TWILIGHT ZONE. THE BODIES by Eimutis Markūnas

Exhibition time: 09 06 2018 - 07 07 2018
Venue: La Xina A.R.T. (C. Hort de la bomba 6, Barcelona 08001, SPAIN)
Eimutis Markūnas. TWILIGHT ZONE. THE BODIES

Gallery "Meno parkas" presents solo show by Eimutis Markūnas at gallery’s long-term partners space – “La Xina A.R.T.”. Kaunas’ gallery “Meno parkas” (which recently opened filial in Dusseldorf, Germany) and the same age Barcelona’s “La Xina A.R.T.” partnership and collaboration is always crowned with realisation of quality art projects (for example, “Meno parkas” presented project “ready-made.LT” composed of artworks by Kaunas and Vilnius artists - Robertas Antinis, Patricija Gilytė, Andrius Kviliūnas, Artūras Valiauga & Linas Liandzbergis, Gintautas Trimakas, Arvydas Žalpys - at La Xina A.R.T” in 2015 and three Barcelona’s artists - Benxamín Álvarez, Xesco Mercé and Marc Vilallonga - held strong emotionally and conceptually project „Balandis 2524“ at „Meno parkas“ in the spring of 2017, which was visited be the crowd of Gallery Weekend Kaunas).

On 9th of June at 7.30 pm at „La Xina. A.R.T.“ will take place the opening of solo show “Twilight Zone. The Bodies” of gallery‘s artist Eimutis Markūnas, who mostly analyses existentialist themes with his creation. Works of E. Markūnas (b. 1959) has intense connection with conceptual art. His artistic career was started in the field of stained glass and for today he has surrendered for interdisciplinarity. E. Markūnas delivers exposition, with which he reacts to common and relevant sense of human. Former live body as a thing. Body, existence – the theme and motive of this collection.

For Barcelona’s visitor artist created exposition “Twilight Zone. The Bodies”, which carry the newest works in graphite-acrylic and works of previous years. It is deepen into the mood of existential exile which surrounds the artist. The mood is not casual: “I am not an impressionist, who would react to different enlightenments of the sun or something similar” – E. Markūnas.

New series “Fossils” (oil, acrylic, graphite on canvas, diameter 40 cm) fragmental speaks the parts of somebody. We may recognise these parts of bodies in uncertain scenes, that are on the edge of frightfulness and sarcasm. The series that exploit the term of fossilized remains of organisms or traces of their activity, once again refers to past lives, what means – past life.

Start for “Fossils” was inspired by anatomical atlases - revealing the “secretes” of human body - structure. The interest of what is inside of us escorts through centuries. Series by E. Markūnas, as the author says – are freely improvised. Scenes carry anatomical human details, also, in changing scenes brings associations of animals or other figures (monkey or clown). Since all “cycle” of the exhibition is about the body and flair of ulterior world, the substance of graphite, which is used in the first layer also gives ulterior sense. These conclusions may be done according to the position of artist, which declares idea, that material and content must complement each other, fill in into each other.

Other strong, irritating part of the exhibition – digital prints from the series “Liquids” (digital photography, cancvas. 2 units 120 x 90 cm, 1 unit 90 x 120 cm, 2016). It is reproductions of conserved bodies from Museum of Anatomy in Kaunas. Liquid here is important as medium, environment of presence of bodies, the escorting material of existence. Author names the digital print as the dead technology in the connection with original, thus this way of use of photography brings to the topic of nonexistence.

Author acts to create exposition using creative thinking through object or video installations (“Existence” showcasing moving body as “perpetuum mobile” idea (2014. 5’57’’) and “Dream” (2012. 6’02’’) reflecting idea “life as a dream”). “I’m not tied up to certain form of expression, so I choose that way of speaking, which helps mostly at that time to tell, what I want to tell” – E. Markūnas. The use of real axe in the installation “The End” (2016) and hard its red – a hint not necessary to the sharing of body.

With objects “Twilight Zone” (wooden construction, glass, lights, various material, 28 x 32 x 25 cm, 2016-2018) artist touches “green men” theme. “Twilight Zone”, which interested audience of Basel (Switzerland) year ago, according to the artist, is particular ritual of shamanism, when you turn everything that you don’t want, into a form of a toy and it helps to get rid of negativities. Reserve is dedicated to exist only in this game variant for these negativities. Eimutis Markūnas forms various nature’s situations inside these objects (reservations), what helps for perceiver keep up with the sense of reality.

Grey series of 13 works “Somewhere Seen” (acrylic, oil, graphite, 40 x 30 cm, 2018) lets totally free perception. Author was improvising while creating it and as he says, what the viewer sees in it – Sokrat or the devil (if have met before) – is up to him. Favourite artist’s layer of graphite gives impressions of this ulterior, underground feeling. Though, as Eimutis says, not necessary everything is connected with hell, but the death feeling exists everywhere. The series is united with the outlined quadrangles, that artist calls “screens” and connects it with the allusion of the state of contemporary man, when you see and not necessary understand what do you see. It’s a paraphrase of connection of contemporary medias and human.

This model of seeing without understanding, what you see is felt in the series of digital photography “Intervention” (digital print, synthetic fabric, 140 x 550 cm, 2006), where artist captured his sewed body. Another part of the exposition exploit prints of human body – series “Landscapes” (human body prints, soot, canvas, 10 units, diameter 30 cm). “It is the exposition about mode of life and existence. From the existence to nonexistence” – says E. Markūnas.

One traced motive of the exhibition might be used for the discussion with author’s position – the form of circle. As poet Erika Drungytė wrote, “dead is static. Life is nimble, changeable” (“Nemunas”, No. 4, 2018). This symbolic of a circle is not new, thus the form repetitively used by Markūnas feeds the conversation with the content of the works, theme of the exhibition and overall – artist’s creation, highlights hermetic of existence.

                                                                                                 Art critic, gallery‘s „Meno parkas“ curator Giedrė Legotaitė

The exhibition is a part of international-cultural exchange project „Art Line“.
The project is part financed by Lithuanian Council for Culture and Ministry of Culture.

www.eimutismarkunas.eu