Jigsaw puzzle by Nina Torr
Buy online
A Beach at the End of the World A Beach at the End of the World
i
Pavilion of Lithuania "Sun & Sea (Marina)". Photo by: Andrea Avezzù, courtesy: La Biennale di Venezia
Opinions

A Beach at the End of the World

The Unabashed Emotion of “Sun & Sea (Marina)”
Kristina Sabaliauskaitė
Reading
time 10 minutes
Kristina Sabaliauskaitė:
an art historian and one of the most prominent contemporary Lithuanian writers. In 2008, she debuted with the historical novel "Silva Rerum" about the life of a noble family during 1659–1667. She worked as a foreign correspondent in London, and as a columnist for Lithuania's biggest daily newspaper until 2010.

This year’s Venice Biennale Golden Lion winner came from the Lithuanian pavilion. The piece in question–an opera-performance on an artificial beach–encapsulates all the empathy and emotion that each of us might feel towards a world on its way to disaster.

Sun & Sea (Marina). The Venice Biennale 2019 Golden Lion winner, opera-performance by Lina Lapelytė (composer), Vaiva Grainytė (libretto), Rugilė Barzdžiukaitė (scenography). Curator: Lucia Pietroiusti. Comissioner: Rasa Antanavičiūtė.

In July, I go to Venice purely for the purpose of seeing Sun & Sea (Marina), as the commissioner of the pavilion, Rasa Antanavičiūtė, is a friend and my former colleague from Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts. I also know, socially, the composer Lina Lapelytė–no wonder I was curious to see their winning work. Lithuania has a rather fine track record at the Biennale, though it is only the eleventh time it takes part. The magnificent Tube by Žilvinas Kempinas at the Scuola Grande della Misericordia (2009) enjoyed the international art world’s praise ten years ago, and Lithuanians altogether have won four Jury Special Mentions across the country’s eleven appearances at the Biennale: for Jonas Mekas (2005), Nomeda and Gediminas Urbonas (2007), Darius Mikšys (2011), and the group project Oo (2013). But winning the main prize, the Golden Lion, one must agree, is something else.

With a few keyboard clicks, the minor discomfort of

Information

You’ve reached your free article’s limit this month. You can get unlimited access to all our articles and audio content with our digital subscription. If you have an active subscription, please log in.

Subscribe
Kristina Sabaliauskaitė:
an art historian and one of the most prominent contemporary Lithuanian writers. In 2008, she debuted with the historical novel "Silva Rerum" about the life of a noble family during 1659–1667. She worked as a foreign correspondent in London, and as a columnist for Lithuania's biggest daily newspaper until 2010.
Publish date: 30.09.2019

Also read:

Slow Art in Susch Slow Art in Susch
i
Bieraria Veglia, one of the buildings of the Susch Museum, view from the Inn River © Art Stations Foundation CH
Experiences

Slow Art in Susch

Inside the Alpine Art Gallery
Stach Szabłowski
Stach Szabłowski:
a wandering critic, curator and art historian from Warsaw.

At 1438m above sea level, Grażyna Kulczyk has fulfilled her dream of an art museum in an alpine village. The village is tiny, the ambitions are great, and the museum is extraordinary. Przekrój paid it a visit on the eve of the opening.

Switzerland is not quite my cup of tea. My feet have barely touched its well-developed, clean and expensive ground, and I already feel a bit like an illegal immigrant. It seems that this feeling is not only growing in my heart, but also shows on my face—as soon as I arrive in Zürich, I am selected for a random search from the crowd of passengers. The customs officer hurriedly rummages through my backpack and simultaneously interrogates me, chatting away as if we are mates. He takes a look at my warm clothes, and asks whether it is already cold and wintery in Poland. I respond that the real winter awaits me at my destination: Susch.

Continue reading