Vilnius Street Art

The artist employed the unique technique known as ‘fumage’ (using fire and soot) to depict Bernardino of Siena here. Povilas Kupčinskis was fascinated by the architecture and history of the building – in the 15th century, it was a Bernardine convent. Thanks to the efforts of Bernardino of Siena, monasteries were built not only in Vilnius but also throughout Lithuania. In his work, Kupčinskis interpreted a painting by Pietro di Giovanni D’Ambrogio (1410-1449), possibly the most similar to the saint himself. Due to the soot technique used, Povilas Kupčinskis’s Bernardino looks like the negative of a photograph, as the white abbot becomes black, while the dark background in the original painting is white here.

If you visit this place after dark, you will see an extraordinary sight – a window, almost invisible in the painting, shines with gold, giving the work more mystery and a new meaning.

On the octagonal building in Tibet Square, you can see the composition ‘Towards the Sanctuary’, based on the works of Jurga Ivanauskaitė. The artist Jurga Užkuraitytė has thus commemorated one of Lithuania’s most famous and prominent writers, and at the same time, decorated a public space that has become a centre of attraction. The drawing depicts Tibetan monks surrounded by mountains, flowers, and birds. It seems that there could not be a more appropriate place for this work – Jurga Ivanauskaitė was an active advocate for the liberation of Tibet and published several books on the country. At the top, you will notice the inscription: ‘To Jurga from Jurga’ – the two Jurgas were close friends. 

As the artist admits, this work was inspired by the pianos and grand piano that were once scattered on the quay at the Užupis Art Incubator (known as ‘Užupio meno inkubatorius’ or ‘UMI’ in Lithuanian). They were inherited by Serge Gandzumian, a cameraman from Užupis, who handed them over to time and nature to take their course and destroy them. And indeed, although the sources of inspiration – the musical instruments – are no longer on the waterfront, the bleeding piano still resonates from the UMI wall. The painter’s work seeks to show the violent reality of the present; according to him, deformed and aggressive human shapes are a metaphor for ugliness, hypocrisy, and gender inequality. If the work is disturbing or even disgusting, this is how it needs to be to reflect today’s unfortunate reality, which is complex and brutal, regardless of the way we choose to look at it.

Looking at the work, one would undoubtedly think of its similarity to works by Šarūnas Sauka. Still, it is just a coincidence that the Indian artist sees the world in a similar way to the Lithuanian. By the way, the artists met in Vilnius.

Tartu’s most famous and enigmatic artist, the Estonian Banksy, has earned the love and sometimes hatred of audiences across Europe with his meaningful messages and bold political themes.

To celebrate Estonia’s independence in 2018, Edward organised the ‘(R)estart Reality’ tour to 11 European capitals (Brussels, Rome, Berlin, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Paris, London, Vilnius, Riga, Vienna, and Budapest) and decorated the walls of these cities with images of people. The accompanying app brought the human figures to life through augmented reality as they moved and told their own and their country’s centuries-old story.

Vilnius is home to three of the artist’s characters: the bread baker Enn, the spinning top woman Maali and the king of stones Lembit. And even though the app has expired, we can still enjoy these great works and try to come up with their new life stories.

More attentive viewers will notice another character among the people depicted – a hedgehog. Obviously not a forest dweller, so who is he? The hedgehog at the computer is a kind of alter ego of the artist, frequently used instead of a signature. The artist himself refers to him affectionately as ‘the hacker’ and the real author of his work. So, if you see more hedgehogs on your travels in Europe, you’ll recognise the work of the witty Edward von Lõngus by his signature calling card.

The tattoo artist Martynas Šnioka is undoubtedly characterised by his distinctive style: bright colours, strict lines, and, most importantly, the comparison of humans and animals in most of his works. 

Humans and animals, in this case, a woman and a fox, are not juxtaposed – they are of the same nature; they have the same roots as if their primaeval elements merge and embody the power of nature. The author has said that both humans and animals are children of nature, and his work is an invitation to love and preserve nature.

Mary Ann Loo, a street artist and vocal teacher from Singapore, is travelling the world with the 100 Dream Trees project. She wants to paint a place-specific dream tree in different countries and cities around the world. If you look carefully, you can spot Užupis with its symbols: the Vilnia, the little mermaid, the Constitution Wall, Užupis Art Incubator with its strange penguin inhabitants. Why penguins? The answer probably lies in Mary Ann Loo’s nickname – PenguinGirl.

‘Paparazzi’, a world-famous Cypriot artist (his works have even been exhibited in the Pompidou Centre in Paris), said that if he thought of settling in Lithuania, the place would be Užupis because the people here are different – warmer, more friendly, and more like Greek people. Maybe that’s why his work depicted one of the inhabitants of Užupis, with whom he and his family stay when they come to Lithuania. Only part of her face is visible so the locals would not easily recognise her.

Paparazzi’s work can be seen not only in Vilnius but also in Kaunas and in Mikėnai, a small Lithuanian village where the author’s wife’s grandmother lives. Did you know there is a place called Mikėnai (Mycenae) in Greece?

The street art project ‘Walls Remember’ was launched to bring back the memory of the Jewish Quarter of Vilnius to the streets of the Old Town. In two years, the project has grown and received invitations to decorate Merkinė, Salantai and Utena with new works.

The authors wanted to show the invisible side of the city and depict another time when the streets were bustling with life in the Jewish Quarter with its colours and smells. The people depicted are ordinary, undeserving people whose names are unknown. On the walls, they came down from old photographs. The choice of the stencilled neo-fresco technique was not accidental – the idea was to tell a contemporary story about the past without moving away from the black-and-white images in the photographs. These works depict the past without pomp and sentimentality. The drawings are like passers-by; if you are interested, you will stop and chat, reflect on the past and the fate of Vilnius Jews – if not, you can just be on your way and maybe stop next time.

One of the most challenging works in the project is ‘Encounter’, which comes from two photographs. The protagonist conveys a range of feelings the artist experienced while creating this work. One would like to believe that many passers-by will feel the same. The five following works are part of the project ‘Walls Remember’.

When the artist was looking for a suitable wall for their work, they immediately settled on this disused building. She was fascinated by both the history of the building, which is closely intertwined with Jewish cultural history in Vilnius, and by its location, which offers excellent visibility in a much-visited area. ‘The Sage’ was inspired by a photograph of a thoughtful bearded Jew, possibly taken in front of the Great Synagogue. After the first sketches, it was clear that the work and the wall were a perfect match.

This work reveals the city’s remarkable history. Several possible options were discussed with the hotel owner. A photograph of the bustling marketplace in front of the current hotel left no doubt as it was taken on the exact spot where the work was implemented. It is simply incredible how accurately the Jewish past of Vilnius has been recreated!

From the stack of photos, this was one of those that quashed any hesitations. The artists wanted to find a more intimate setting for this work; they were delighted to realise their idea in the narrow street of M. Antokolskis, where people can feel physical proximity to the art.

This is one of the authors’ most endearing works. Although there was initially funding for just five pieces, there was one additional sketch left that the authors really wanted to realise. So, some good-natured Vilnius residents who appreciate street art donated the money needed to make it happen. 

The work ‘The Trader’ has come to life on the very walls of where he once traded, now ‘Cigar House’. The piece was unveiled on Jewish Culture Day, during which Vilnius residents were invited to see the project artwork. 

The 3 m high and 20 m long composition by the artist and stage designer of the Lėlė (Puppet) Theatre Aušra Bagočiūnaitė-Paukštienė depicts spectators travelling to the theatre; characters, fairy tale heroes, and puppets accompanying them.

Have you noticed the dotted silhouettes? They are for passers-by – or perhaps for you if you want to join the rush to the performance. And so the audience can see how much they have grown in body and soul after the performance, they can measure themselves against the unique stadiometer created by the artist.

On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of Vilnius and the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Israel and Lithuania, the capital received a wonderful gift – a youthful and inspiring work that invites not only to dream, but also to act. Zoe Sever, who was born in Lviv and now lives in Israel, says that the author of the name is the visionary and father of Zionism, Theodor Herzl. The phrase that inspired the artist was relevant and materialized during the creation of the State of Israel – when an impossible dream turned into reality. However, Zoe Sever believes that this statement is timeless and especially important now, when millions of people dream of peace in Ukraine, their determination and activism will undoubtedly prove Herzl’s truth once again.

The bright colors of the frescoes, sparkling in the southern sun and heat, warm the people of Vilnius, invite them to follow the kite of their dreams and venture into even the craziest jobs, because youthful and rebellious personalities have always lived, live and will live in the centuries-old city.

The Italian artist’s work always depicts urban scenes, with monochrome drawings highlighted in just a few other colours. In 2015, he was invited to participate in the Vilnius Street Art Festival and chose a wall with windows – a new challenge for him, as he had previously only painted on walls that were smooth like canvas. The windows, skilfully incorporated into the overall painting, became an organic part of the work as the walls of nesting boxes, while the people looking out of the windows have become the ‘birds’.

Identical twin brothers from Brazil use this mysterious but apt pseudonym (Os Gêmeos means ‘the twins’ in Portuguese). Their work is found worldwide, mostly of imaginary strange yellow-skinned people. Sometimes they are even compared to Hieronymus Bosch. Incidentally, the brothers have Lithuanian blood – their maternal grandfather was Lithuanian, and he is depicted in the palm of the hand. And did you find the twins in the picture? Look in the pocket of the yellow man’s shirt, and you will see two figures sticking out.

The 16 m wide and 20 m high mural depicts one of the world’s most recognisable faces – Albert Einstein. But here, the image of the scientist is a little unusual, very youthful. This image was chosen for a reason – the work was created as part of a joint ‘Erasmus+’ and ‘Open Gallery’ project, and the artist wanted to emphasise the link with science. Einstein’s youthfulness appears to suggest that it is never too late to learn, travel, discover, or experience. It is hard to imagine a better role model to inspire courageous, world-changing actions. A closer look at the mural reveals perhaps the scientist’s most famous discovery, expressed in the formula E=mc, which we remember from our physics lessons at school. Physics fans will find other clues to the science, and those travelling to and from the station will feel like Einstein’s backpacker companions. So take your time, stop, and explore this multi-layered work and be inspired!

A duo of artists from Poland sought to reveal the lost connection between nature and man. The unexpected title of the work is not a mistake but a spoonerism – the interchanged first letters of the two words in the title beg to be corrected, and one would like to read ‘Forest City’ instead of ‘Corest Fity’. The title itself draws our attention to the confusion of priorities; it warns us that if we keep destroying nature at the same rate, we ourselves will be forced to imitate it in cities and take the place of endangered animals.

Continue your exploration of Vilnius street art in a unique open-air gallery. ‘Open Gallery’, established in 2017 in the former ‘Elfa’ factory premises, is probably the only gallery in Vilnius that exhibits street art. The first six works appeared during the 2017 Vilnius Street Art Festival. The wonderful idea of opening up an industrial space to artists has received a lot of attention and support, and each year the number of interesting works continues to grow. Currently, more than 50 street art works can be seen in the gallery, stunning not only in terms of images and ideas but also in terms of the geography of the artists.

Information about the artists and the works can be found alongside the art for visitors’ convenience.