Europos Parkas. Gintaras Karosas' works

Gintaras Karosas. The Sign

Gintaras Karosas. Foundations / Window

The Gintaras Karosas' sculpture made of TV sets has been recently restored

On 25 June 2009 works by the sculptor Gintaras Karosas were presented in Europos Parkas.

works by the sculptor Gintaras Karosas were presented in Europos Parkas

On 25 June 2009 works created in 2001 – 2009 by the sculptor Gintaras Karosas, the founder of Europos Parkas, were presented in Europos Parkas.

The artist is creating exceptionally in the space of Europos Parkas. As Gintaras Karosas is also the author of the whole landscape of Europos Parkas occupying 55 ha, his works are firmly incorporated into the environment. Forming relations between sculptures and the landscape, for his works Karosas chooses minimalistic forms, foregoing details or, as he himself says, brushing unnecessary varnish off.

Earlier, instead of creating himself, the author says he used to take part in materialising works of famous world sculptors so that their works would be erected in Europos Parkas while the artists are still alive. Now he allows his dream to come true, too – the dream to create works of environmental art.

Gintaras Karosas’ works are prominent in the context of Lithuanian sculpture. As the art critic Kotryna Džilavjan states, “it is the case when sculptures belong to the place and the place belongs to the sculptures. <…> The sculpture no longer decorates nor even portrays; it has a lot of meanings, it marks, accentuates, acts as a stress in the language of space.”

“I chose the project of my whole life – Europos Parkas – as far back as when I was 19. It encompasses the whole world: nature, art, people coming from all over the world. I create a 55 ha landscape as a huge relief, I also create sculptures and works of environmental art, I make photographs, I do everything that is related to Europos Parkas. In order to focus on the project of my life, I have limited my other needs”, the artist says.

Creating the Education Centre, Gintaras Karosas was looking for a solution where architecture would not overshadow the environment and would become a harmonious part of it. It is a building that was organically grown into the environment as a mountain. By efforts of the staff of Europos Parkas, using support of even 40 companies, it took six years to embody the work of sculptural architecture. Now, this is the place for educational activities, conferences, and other events.

In 2006 Gintaras Karosas created a big landscape composition “Foundations / Window” from shelly ground. The work that reminds of foundation and window silhouettes takes the spectator into the world of meanings significant for the author. In 2008 the artist erected a minimalistic sculpture of almost 9 metres high “The Sign” in Europos Parkas, the work is designed to commemorate dates important for Lithuania: the Millennium of Lithuania and Vilnius –European Capital of Culture 2009.

A composition by Gintaras Karosas, that in 2001 was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest sculpture made of TV sets, has been recently restored. The work takes the area of almost 3.5 ha. Its idea is to show the futility of the Soviet ideology, absence of a possibility to choose. Now, the whole outline of the structure has been recreated using durable materials and a part of the labyrinth has been restored using TV sets made of steel and plexiglass.

In 2006 the National Culural Advancement Prize was awarded to Gintaras Karosas for establishing the open-air museum of the Europos Parkas.

Europos Parkas, tel. +370 5 2377 077, +370 698 30925