"WHAT A TRIUMPH, SUCH IS THE ARK," SAYS THE INSTALLATION'S AUTHOR, EGLĖ GRĖBLIAUSKAITĖ.
THE INSTALLATION "TRIUMPHAL ARCH," REMINISCENT OF A TRIUMPHAL ARCH AND A POP STAR SCENE, WAS MOUNTED ON INDEPENDENCE SQUARE ON OCTOBER 6, 2016, BY THE RENOWNED ARTIST EGLĖ GRĖBLIAUSKAITĖ.
MADE FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC WASTE, THE ARTWORK STANDING IN FRONT OF THE SEIMAS (HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT) OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA REVEALS THE ARTIST'S IRONIC AND CRITICAL VIEW OF THE CURRENT POLITICAL PRE-ELECTION CONTEXT IN LITHUANIA.
EGLĖ GRĖBLIAUSKAITĖ'S "TRIUMPHAL ARCH" IS A MASSIVE STRUCTURE, 7 METERS IN HEIGHT AND WIDTH, MADE UP OF 32 COMPRESSED POLYETHYLENE CUBES HELD TOGETHER BY A METAL FRAME.
"TRIUMPHAL ARCH" WAS UNVEILED FOR ONLY 1 DAY. AFTER THREATS FROM THE STATE SECURITY DEPARTMENT AND VILNIUS CITY MUNICIPALITY, THE ARCH WAS DISMANTLED ON OCTOBER 7, 2016. ACCORDING TO THE PROCEDURE APPROVED BY THE VILNIUS CITY MUNICIPALITY, THE ARCH HAD LEGALLY STOOD FOR 1 DAY. THE CITY OF VILNIUS DID NOT PROVIDE A RESPONSE, EITHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, TO THE REQUEST TO DISPLAY THE ARCH FOR A LONGER PERIOD, AS WAS SPECIFIED IN THE APPLICATION.
