After Fluxus-like teasing “will or will it not be” and revealing the secret at the last moment, bursting with yellow coloured smoke in the Old Town and full of attendees in outer-worldly costumes, the most bizarre and colourful Fluxus festival 2020 has happened! The festival, symbolizing the movement from the temporary to the contemporary capital of culture, brought together its most loyal participants and passionate enthusiasts. Late Saturday evening one of the most active locations in Kaunas – Parodos hill – was closed down and crowds in the most original and hilarious costumes started their parade uphill.
Attendees’ costumes revealed the surprising freedom of the people of Kaunas and their ability to let their creativity flow freely – lit up, dancing, barefoot, leaping, walking backwards, or to sound installation, – on the evening of the Fluxus festival people’s imagination became truly infinite.
Even though the intrigue surrounding the event was kept alive right ‘till the last second, the international march organization “Walk the plank”, along with local artists and the active community of Kaunas, had been preparing for the festival for an entire week: those coming up the hill were able to see the result of many hours of hard work – an impressive installation of lights and flames.
After reaching the top of Parodos hill, participants were immediately engulfed in the Fluxus program: the sky was beaming from laser lights, while the grand finale of the festival was the extraordinary performance by the contemporary dance theatre “Aura” and a community film from 11 different Kaunas regions (directed by Eglė Valadkevičiūtė).
With the program of the festival taking up the entire day, Kaunas biennial was inviting guests from the early morning: city folk had the opportunity to visit the “Magic carpet route“. This involved poetry in Šilainiai cafes, a creative laboratory with dancers in the Unity square, a tour of Kaunas tales in the Zanavykai marketplace, and a clay animation “Rokis”, which was presented in the Fourth Fort of Kaunas.
 
Photo by A. Aleksandravičius