Zilvinas Kempinas to represent Lithuanian at 53rd Venice Biennale 2009

Organized by the Vartai Gallery, commissioner Laura Rutkutė, curator Laima Kreivytė.

New York-based Lithuanian artist Žilvinas Kempinas employs videotape as a sculptural material rather than visual data carrier. In his installations invisible forces of gravity and air circulation animate architectural space, reshaping it into a totally new environment. His latest work, a large-scale installation TUBE was created at Atelier Calder (Saché, France) and will be set up for the Lithuanian pavilion in Venice to resonate with the environment of the city. TUBE addresses the physical and optical experience of the viewer, passage of time, perception of the body and architecture.

Kempinas has been using magnetic tape since the beginning of this decade to construct monumental yet fragile spaces of experience. Playful gestures and geometric clarity are equally important. His artistic practice is based on recycling the principles of minimal, abstract, op art and kinetic art in the post-medium condition.

Zilvinas Kempinas. Tube, 2008 Installation view, Atelier Calder, France

Žilvinas Kempinas was born in 1969 in Plunge, Lithuania. He lives and works in New York. Solo exhibitions: Kunsthalle Wien, Austria (through January 25, 2009); Grand Café, Saint Nazare, France (2008); Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius, Lithuania (2007); Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2006); P.S.1, New York (2003); Spencer Brownstone Gallery, New York (2004, 2006, 2007). Selected group shows: The Immediate Future, Lund Konsthall, Sweden (January 31 – March 29, 2009), Now Jump, Nam June Paik Art Center, Yongin/Seoul, Korea (through February 5, 2009), Manifesta 7, Bolzano (2008); New Work: Zilvinas Kempinas, Alyson Shotz, Mary Temple, SFMOMA (2008); Go East, Museum of Modern Art, Luxembourg (2008). In 2007 Kempinas was awarded the Calder Prize and Atelier Calder residency.

Laura Rutkutė is a co-founder of Vartai Gallery, coordinator of an international contemporary art project ARTscape in collaboration with “Vilnius – European Capital of Culture 2009”.

Laima Kreivytė is an art critic and curator based in Vilnius. In 2007, she was part of the curatorial team of Prague Biennale 3. Since June 2007, she has been working as a visual arts projects manager at “Vilnius – European Capital of Culture 2009”.

Lithuanian Pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale is principally funded by the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture.