Monika Radžiūnaitė Lithuanian, b. 1992

Overview

Monika Radžiūnaitė (b. 1992, Lithuania) is a painter who obtained MA degree at the Vilnius Academy of Arts in 2021, Painting Departmente. Her work is characterised by interpreting history, reviving elements of medieval and early renaissance paintings, and using cultural references in painting plots.

 

In her paintings, Radžiūnaitė talks about foolishness and the change in cultural meanings over the course of history. Her works are based on ignorance, foolishness, and/or error. This creative strategy as a conscious state of foolishness frees the artist from the need to know the true or historical meanings of the images or the circumstances of their formation. Radžiūnaitė raises questions about the possibility of reconstructing the Middle Ages and the limitations of such possibility determined by historical circumstances. Past, present, and future are difficult to measure and understand objectively, while cultural continuity and the influence of past epochs on contemporaneity can be deconstructed ironically. Radžiūnaitė’s paintings are full of Christian iconography, symbols and stories which are usually purposely mistaken and represented in a way that is more useful or relevant to the present. According to the author, people create an environment in which they can manipulate or comfortably rely on ignorance and unawareness. In this way, she creates new meanings and contexts while also raising the question of memory as a political, cultural or religious tool.

 

Monika Radžiūnaitė has held multiple solo exhibitions as well as participated in group shows. She currently lives and works in Vilnius where she is studying for a Master’s degree in Painting Studies at the Vilnius Academy of Arts.

 

 

Works
Biography

Born 1992 in Lithuania

Lives and works in Vilnius, Lithuania

EDUCATION/RESIDENCIES

2019-2021 – Painting (MA) at Vilnius Academy of Arts, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2015-2019 – Painting (BA) at Vilnius Academy of Arts, Vilnius (Lithuania)

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2021 - Apstybės / Superfluitates, Pamėnkalnio gallery, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2020 – Hyperlink, Arka gallery, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2019 – Stultus pictorem, gallery Akademija, Vilnius (Lithuania)

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2020 – Spectrum, VARTAI Gallery, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2020 – Kontrargumentas 3, gallery Meno parkas, Kaunas (Lithuania)

2019 – BOD /Tibetas/, project space ‘Krematoriumas‘, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2019 – Laisva, April gallery, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2019 – Exhibition at gallery VARTAI, part of the project “Culture night” in Vilnius                (Lithuania)

2019 – Art festival “EMEM Art Fest”, Trakų Vokė manor (Lithuania)

2019 – Showroom, VARTAI Gallery, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2019 – Faximilinis dievas, Gallery Arka, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2018 – Time and space, performance as a part of the project “Culture night” in Vilnius (Lithuania)

2018 – Young painter prize finalist exhibition, Tsekh Gallery, Vilnius (Lithuania)

2017 – Reformacija, project space ‘Krematoriumas’, Vilnius (Lithuania)

AWARDS/GRANTS

2020 – LDS award for artistic application of history 

2020 – Lithuanian Ministry of Culture individual grant

2008 – Winner of the project “Art in an unexpected places”, Vilnius (Lithuania)

COLLECTIONS

Private collections in Denmark, Estonia and Lithuania

Exhibitions
Video
Bibliography

BOOKS/CATALOGUES

2020 – Hyperlink, interactive catalogue, www.hyperlink.lt, ed.: Linas Bliškevičius, 2020

ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS

2021 - Vita Opolskytė, Aistė M. Grajauskaitė, "Monika Radžiūnaitė: Į tapybą žiūriu kaip į viduramžių amatą - tarp rankos ir proto privalo būti darna", in: Nemunas, no. 10, 2021 - 10

2020 – Viltė Vysockaitė, „Contemporary Painting as a Creator of Insights about the World“, in: echo gone wrong, 2020-10-20

2020 – Kazimieras Brazdžiūnas, “Požiūrio taškas (V)“, in: Literatūra ir menas, no. 8 (3702), 2020-04-16

2020 – Austėja Mikuckytė-Mateikienė, “Monika Radžiūnaitė: Žinių kiekis nekoreliuoja su proto ar išminties gausa. Pokalbis su dailininke Monika Radžiūnaite ir dailėtyrininku Linu Bliškevičiumi”, in: Pašvaistė, no. 2, 2020

2020 – Emilija Vanagaitė, “Karališkos lelijos kiekvienam: Monikos Radžiūnaitės paroda ‘Hyperlink’ LDS galerijoje ‘Arka”, in: 7 meno dienos, no. 13, 2020-04-03

2020 – Reportažas laidoje ‘Kultūros diena’, in: LRT.lt, 2020

2020 – Austėja Mikuckytė-Mateikienė, “Tapytoja tyčia klysta, regi viduramžius ir ieško santykio su velnio aparatais”, in: LRT.lt, 2020

2019 – Austėja Mikuckytė-Mateikienė, “Faksimilinis Dievas’. Nepraskolinta paroda”, in: Kultūros Barai, no. 12, 2019. 

2019 – Reportažas laidoje „Linija. Spalva.Forma.“, in: LRT.lt, 2019

2019 – Benigna Kasperavičiūtė, “Kliudžiau”, in: Literatūra ir menas, no. 11 (3682), 2019

2019 – Linas Bliškevičius, “Pictor stultus: Linas Bliškevičius in conversation with  Monika Radžiūnaite”, in: 7 meno dienos, no. 25 (1304), 2019

2019 – Vita Opolskytė, Kazimieras Brazdžiūnas, “Dialogas apie moteris, už moteris, dėl moterų, iš moterų, per moteris...”, in: Literatūra ir menas, no. 5 (3676), 2019

2019 – Kazimieras Brazdžiūnas, “Požiūrio taškas IV: Vujeristinė, onanistinė, reakcionistinė šių metų Jaunojo tapytojo prizo (JTP) konkurso apžvalga”, in: Literatūra ir menas,  no. 18 (3689), 2019

2019 – Austėja Mikuckytė-Mateikienė, “JTP’19: kaitos ir stabilumo balansas”, in: Pašvaistė, no.6, 2019

2019 – Diana Romanskaitė, “Racionaliai suvaldyta netvarka”, in: 7 meno dienos, no. 7 (1286), 2019-02-15

2016 – Austėja Mikuckytė, “Diskutuojanti kūryba”, in: Pašvaistė, no. 6, 2016. 

2011 – “Projektas ‘Kiemo žmonės’ ragins telktis kūrybingai kaimynystei”, in: DELFI.lt        2011

2011 – “Kiemo žmonės’ - meno kūriniai po atviru dangumi”, in: laikas.lt, 2011

2008 – “Gyventojų meninių projektų varžytuves laimėjo šešiolikmetė”, in: Alfa.lt, 2008

 

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