ARTVILNIUS’18 AUDIENCE AWARDS GIVEN OUT

June 8, 2018
On Saturday night, ArtVilnius’18 traditionally invited art fair’s guests to the closing ceremony at the Contemporary Art Centre and announced the awardees selected by the audience.
The Audience Select Gallery award went to a gallery of the Vilnius Academy of Arts, ARgenTum, featuring the works of metal artist Vytautas Mockaitis (1958–2011). Created by scenographer Renata Valčik, the ARgenTum’s stand exposition captured visitors’ attention with its green spaces and, certainly, heavy, monumental and unmistakable metal works of Vytautas Mockaitis. The Audience Select Gallery, like Audience Select Artist, received monetary prizes from art fair’s sponsor Volfas Engelman.
Argentum gallery director Kristina Dulevičiūte
Argentum gallery booth at ArtVilnius’18.
The Audience Select Artist award was given to a regular participant of ArtVilnius, artist Kęstutis Svirnelis. The stuttgart-based kinetic artist has been for several years attracting the interest of art fair’s visitors with his moving objects.

“We are very glad that audience award went to Kęstutis Svirnelis, who is a regular art fair’s participant and one of the most visited and photographed artist by the viewers. This year, ARgenTum gallery created a very interesting and united exposition which also captured the interest of many art fair’s visitors”, commented on the audience choice Mrs. Diana Stomienė, director of ArtVilnius’18.

Installation by Kęstutis Svirnelis 
A novelty of ArtVilnius’18 – the best female artist nomination and monetary prize established by Soroptimist International (Vilnius First Club). The award for creative integrity went to Estonian artist Laura Kuusk, presented at the art fair by Foku gallery. The winner under this nomination was selected by the panel of judges which announced the winners under other nominations already on the first day of the art fair.
FOKU gallery from Estonia presented artist Laura Kuusk
ArtVilnius’18 best galleries (in alphabetical order) are: Alma (Latvia), Contour Art Gallery (Lithuania), Foku (Estonia), Galerie des Petits Carreaux (France), Kogo (Estonia), Piktogram (Poland), and The Rooster Gallery (Lithuania). The Best ArtVilnius’18 Artist award went to Latvian artist Ivars Drulle, presented by Riga-based gallery Alma. The winner of the Best ArtVilnius’18 Sculpture/Installation is Vladas Urbanavičius, participant of the exhibition TAKAS, with his sculptural installation Compound 1 / Compound 2. As every year, Law Firm Cobalt, maecenas of the art fair, presented an award of EUR 1,000 to the Best ArtVilnius’18 Young Artist (under 35). This award went to Rimas Sakalauskas who was presented by Meno Niša gallery.
This year, the panel of judges consisted of Prof. Andris Vītoliņš, vice-rector of the Art Academy of Latvia, Dr. Raminta Jurėnaitė, art critic, Dr. Elona Lubytė, art critic, Donatas Stankevičius, photographer and curator, Sonata Baliuckaitė, art critic and artistic director at ArtVilnius.
During the ArtVilnius’18 closing night at the Contemporary Art Centre, the guests also had the opportunity to view the Baltic Triennial’13 Give Up the Ghost.
Patron of ArtVilnius’18 – Vilnius City Municipality; main sponsor – Lithuanian Council for Culture.