Cycle of artworks by Mantas Kuginis
Presented by “Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022”
Mantas Kuginis is a multidisciplinary designer and digital artist, a native, and a long-term resident of Kaunas, Lithuania. His artworks have been inspired by the unique and authentic features of his native city of Kaunas: rounded balconies, elements of stairs, horizontal and vertical stripes dominant in the interwar architecture of the city. The theme of modernism is one of the key themes in the artworks of Mantas Kuginis and the author wants to spread the message on the unique modernist heritage of Kaunas through his majestic, elegant, playful pieces of work.
The cycle of interpretations of Kaunas modernism, funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture, focuses on the period of time when Kaunas was a temporary capital of Lithuania (1919–1939). The cycle was created by the photorealistic digital 3D modeling technique which is still rarely used in the advanced art field in Lithuania. The author hopes that the modern and attractive form of the 3D graphic works will stimulate interest in the unique part of Kaunas heritage, which was recently nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Because of the shared values and unique insight, the artist was invited to exhibit his artworks in the context of the programme “Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022”. This prestigious cultural title of the EU invites us all to co-create and establish long-term local and international partnerships through arts and culture.