“There are no skating rinks in public spaces that are accessible to the general public – not just children. That’s why I wanted to make the new work friendly to older people, figuratively speaking, “business suits,” says artist Julijonas Urbonas about his latest installation. Vilnius residents can see the witty and at the same time ironic work of the famous Lithuanian creator in the new space “Live Square” opened on Gediminas Avenue, developed by “Eika.”
The work, which will be displayed in a location that will bring new energy to the city’s main street, consists of two parts. On one side of the structure are installed escalator steps, and on the other – a slide. Once you get to the top, as the artist says, there is no question of what to do next, because “your buttocks are immediately pulled to the ground” – all you have to do is slide down.
“This escalator-skating rink is related to my long-term research, in which I delved into gravitational aesthetics and developed a choreographic design strategy, as well as the fact that I became a father. Playgrounds in the city became relevant to me, where you can only find boring, template skating rinks with a predetermined scenario,” says the artist, who will represent Lithuania at the prestigious Venice Architecture Biennale in 2020, about the birth of the idea.
Bringing playfulness to the business space
According to J. Urbonas, in the new multifunctional space in Vilnius, which combines a modern business center, residential buildings, and public spaces, the goal was to create an object that would reflect on corporatism and bring a light playfulness to the often overly serious and businesslike business environment.
“When thinking about devices that control and manage our flows, I immediately thought of the escalator. After all, it accelerates not only our movement, but also production itself. The faster the escalator moves, the faster capital grows. Let’s remember – the escalator originated from the conveyor belt. I wanted to abuse this harsh and manipulative aesthetic, to turn the rule-bound business world into a corporate playground,” says J. Urbonas about the idea.
The installation required over 2,000 parts and exceptional precision, and the creative process required countless hours of engineering, prototyping, and testing: “Something that has no precedent, in a sense, a spaceship, you have to be precise, even though you know for sure that something unexpected will still come up.”
According to Domas Dargis, the head of Eika, the company that created Live Square, the collaboration with artist Julijonas Urbonas is not accidental.
“We set ourselves the ambition to revive the sleepy side of Gediminas Avenue and bring life to it. Since J. Urbonas’ bold and innovative works have fascinated us for a long time, we realized that no other artist would look at the newly emerging space better, more interestingly. This cooperation of ours is one of the examples of good practice synergy between business and art,” says D. Dargis.
He hopes that the playful element will become an attraction because, unlike ordinary works of art, it will be officially and legally “used” – Vilnius residents will be able to safely skate on this escalator-skating rink.
Vilnius residents can see the installation of artist Julijonas Urbonas – an escalator-slide, or otherwise known as a corporate playground – in the Live Square space.
On Thursday, August 29, at 5 p.m., the official presentation of the installation will take place – the performance “Step on Step”. During it, the performers of the chamber choir “Brevis” will produce musical chords and various melodies by changing their positions on the escalator.