On 24 July at 6:00 PM, the second exhibition of Archivum archaios, a collaborative project by Vilnius University (VU) and the Vilnius Academy of Arts, will open at the VU Ideas Observatory.
Dedicated to the 245th anniversary of life sciences at Vilnius University and the 10th anniversary of the VU Life Sciences Center, the exhibition invites visitors to rediscover the historic natural history collections preserved in the Geology Museum, Zoology Museum, and Herbarium, alongside their contemporary artistic interpretations.
The exhibition's title combines the Latin word archivum ("archive") with the Greek word archaios ("ancient" or "original"). It reflects not only on the archive as a place of preservation, but also on the fact that archives are never neutral—they embody decisions about what is worth preserving, how it is classified, and which stories are told. At the same time, the title points to what existed in the beginning, before names, categories, and human-made systems. In exploring the historical collections of Vilnius University, the participating artists focused not only on the specimens and their histories, but also on the archive itself—its spaces, structures, light, fragility, and the traces left by time.
Following its first exhibition at the VU Botanical Garden in Kairėnai, Archivum archaios now moves to the heart of the city.
"We see the VU Ideas Observatory as the main venue for these artworks, many of which were created specifically with its rotating domes, their opening towards the night sky, and the space it offers for sound and slower contemplation in mind," says the exhibition's curator, Rūta Spelskytė.
The exhibition will be on view at the VU Ideas Observatory from 24 July to 13 September.
Opening: 24 July, 6:00 PM
Venue: VU Idėjų observatorija, M. K. Čiurlionio St. 29, Vilnius 03100, Lithuania
Participating Artists
Elena A. V. Reckewitz, Dagnė Petkevičiūtė, Viktorija Balkutė, Vilius Vingras, Rūta Spelskytė, Fausta Lukošiūtė, Aidas Stončius, Kornelijus Zaleckas, Adomas Mažeika, Anna Chostegian, Austėja Zabulytė, Rima Briškaitė, Gintas Kavoliūnas, Paulė Vaitkutė, Kotryna Navickaitė, Raminta Beržanskytė.
Curators: Rūta Spelskytė, Mindaugas Rasimavičius
Publication Design: Alvė Skauronaitė
Visual Communication Design: Vilius Vingras