Works of art usually do (or do not) invoke certain feelings and thoughts. Art “acceptance” is regulated by our VISUAL capabilities. Increasingly often modern art provides an opportunity to know from hearing, or sometimes from the excited smell. However, for all the obvious reasons the possibility to TOUCH usually remains prohibited.

In art galleries and various museums we witness a verbal, written and even visual prohibition saying “PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH”. The prohibition often results in completely opposite actions of visitors of different ages. It should be noted that such a prohibition leads to an even greater desire to touch the artwork. This prohibition discloses an original idea of the exhibition in which the usual prohibition of museums and galleries is turned into a permit and an open basis for an acceptance and understanding of artworks, which promote an interactive emergence of the relationship between the viewer and the work of art.

The first contemporary textile exhibition “Objects to Touch” was introduced in the spring of the year 2002 at Janina Monkute-Marks Museum-Gallery and was solemnly opened on October 20, 2001. Nineteen artists of different fields presented a great variety of textile artworks for the exhibition; visitors had the opportunity to touch, to try on, to put on, to sit on and even to roll on these creations. The idea for an exhibition was introduced by the contemporary curator of Janina Monkute-Marks Museum-Gallery Karolina Jakaite. The field of textile was chosen on purpose: the works of textile, especially contemporary ones, often become objects of interest for touching. The exhibition shows objects of textile, appealing by their softness, gentleness, facture, a variety of materials and techniques.

This year Janina Monkutė-Marks Gallery is celebrating its 15th anniversary; therefore, we want to revive the idea of the first textile exhibition and invite VARIOUS ARTISTS to participate in the contemporary art exhibition “Objects to Touch 2”. In this exhibition artists presents a variety of ideas in objects of different sizes that promote an interactive emergence of the relationship between the viewer and the work of art. Using various materials artists created art objects which exhibition visitors will be able to touch, try on, sit and even play. International exhibition “Objects to Touch 2” present 56 artists from 12 countries: Denmark, Switzerland, Latvia, Romania, Lithuania, Japan, Turkey, Germany, Slovakia, Finland, France, United Kingdom.

Artists:
Aja Baumane (Latvia), Amano Noriko (Japan), Anne Brodersen (Denmark), Asta Fedaraviciute-Jasiune (Lithuania), Audrone Bukauskiene (Lithuania), Augustas Lopas (Lithuania), Auste Guogaite (Lithuania), Ausra Sedleviciute (Lithuania), Birute Sarapiene (Lithuania), Cornelia Brustureanu (Romania), Cristina Gabriela Hirtescu (Romania), Emiko Yoshiya (Japan), Ginte Maziuliene (Lithuania), Grazvydas Bugas (Lithuania), Inga Betuza-Bertuza (Lithuania), Inge Stahl (Germany), Irina Kostina (Lithuania), Jelena Skuliene (Lithuania), Jurate Petruskeviciene (Lithuania), Yolaine Fruhauf (Switzerland), Yoshida Masako (Japan), Yunohara Kiyoshi (Japan), Leyla Yildirim (Turkey), Lina Jonike (Lithuania), Loreta Zdanaviciene (Lithuania), Mayumi Tsukuda (Japan), Maja Andrey (Switzerland), Mami Idei (Japan), Marghidan Ecaterina (Romania), Maria Hromadova (Slovakia), Minnamarina Tammi (Finland), Mira Podmanicka (Slovakia), Miruna Hasegan (Romania), Narahira Noriko (Japan), Nobuko Ueda (Japan), Painter Coded (Lithuania), Patricyan (France), Raminta Ardzeviciene (Lithuania), Ricardas Zdanavicius (Lithuania), Rima Stadalnykiene (Lithuania), Rita Legcilina-Broka (Latvia), Rob Burton (United Kingdom), Romualdas Incirauskas (Lithuania), Rugile Gumuliauskaite (Lithuania), Sachiko Itabashi (Japan), Sumiko Tasaka (Japan), Susan Bowman (England), Tomas Vosylius (Lithuania), Tsuruko Tanikawa (Japan), Valentinas Butanavicius (Lithuania), Velga Lukaza (Latvia), Vieriu Madalina (Romania), Virginija Kirveliene (Lithuania), Zita Incirauskiene (Lithuania), Zoe Vida Porumb (Romania), Zuzana Hromadova (Slovakia).

Ausra Sedleviciute – the Exhibition Curator