Karmėlava l Contemporary Neighborhoods
Karmėlava is one of the biggest districts of the Kaunas suburb. After joining the “Contemporary Neighbourhoods” project and conducting a poll it has been found out that the residents of Karmėlava singled out two important topics of this district: strong history of the region and the Ramučiai rock festival which now has become a tradition. After getting to know what interests the residents the most, it has been decided to strengthen, expand the festival, and to try to involve as many unexpected locations and members of the community as possible. The final results surprised and cheered up everyone: the number of attendees has greatly increased because residents of the surrounding districts have gotten to know about it. It was the first time in history when the festival had expanded to over four days and even four different places. Nowadays professional performers partake in the event which helps the audience to get acquainted with the many-sided rock music’s theme.
Also, in 2019 artist Artūras Morozovas worked with the district who retold the historical value of this place with his photographs. He wanted to get to know this place better, talked with the local people, recreated stories of the local people. The artist said: “Photography is very suitable in the means of getting to know something – you walk carefully, have conversations with people, capture, and this way you not only become an acquaintance but also transfer that to other people”. Together with the people of Karmėlava, A. Morozovas created a traveling exhibition and with it the pictures also traveled to many other districts of Kaunas.
The photography theme was also developed in 2020. This time together with the community an exhibition was created by Tomas Pabedinskas. During his photography exhibition “subKULTŪRA” which tried to reveal the diversity of the society, common values were presented. Anyone could have been a model who wanted to eternalize their bright personality. “We look at the subculture topic in a wide way and we were waiting for bright personalities from the outside, also for those people who are interesting due to their worldview, opinion. It is important to us that these two parts of a personality fit” – the artist talking about the models. During the creation of the exhibition we tried to involve that part of residents who typically do not engage in any other kind of activities so that we could reveal the variety of people who live here.
Even though 2020 was not very favorable for events, the Ramučiai rock festival has found a way out. Rock transformed into a new form: under an open sky, in a parking lot a movie review was organized instead. One of the films “Jaunimas prieš sovietus” (Youth against soviets) was by a Lithuanian creator Nėrius Pečiūra which foretells a story about Soviet youth and music. Two other movies in the “Kino pavasaris” (Cinema spring) festival were “Geri ketinimai” (Good intentions) and “Vasara” (Summer). JSC “Hollister Lietuva” opened their doors to culture and their parking lot became a movie theatre for rock and good movie fans. The event started with a show by the Lithuanian bikers club, then there was a presentation of an exhibition by photography artists Tomas Pabendinskas and Artūras Morozovas, presentation of an art installation by Karolis Grubis, lasers show, and a fire show finished off the evening. What’s more, the show has been adapted for deaf people. The year 2021 began in Karmėlava with the process of making artistic decisions. The local community and “Kaunas 2022” committee evaluated and voted for which Karmėlava district art project they wanted to get done the most. The election was won by the art object “Skraidantys cepelinai” (Flying Cepelinai). This art object in Karmėlava will be a result of collaboration between a Lithuanian A. Šlapikas and a Luxembourger S. Ecker. “Skraidantys cepelinai” (Flying zeppelin) art work may raise various associations: a food dish which makes Karmėlava even more famous, the symbol of the legendary rock group “Led Zeppelin”, symbol, bomber, aircraft… the many-sidedness of this artwork is one of the tools for showing the diversity of Karmėlava’s identity.
Rock music, war thematic, history, and people are the connecting part of this district. Ramučiai rock festival should expand even more until 2022, there should be more unexpected exhibitions, street art works which would reflect the diversity of the Karmėlava district. It is not only the “capital of zeppelin”, it is a long living district near a secret rocket base with an interesting, creative community, and its love of music.
Statistics briefly. In 2019, 5 new business partnerships were established, 6 music artists, 50 attendees, more than 2000 viewers. The exhibition has been seen by 700 people, 2 long-term art works, 1 event. There were 15 involved partners in 2020, 1 music artist, 3 movies, 2030 attendees, 11 participants, 8 activities, 1 event, 2 long-term art works. If you are interested in the project’s “Contemporary Neighbourhoods” activities in the Karmėlava district then please contact us by email: [email protected].
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