On May 25-28, Meno Parkas Gallery will participate at the contemporary art fair "ARCOlisboa", Portugal. The works of well-known artists Patricija Gilytė and Žilvinas Landzbergas will be presented in the special section - "Opening", curated by Luiza Teixeiro de Freitas and Chus Martínez. This year, the theme of this section of the fair is dedicated to the miracle of the possibility of change - 'The marvelous capacity to be transformed'. The curators believe that it is art and artists that have the power to create a medium for social system change that can transform communities, as well as art; for a change that helps to accept and integrate values that leads to a better world.

In Meno Parkas Gallery booth Lithuanian artists Patricija Gilytė and Žilvinas Landzbergas are presented. In their works the relationship between nature and man is explored through play and the fluidity of the situation, and the world is seen as a unified entity. Thanks to the artists' courage to look from a different angle, to boldly move forward, to break away from the present and the established reality, to notice and embrace otherness and alternative ways of seeing and thinking - all this helps to open the door to the future, to newness, the unknown.

"You are Here" by Patricija Gilytė is a processual painting cycle created by experimenting with various materials (ink, paper, fir needles, gold) and observing their interaction over time. Rippled surfaces are emerging - just like maps without country borders. Drawings, just as wind, weather or nature are indifferent to boundaries. The myriad layers of green are hypnotizing and confusing. The viewer is given a task: You should find the golden needle. It's like finding Yourself lost in the infinite nature. The precisely defined proportion of nature to human power is humbling. How illusional and phony is the sense of human power and importance bred by consumer culture. Especially if we keep in mind our inescapable interconnectedness and our dependence on a whole.

The fir tree, as a symbol and motif, has been one of the most favorite and important topics of Patricija Gilytė's artistic research since 2007, when it has become a part of installations and video performances. According to Patricija, after she noticed the changes in the climate, when the snow became rarer every year, the air getting wetter, the land changing - this topic became urgent, and it has been with her until now. A fir – a Christmas tree - symbol of Christmas - better than anything else reveals the consumptive relationship of man with nature.

Žilvinas Landzbergas created a special installation for the ARCOlisboa – it is based on an abstract narrative, where the color plays the main role. His composition is like a changing frame of reference. Installation is constructed from easily recognisable objects that are used for unintended purpose and grouped in unexpected ways that inspire the viewer to assign their own meanings, to create their own narrative, to interpret the visual scene according to their individual experience.

According to Žilvinas: "Non-linear and abstract narratives develop in the installation. Here, the purpose of color, the character of the material and the authenticity of the form itself are explored. Each object has an ambiguous origin, from various sources, so the combinations of materials and forms begin to generate an authentic metaphor for each individual viewer. The variety of materials and forms ranges from industrially produced to very natural and unique ones. In this way, my sculptural objects do not become "stuck" in a monolithic form or concept, but are open to various combinations of interpretations, and at the same time, possibilities of transformation and evolvement.

Landzbergas strives for synesthesia – the artwork is finished, when it „sounds“ like a perfect musical chord. In his visual language he seeks to transcend cognitive clichés – his objects refer to archetypal forms that are open and inspiring. Artist believe that in this way it is possible to open the door to a different reality, a different understanding.

Žilvinas Landzbergas (b. 1979). In 2017 represented Lithuania Venice Biennale with the project „R“. In 2018 his works were presented at Riga International Biennial of Contemporary Art and São Paulo Biennial. He also participated in a number of international group shows including “About the Trees” at the Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern (2016), City Without Walls: Vilnius at the Liverpool Biennial (2010), “Lunar Distance” at De Hallen Haarlem (2009) and other.

Patricija Gilytė (b. 1972) is an artist living and working in Germany, who moved to Munich in 1997 to study sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts. The visual repertoire of Germany-based Lithuanian artist Patricija Gilyte includes performative sculpture, video art and installation. Gilytė’s works have been acquired by the MO Museum (Vilnius), the BMW Group, the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlung (Bavarian Art Foundation), Neuburg an der Donau, Ulm art foundation Pro Arte, the Stadtmuseum Schramberg, and private collectors.