JULIJONAS URBONAS “PROTOTYPES OF ALTERNATIVE REALITIES”

In the global sphere of art and design Julijonas Urbonas – an artist investigator, scientist of design, and engineer – is prominently distinguished for his activity diverseness. At the first sight such a variety of fields might bewilder, but according to J. Urbonas, the fantasy of reality unites the whole work. There is a myriad of realities with different – psychological, social, scientific, technological – conceptions of time and space, therefore the reality modelling demands interdisciplinary competence. This is the reason why such fields as design fiction, speculative engineering, social fiction, performative architecture, choreographic heuristics, medicine, theatre and dance are combined in the artist’s practice.

The plural for the title of exhibition “Prototypes of alternative realities” was chosen not by coincidence – not only due to J. Urbonas’ multi-objective activity nature, but also due to thematic and methodological diversity which has been characteristic to the author in the formation process of alternative realities for almost a decade. There, for example, one project is orientated arithmomaniacs, that is, the people who suffer from mental disorder and count everything around; the other combines dance, robotics and amusement rides; the next is about the direction of dreams. Boxing-gloves that count the punches, a domestic earthquake generator, vomit sticks, a carousel killer –  these are only a few examples of artist’s fantasy.

Recent J. Urbonas’ projects are based on his artistic research on sensual gravitational experiences found in amusement rides, high manoeuvrability planes, acrobatics, sports, astronaut training etc. The visitors of the exhibition will have a chance to take a look at the results of such research. The model of perhaps the most famous J. Urbonas’ work “Euthanasia Coaster” (2010) will be one of them. A scale-model of “Cumspin” (2015), an orgasm enhancing funfair machine, a sort of a cousin of the “Euthanasia Coaster”, will be presented in Lithuania for the first time as well as the project “Air time” (2016) – an early prototype of the hybrid of a gut-oriented architecture, an antigravity machine and an amusement ride. This project will represent Lithuania in La Triennale di Milano in April this year.

Most of the exhibition showpieces are literally prototypes – unfinished works, sketches and models. This is a peculiar map of J. Urbonas’ creative researches. It illustrates the complex hunt for subject-matters and solutions, paths and sideways.

About Julijonas Urbonas

Julijonas Urbonas is an artist, designer, researcher, engineer, lecturer, Vice-Rector for Art at Vilnius Academy of Arts, and PhD student in Design Interactions at the Royal College of Art, London.

Since childhood, he has worked in amusement park development. In 2004, he became the head of an amusement park in Klaipeda, Lithuania, and ran it for three years. Having worked in this field — also as a designer and engineer — he became fascinated by what in his research he is calling ‘gravitational aesthetics.’ This experience is unavailable elsewhere, and he became intrigued by this under-developed topic. Since then the topic has been at the core of his creative practice and artistic research.

His work has been exhibited internationally and received many awards, including the Award of Distinction in Interactive Art, Prix Ars Electronica 2010, one the most prestigious awards in media arts. His projects can be found in private and museum collections such as the permanent collection of the Centre for Art and Media Karlsruhe (ZKM).

http://julijonasurbonas.lt/

Ticket – 1,16 € / 0,58 €

The exhibition will run until March 20, 2016.

KCCC Exhibition Hall working hours: Wednesday -Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.