In 2016 the gallery Nulinis laipsnis presents the mobile architecture gallery project “PRO-culvert” (PROgina).

 Relevance of the Project

The culture and practice of contemporary architecture is in the condition of permanent change and development. The major part of new and important phenomena in the field of architecture, both in Lithuania and abroad, still is beyond reach for Lithuanian society. Very often, only realized architectural objects of highly questionable quality and cultural value, still open for all kinds of public discussions, are referred to as “architecture”. Whereas, the paradigm of architecture as contemporary full-fledged interdisciplinary art is still new in Lithuania. In order to popularize and encourage the phenomena and alternative forms of architectural culture all over the country, not just in the capital city, we suggest the Progina Project – a mobile architecture gallery-pavilion to be transported to the larger Lithuanian towns and constructed on the main public spaces there. It will be used as a small mobile space of architectural culture, a spot for active presentations, discussions and exhibitions of different architectural phenomena.

The Audience: The project is orientated towards the part of local communities, municipalities and society that is interested in architectural events.

Activities planned according to the Project: conceptual architecture exhibitions, seminars and presentations on the culture and criticism of architecture, events of the Archmedialė micro-festival (of contemporary architecture and media arts), creative workshops-social experiments.

Conception

PROgina is a paraphrase of the term referring to a safe passage from one place to another crossing some risky obstacles, similar to a wildlife culvert. In the field of the architectural culture, the PROgina signifies a cultural space, where architecture professionals, actors in the interdisciplinary area of architecture and society’s representatives could meet. The PROgina Project as a mobile architecture gallery is a tunnel-like search for safe and clear transition from architectural nihilism towards tolerant and cultured architecture, where the fundamental questions of the architectural culture and its nature are asked. The name “PROgina” was paraphrased from the Lithuanian word “pragina”, which means a passage for animals and persons under the intense traffic roads. A typical engineering facility used for specific purpose and function – a structure of corrugated galvanized sheet metal adapted for hosting a cultural space – has been applied in the PROgina Project.

Explanation of the “pragina” term in the Lithuanian language

praginà or pragynà means a road fenced on both sides for driving cattle to pasture. Examples: They shut away the fenced road (pragina) with wood strips. Earlier the villagers had two fenced roads for cattle driving (pragynos), but now, for a number of years already, only one has been left.

pragina means an engineering object – structure under or above an automobile road, railway or any other communication road for wild animals to cross it without any obstacles, usually manufactured from typical prefabricated structures.

 

Aim of the Project

The Project aims at popularization of the culture and criticism of architecture in Lithuanian towns, especially focusing on the educational aspect. In other words, it has been designed to promote architectural culture, educate society about the phenomena of contemporary architecture, popularize the paradigm of architecture as a social, contemporary interdisciplinary art, thus changing the society’s outlook on both, architects and architecture. The Project also has a goal of disclosing the unconventional qualities and features of contemporary architecture phenomena.

Priority Activities of the Project

The PROgina Project aims at introducing the phenomena of architectural culture to as large part of the society as possible. To this end, an attractive form for their presentation is developed – a mobile architecture gallery, which can ensure the presentation of the said phenomena to society, regardless of its place of residence, social-economic status or the national background. The Project aims at educating the society on the issues of contemporary architecture with attempts being made to present the profound information as clear as possible on the new forms of expression of architectural culture. The idea of the mobile architecture gallery (as well as conceptual architecture gallery) is new, never realized in Lithuania before. It is an innovative cultural initiative in the field of architectural culture. This Project will enhance the society’s interest in architecture, seek to develop the creative and critical thinking. It has been designed to encourage the change of society’s attitude on architects and contemporary architecture. The pavilion of the mobile architecture gallery should be considered as a small cultural center with its typical activities – exhibitions, seminars, micro-festival concerts, lectures, virtual and live discussions, which can be interesting both, to local communities and persons concerned all over the country. With the use of the contemporary media, eco-friendly technology and socially-orientated architectural education activities, the mobile architecture gallery-pavilion will purposefully promote the approach of architecture as the full-fledged and interdisciplinary art. By its educational, workshop and exhibition-cultural activities, the PROgina Project will encourage the spread of professional architecture as an art in Lithuanian regions.

The construction of the mobile architecture gallery-pavilion is foreseen in the public spaces of all larger Lithuanian towns, on their main squares and/ or parks at different time. During each such visit, a video material on the project activities implemented before and responses to them will be displayed. The Project also foresees the involvement of local communities or the part of society interested in architecture into cultural activities through creative workshops. This can also encourage their creativity and self-realization (for example, the workshop-social experiment My/ Your Space). Another positive aspect of the Project is its ability to team up the local administration institutions and their cultural departments for common activities, whereas support from local governance is necessary for the implementation of the project. The PROgina Project will also include the interdisciplinary and experimental art projects – noise, video and intervention experimental events of the micro-festival Archmedijalė.

Location of the Project:

Šiauliai, Panevėžys, Klaipėda, Alytus, Utena, Kaunas, Nida and Vilnius.

Time of the Project:

2017-2018

http://www.wildlifeandroads.org/decisionguide/2_1_6.cfm

Saulius Jankauskas ©

Saulius Jankauskas ©

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