Futurity Island

Nomeda And Gediminas Urbonas (b. 1968 and 1966) are an artist duo who are consistently engaged in research-based artistic creation. Each of their works emerges from extensive, often long-term, research across various fields, seamlessly blending scientific and artistic endeavours. Having graduated from the Vilnius Academy of Art in different disciplines (Nomeda in graphic art, Gediminas in sculpture), they initially pursued solo careers. Gediminas was a founding member of the pioneering Žalias lapas (Green Leaf ) performance and action group in 1993. Together with the art researcher Saulius Grigoravičius, he established the Jutempus TMP (Interdisciplinary Art Projects) contemporary art gallery in what is now the Kablys venue. In 2007, the Urbonas represented Lithuania at the Venice Biennale with their interdisciplinary project Villa Lituania. This project can be viewed as an artistic exploration of the former Lithuanian Embassy building in Rome, which Lithuania lost after its occupation by the Soviet Union. Currently teaching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Urbonas focus predominantly on ecological themes in their work. Their installation Futurity Island exemplifies this interest. It serves as an object firing the imagination, a stage for performance, and a space for listening. At its core lies a large-diameter pipe, clearly crafted by human hands. Yet it transcends its industrial origins, which are typically associated with drainage, and oil and gas pipelines, as part of man’s exploitation of nature. In the Urbonas’ vision, the pipe transforms into a tool for listening to the sounds of nature, serving as a conduit to reveal its secrets. Futurity Island offers the hope of a harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Originally conceived as a floating laboratory for the Venice Biennale of Architecture, the installation debuted in 2018 at ‘The Work of Wind: Land, Air and Sea’ project organised by the University of Toronto. In 2019 it graced the square of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus, and in 2023 it was exhibited at the National Gallery of Art in Vilnius.

Text author Jurgita Ludavičienė

Photos by Gintarė Grigėnaitė and Antanas Lukšėnas

Nomeda And Gediminas Urbonas (b. 1968 and 1966) are an artist duo who