Reverse mountain climbing? At the Fluxus Festival, it's also possible!
The largest and probably the most colorful community festival of Fluxus will happen in Kaunas on September 11th. This year's event will invite you to participate in discussions and immerse you into a co-creation full of fantasy - the festival participants will create and decorate their own costumes and the most unexpected vehicles to climb Parodos Hill in a Fluxus way.
Awakening the city in a Fluxus way since 2018, this year's event reflects the trailer of the year 2022, when Kaunas will become the European Capital of Culture and thus, the communities of Kaunas and Kaunas district invite you to celebrate all the holidays of the year. As for the culmination of the Fluxus Festival - the climb to the Parodos Hill - its organizers call for an inventive look - everything that the participants' imagination allows is possible. "You can climb walking backward or in a handstand, carrying an uncle or a goldfish, with rollerblades or a surfboard, or maybe just wearing a Santa Claus costume," said Simona Savickaitė, coordinator of the "Fluxus Labs! "program of Kaunas - European Capital of Culture 2022.
Due to the last year's pandemic, the Fluxus Festival didn't go as planned, but this year the communities will interact live, which, according to the organizers of the event, is a celebration in and of itself. "I am delighted that this community event is being created by more than 200 people from different social groups and beliefs, from students to seniors. This is the real Fluxus - after overcoming our fears, we are doing things that we may have never done before, we go on adventures," said S. Savickaitė. According to her, an event that would be more communal is probably unimaginable - all activities are created by the residents of Kaunas city and Kaunas district, and each of the activities invites the event participants to participate in co-creation. Simona is convinced "costumes of the festival liberate - by communicating, people start to form a unity."
The festival participants will meet in the square of the pioneer of the Fluxus movement - Jurgis Mačiūnas, and after climbing the mountain, get involved in the (un)expected and (extra)ordinary artistic action of Kaunas city and district communities. "It's all just a part of the Fluxus Festival. "Kaunas 2022 "community program "Fluxus Labs!" will invite you to celebrate the community spirit and turn this day into a real holiday of unity and friendship of all Kaunas and Kaunas district residents" said S. Savickaitė.
Get to know the entire Fluxus festival program:
2 PM - 4 PM Discussion about communities and their activities "Creativity and dialogue: changes in communities" ("Kodėl me?", Perkūno al. 4, Kaunas). The final lectures and discussions of the cycle "Creativity and Dialogue: Changes in Communities" organized by Kaunas 2022 community program "Fluxus Labs!".
5–9:30 PM Fluxus costume workshop - preparation for climbing the Parodos Hill (Kaunas Picture Gallery courtyard, K. Donelaičio str. 16, Kaunas). The organizers invite you to make a Fluxus costume. The necessary tools will be taken care of, but you can also bring your own.
5–9:30 PM Fluxus makeup and hairdressing workshop - preparation for climbing the Parodos Hill (Children's Literature Museum, K. Donelaičio str. 13, Kaunas). The organizers invite you to create Fluxus hairstyles and makeup. The necessary tools will be taken care of, but you can also bring your own.
5–9:30 PM Decoration workshop for Fluxus vehicles (scooters, bicycles, skateboards, etc.) - preparation for climbing the Parodos Hill (KTU University yard, K. Donelaičio 20, Kaunas). Organizers invite you to decorate your vehicles. Decorating tools will be taken care of, but you can also bring your own.
9:45 PM to 12:00 AM "Fluxus Festival" - climbing the Parodos Hill (J. Mačiūnas Square, K. Donelaičio St. 2, Kaunas).
"Fluxus Labs!" is part of the "Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022" program. In the European Capital of Culture year, events in Kaunas and Kaunas district are planned for more than a year: more than 40 festivals, over 60 exhibitions, more than 250 performing arts events, of which more than 50 premieres and more than 250 concerts.
Waiting for Kaunas2022, interview to the CEO Virginija Vitkienė
There are still a few months to Kaunas 2022, the great event that will see the second city of Lithuania take on the role of European Capital of Culture. The city has been preparing since 2017, when the candidacy was accepted. We met the CEO of the organization, Virginija Vitkienė.
In our interview she talks us about the program which is based on several interesting topics: from Modernist architecture, of which Kaunas is one of the main protagonists in Europe, to Memory, remembering the past and looking to the future, from Fluxus Labs which sees local communities personally involved in the various artistic events. Important to underline: each activity is studied and designed with local communities, especially with people who live in neighborhoods.
Watch the video:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-mtwGZ2asw[/embedyt]
Interview by: Marina Macrì, a journalist of "Lithuanian stories"
Photo by: M. Plepys