Back in the mid-20th century, heritage specialist Freeman Tilden pointed out that simply knowing historical fact is not enough to be motivated to appreciate and preserve a historical legacy. We need an interpretation that encourages the discovery of new meanings of the past in the present.

The programme of architecture and heritage of Kaunas 2022 „Modernism for the Future” invites an artists,  community activits, curators to the round table discussion of the significance of interpretation in conveying the architectural heritage of modernism in Kaunas.
The event will take place on 6th of December, 9:30-17:00 in Kaunas Artists House (V. Putvinskio st. 56). Please find the online registration here.
What kind of questions will we raised?
– What are the  challenges the interpretation of 20th century architecture face?
– How do different groups of society / artists get involved?
– What are the specific issues and expectations of Kaunas city in this context?
The round table discussion will be organized as an instrument for an open and critical reflection of the processes taking place Kaunas and also to form a message about future expectations.
 
Agenda
Part 1. Good practices on interpretation and Kaunas case study
9:30-10:00 Welcome coffee
10.00-10.20 Vaidas PETRULIS. Interpretation of modern architecture in Kaunas. Specific needs of Kaunas while preparing UNESCO World heritage nomination.
10.20-10.40 Laura SERRA and Maxime FOREST (FR). Interpreting modernist heritage from design: Sharing experiences from France and Central & Eastern Europe.
10.40-11.10 Kotryna GARANASVILI (LT/GB). Writing in Architecture: Re-imagining Kaunas Modernism in a Novel.
10.11-11.20 Coffee break
11.20-11.40 Hugo HERRERA TOBÓN (NL). Bottom-up, subjective mapping practices: designing methods for local engagement.
11.40-12.10 Aideen BARRY (IRL). „Strange Terrain„.
12.10-12.30 Discussion. All participants.
12.30-13.30 Lunch
Part 2. Round table discussion.
14.00-17.00 Round table discussion with local heritage community on the issues of interpretation of Kaunas modernism.
 
The speakers:
Laura SERRA and Maxime FOREST founded Kolektiv 318, a group of curators and experts based at Le Corbusier Housing Unit in Marseille, a UNESCO listed landmark of modernist architecture. Kolektiv 318 is devoted to the influence of 20th century architecture movements in design and graphic design, from Bauhaus to Brutalism. Their primary focus is on Central and Eastern European scenes, where this influence proves to be the most salient, notably in countries such as the Czech Republic, Croatia, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine. They regularly collaborate with contemporary designers on projects devoted to modernist aesthetics. Collaborations include curating exhibitions (Crafted Bauhaus, Paris, 2017; La Cité, Marseille, 2017; Estonian Modern and The Unit, Marseille, 2018; Living the Modernist City – WWA, Tallinn, 2019; Fragile concrete, Marseille, 2019, forthcoming); editing objects about modernist buildings or inspired from modernist aesthetics in collaboration with Le Corbusier Foundation; organizing workshop and pluridisciplinary residences. They already collaborated with Institut Adam Mickiewicz (PL), the Estonian Design House, Prague Academy of Design (UMPRUM) and the Slovak Center of Design. Logically, their perception of modernism is also influenced by the fact of living and working in one of the most achieved post-war modernist experiment: Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation.
Kotryna GARANASVILI is a writer, translator and interpreter of English, Lithuanian and German languages. Supported by CHASE Arts and Humanities Research Council, I am currently a PhD Candidate at the University of East Anglia’s School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing and the winner of 2019 National Centre for Writing Emerging Translators Mentorship scheme. Having grown up in a family of architects and worked in an architectural studio, I am experienced in architecture and familiar with it as an insider. It’s also a part of my research: I presented my paper A Conversation Between Architecture and Literature at the international interdisciplinary Architecture and Urban Studies conference ArchDesign in 2018.
Hugo HERRERA TOBÓN founded an Art Direction studio which follows a conceptual design approach that is usually guided by a close dialog with the people it works with. H. H. Tobón works across several mediums including printed matter, type and digital design, but also in the making artworks, installations, collages, small editions and photography. Further, H. H. Tobón is also commissioned for the (graphic) production of artworks by visual artists. Artistic work has been shown in art institutions in The Netherlands such as Mediamatic (2009) or De Appel Arts Center (2011). He was also curator of the general exhibition Subjective Atlas of Colombia (2015, Bogotá – CO) etc. H. H. Tobón’s autonomous practice works around the notions of dilettantism, craftsmanship and identity, and is concerned with the crossings between the art and design fields. His interest lays in sociopolitical issues like consumerism, cultural exchange and collective values.
Aideen BARRY – Aideen Barry is a visual artist based in Ireland. She has shown projects in museums and galleries such as Mothers Tankstation, The Irish Museum of Modern Art,  Louise T. Bloudin Gallery in London, Moderne Mussett in Sweden, The Loop Biennale in Spain, The Wexner Centre in Ohio, The Royal Hibernian Academy, the Musée des Beaux Arts in Lyon, The Crawford Municipal Gallery etc. Barry has received numerous awards including the Culture Ireland Award (2018), The Vermont Studio Centre Fellowship Award 2017, Project New Work Awards from the Arts Council of Ireland (2008, 2009, 2010, 2018), Arts Council of Ireland Bursary Awards (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017), the Modern Ireland in 100 Art Works Award, the Silent Light Film Award, Travel and Training Awards from the Arts Council of Ireland, and in 2010 was shortlisted for the prestigious AIB Prize. In 2014 she was commissioned by the European Union Culture Fund to create a number of temporary public art projects in the UK, Ireland and Catalonia, Spain as a part of the www.CHANGINGTRACKS.eu projects, and by the Arts & Heritage Trust UK in 2015. Barry a lecturer in fine arts at the Limerick School of Art & Design, Limerick Institute of Technology.