From the dolomite tamed by sculptors in the quarries, stories about Pakruoi are born Culture

Sculptors gathered in the Pakruoi area are embarking on a dialogue with the unruly dolomite for the third time, and their plein air, held in an unusual place – the Petrašiūnai quarry – has become international this year: together with Lithuanian artists Arvydus Ališanka, Stasius Juraška, Jonas Gentsevičius, Valius Remeika, Alina Petkune, Dmitrijus Volkov and Rūta Patmalniece from Latvia.

Sculptor A. Jasiukevičiūtė, who is curating the plein air for the second year, notices that the choices of the plein air participants are getting bolder every year, the stones are getting bigger and bigger, and the sculptures are focused on effective solutions, which allow to broadly fulfill the theme of this year’s plein air “Tales about Pakruojie”.

Photo by Vidmantas Pėželis/Akmens dialogues

It contains A.Ališanka’s “Asilabramblis”, dedicated to the memory of Stasios Ušinskas, an artist born in Pakruoj, pioneer of animation and puppet theater, who wanted to create such a doll, J. Gencevičius’ Pakruoj decal, S. Juraška’s oak leaf fossil, V. Remeika’s Pakruoj sign, R .Patmalniece’s dialogue symbolizing the bridge between Latvia and Lithuania and the erotic sculptures of A. Petkunė and D. Volkov.

This is also influenced by the environment in which the plein air takes place – “What are the areas, what are the colors”, its curator is not surprised. And concrete, guaranteed help from AB Dolomitas, which operates the Petrašiūnai quarries, when it is enough to say that a crane or bulldozer is needed to overturn or place a stone, and everything is done. And for the artists of the municipality of Pakruoj district, an acquaintance with the history of this region and the people of the present is organized.

“We were at the Pakruojo manor, in the city of Pakruojo, we baked shakotis together, we enjoyed the smells of Pamūšis, we also visited the farmer Gediminas Ališauskas, who was suffering from “stone disease”, said Renata Budrienė, head of the Culture, Heritage Protection and Public Relations Department of the Pakruojo District Municipality. And after laughing, she specified: that “stone disease” is stones brought from the fields, from which the compositions created by the farmer surprised even professional sculptors.

And those interested in professional work, as every year, could visit sculptors working in dolomite quarries, observe the creative process, and communicate. Communicating with the creators, listening to their philosophy, becomes the most attractive moment of visiting their workshops for many.

Photo by Vidmantas Pėželis/Akmens dialogues

The sculptures created by the plein air participants will be presented on August 23 during the Pakruoj festival “Canyons of Mars”. The celebration takes place in a specially detonated quarries. The organizers take care not only of bringing all the sculptures created in the plein air, but also of their spectacular lighting.

For the participants of the festival, it becomes not only a unique opportunity to be the first to see the latest works of sculptors in an exclusive light, but also to talk with the creators, to hear their stories about the idea of ​​each sculpture and the process of its realization.

Open-air stone sculptures in Pakruoji started to be held three years ago, when the representatives of the municipality of Pakruoji district, together with people of art and culture, were looking for opportunities to reveal the uniqueness of the region. This is how the idea was born to activate the dolomite quarries by organizing a city festival in them. Soon she was filled with the idea of ​​holding open-air workshops for sculptors in quarries.

Photo by Vidmantas Pėželis/Akmens dialogues

But the people of Pakroja are not limited to that either – they are already creating the “Akmentakiai route”, which will allow you to view all the sculptures created during the plein air. The first objects of the route will be presented already this weekend during the festival, and in the long run its paths will probably extend beyond the borders of Pakruoji City.

“I hope that the people of Pakruja will respect and love the result that the sculptors create here,” hopes A. Jasiukevičiūtė, curator of the sculptors’ plein air exhibition “Akmens dialogai”, financed by the Lithuanian Culture Council.