthetics are sometimes understood today. I understand that contemporary art can provoke and encourage discussions, but I do not think that shocking alone is an artistic value. I would like even provocative art to maintain sensitivity, aesthetics, and respect for what it chooses to represent,” the interviewee told Žmonės.lt.
Finally, she reminded that discussion and criticism are an inseparable part of a free society. Although the artist has full rights to self-expression, the public also has the right to evaluation.
“Of course, everyone can evaluate the artwork in their own way. But just as the artist has the right to create and provoke, society has the right to react to and criticize the artwork,” she said.
Controversially evaluated not for the first time
We remind that M. Gaubas’s sculpture “Lietuvaitė” has already received criticism more than once.
In 2020, 15min interviewed M. Gaubas, who said he was surprised by some reactions to the sculpture.
“Let’s say someone finds such a body disgusting. To me, I don’t know, that sounds very terrible. I don’t know, maybe people sincerely say that. So what, do they think that if they meet such a person, they should be disgusted by them, or what?” the artist wondered at the time.
The fact that the sculptures provoke discussions is not bad, according to the artist.
“I don’t know, I myself have been thinking a lot about this lately. Why, for example, do some people react so personally and take it as an insult? And in general, I have many thoughts about the cult of the body. I heard very strange statements. I don’t know, it all sounds very terrible to me,” he emphasized in 2020.
M. Gaubas said that before, he thought “Lietuvaitė” was a charming, self-confident woman.
“Everything fit for everyone – how the sculpture was viewed. Now the attitude is no longer like towards a sculpture. It seems that I undressed a real woman, this is not a sculpture, and now I tell everyone: ‘Mock it.’ It was not made with that idea at all. Somehow it was strange, it was a discovery for me that many people react this way,” he said.
