Heritage, visual arts, performing arts.
850 startups operate in Lithuania. 6.5 percent is advertising and creativity (Ad Tech and Creative Tech). The cultural and creative industries sector in Lithuania has been one of the fastest growing economic sectors in recent years. Developers, start-ups, small and medium-sized businesses become an important part of the ecosystem and circular economy by creating products and services.
In Lithuania, there are more and more creators who tame new technologies – from painting works to photo editing software, which is already widely used in the world, based on artificial intelligence technology.
The most advanced, leading and most developed media in Lithuania are the new media, game industry, film industry and music industry and visual arts.
We will look at some examples from heritage, visual arts, performing arts and games.
In heritage institutions such as museums, new technologies can become tools to increase inclusion and give new life to exhibits. Augmented reality (AR) technology and exhibitions based on it are attracting more and more attention from heritage institutions and museums. There are not many examples of the use of virtual reality technology in the activities of Lithuanian museums, but the most famous one is “Trail of Angels”. In 2018, director Kristina Buozyte and producer Vitalijus Zukas presented the artistic virtual reality film “Trail of Angels”, based on the paintings of the most famous Lithuanian artist Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis. 60 images were used to create the interactive experience. The authors sought not only to transfer the paintings to virtual reality, but also to convey the emotion, what the artist wanted to convey with his work.
Visual arts creators are among the first to test the possibilities of all new technologies. Developers in this field are usually looking for opportunities to experiment, to discover new or interdisciplinary forms of expression. However, many creators in Lithuania who decided to try new technologies are self-taught. There are no opportunities for mentoring, counseling or supervision. Despite this, creators present their work in virtual space and join international communities. Painter Andrius Zakarauskas created his first NFT – “Tape the Motion. Disco”. It was sold at a charity auction during the international contemporary art fair “ArtVilnius”. Artist Robertas Narkus presented his augmented reality exhibition “The Bearer”.
The works of art in it are artifacts, trophies, tools – real “living dramas” with their own philosophy, myths, culture, artificial products and solutions, by-products, scenography and props. Using a special app, you can see “augmented reality” installations at the exhibition, invisible to the naked eye. With this project, the artist aims to sense the shift towards a new era.
Performing arts – theater or dance on the screen – is not comparable to the experience in a theater or other space. The creators believe that digitization in the theater leads to becoming a different kind of art – more cinema. Apparently, that is why new technologies in this field are adopted timidly and only in individual projects. However, there are also performing arts ArtTech pioneers in Lithuania, whose works show that there is a need for the development of the ArtTech ecosystem. “Kosmos theater” is looking for new artistic forms by combining classical theater with the achievements of modern science and technological innovations. They create performances, installations, experiential platforms using 3D animation, virtual and augmented reality and more means. By bringing together young artists and providing them with creative and educational platforms, “Kosmos theater” aims to become a center of contemporary art experiments.
Books and press. Monika Budinaitė is the first writer in Lithuania who implements NFT performance in the field of literature. A writer sold a draft of a book she was writing as an NFT, thus giving the new owner of the work the opportunity to see the text with the critic’s handwritten comments and finally find himself in the novel “with the rights of a guest”. This example reflects the trends of the modern creative field, where the connection between the creator and the audience is getting stronger, moving from feedback and criticism to co-creation.
