The FLUXUS Festival, taking place on 13 September at 20:30, invites everyone to free themselves from the “zoo in their heads” and dive into another unforgettable celebration.
According to the organisers, this year’s participants can expect not only unique surprises but also exclusive opportunities to experience the spirit of the Fluxus movement with both body and mind.
“FLUXUS Festival has already become one of the most anticipated events in Kaunas, bringing together an enormous creative charge. This year, we have prepared a programme that will encourage you to release the wild beast within and get ready for a memorable journey up Parodos Hill. This time, however, we encourage not only dressing up in Fluxus-inspired costumes but also adding another element – the way of climbing. Crawl backwards, push a friend in a wheelbarrow, hop like a frog, or maybe climb on a small ladder – on 13 September, yet another extraordinary celebration awaits,” says the festival’s producer, Vaiva Marija Bružaitė.
According to her, this year the FLUXUS Festival has also been strongly shaped by contributions from children in grades 1–8, who already in spring took part in special workshops creating animal costumes and drawing their own Fluxus animals – imagined, unique creatures that will come to life during the climb.
As V. M. Bružaitė notes, creative climbers at the top of the hill will be welcomed by a special LRT Opus stage and discussions about Fluxus. As in previous years, once the majority of participants have reached the top, an impressive stage programme and a secret musical performance will be waiting in S. Darius and S. Girėnas Square.
Another novelty – two special catwalks will be set up in the square, inviting participants to showcase their outfits and join the contest for the most impressive Fluxus costumes. The winners will be selected after the festival on the social media accounts of Kaunas Artists’ House, with special prizes awaiting them.
“The programme at the bottom and top of the hill has been prepared together with director Linas Jurkštas for several months, but we are keeping everything hidden under nine locks. However, the sharpest-eyed and most creative Kaunas residents, already in August and September, could participate in creating a giant octopus at Science Island, two giant giraffes at the Lithuanian Zoo, and unique clouds at the Ąžuolynas Library – all of them will climb Parodos Hill together with us on 13 September. Overall, we do not doubt that this year’s FLUXUS Festival will become yet another extraordinary event,” says the producer V. M. Bružaitė.
Experience the Spirit of Fluxus During the Introductory Programme
The organisers will invite everyone to prepare for the FLUXUS Festival throughout the entire week, starting on 9 September. According to the cultural activities curator of Kaunas Artists’ House, the festival’s introductory programme will not only help participants get ready for the climb up Parodos Hill but also reflect on this year’s festival theme.
“The starting point of the introductory programme is two texts – art critic and writer John Berger’s essay Why Look at Animals and film critic and animal studies researcher Anat Pick’s response Why Not Look at Animals. Since both explore the relationship between people, art, and observing animals, the introductory programme itself will offer yet another opportunity to approach the 2025 festival theme – animals – from different perspectives,” says S. Noreikaitė.
On 9 September at 18:30, those wishing to learn more about Fluxus performances and happenings will be able to try these practices at workshops held at Kaunas Artists’ House with artists Alina Pilecka and Marijonas Verbel. Participants will have the chance to spontaneously and freely interpret happening scores, embody animal forms, experiment with unusual points of view, and discover links between art and everyday life.
Meanwhile, on 10 September at 18:30, Kaunas Artists’ House will host a discussion on the legacy and relevance of Fluxus today, moderated by art and culture researcher Lina Michelkevičė. Together with curator, artist, and art critic Laima Kreivytė, and interdisciplinary artist as well as deputy director general of the M. K. Čiurlionis Museum, Lina Pranaitė, she will attempt to reveal what Fluxus means to us today – whether we now associate it more with a historical art movement, with a concrete legacy represented in historical exhibitions and Fluxus cabinets.
The introductory programme will gain even more momentum on Thursday at 18:30, with artist Andrej Polukord inviting the audience to a performative tour of the Lithuanian Zoo. During it, the founder and director of Galerie Überall will talk about the economic aspects of the “Animal Welfare State.” (Note: tickets for this tour are already sold out.)
Finally, on 13 September – the day of the climb up Parodos Hill – those who have not yet immersed themselves in the Fluxus spirit will be able to join special costume workshops with Lukas Dovydėnas in the outdoor space of Kaunas Picture Gallery from 17:00. During the workshop, participants will be able to create their own fantasy animal costume or modify their clothes into animal-like forms: an extra kangaroo pocket on the belly or sleeves resembling spider legs.
The introductory programme of the Fluxus Festival, as well as the climb up Parodos Hill on 13 September, is free of charge, though some activities require registration.
More information and registration.
The Fluxus Festival is organised by Kaunas Artists’ House and funded by Kaunas City Municipality. Media partner – LRT Opus.
