Ežerėlis | Contemporary Neighborhoods
Ežerėlis municipality, which acquired the name of the town of Durpininkai, joined the project “Contemporary Neighborhoods” in 2020 and immersed itself in modern projects. During the year, the town community organized 7 events, presented a photo exhibition, an audio guide for visitors and locals and an installation of knitted trees.
The biggest project of the year, which involved the residents of the whole town in the development process, is an interactive audio guide of alternative reality around Ežerėlis surroundings. Žygimantas Kudirkas, who worked with the community and presented a futuristic vision to the town and its surroundings, is a world-famous advertising creator, avant-garde performer, voice of electronic music. The artist says that he chose an audio guide because getting to know the town on foot and listening to fantasy stories enriches reality and reveals an invisible layer of the town that allows to experience something new even for those who know those places well. The interactive alternative reality Ežerėlis guide can be found by clicking here.
The residents of Ežerėlis also had the opportunity to work with other talented artists: during the summer, together with photographer Vaida Virbickaitė, they created the art project “Pamatyta tapatybė”. Local photographers captured portraits of community members through a camera lens, while people searched for undiscovered places revealing Ežerėlis identity, which were included in a virtual catalog. “The aim of the photo project is to reveal the identity of the town, to show the harmony of the community, the individuality of the people and to help the community to rediscover its town,” says V. Virbickaitė. The photos in the catalog intertwine the moods of portraits and places, which at the same time reveal that Ežerėlis is not only objects, but also people living in it. Get to know Ežerėlis better and visit art project “Pamatyta tapatybe” by clicking this link.
During the project, more initiatives were implemented in the community. One of them: Renewal of the “Pensininkų parkelis”. The trees of the abandoned town park were decorated with knitted cranberries by 10 women, symbolizing the Ežerėlis. Ežerėlis keeps surprising with such initiatives, similar projects and activities. The goal set during the project was to reveal Ežerėlis identity, show community harmony, people’s individuality and help the community to rediscover its town.
Brief statistics. 2020: 13 partners were involved in the activities, 19 professionals and artists, 19 activities and 7 events were organized, 142 persons participated in the activities and 440 visitors, three long-term works of art and cultural objects were created.
If you want to know more information about the activities taking place in Ežerėlis and / or join them, please contact us by e-mail: [email protected]
We thank Emilija Smilinksiate and Ausrina Vilimaite, volunteers of Kaunas 2022, for preparing the text!
The moments of the project “Šiuolaikinės seniūnijos” were immortalized by M. Plepys and A. Aleksandravicius.
