In the Shadow of Knowledge. Sculpture Pre-context “We also hold what resides in the shadow of knowledge,” remarked Vladas Urbanavičius, one of Lithuania’s most renowned sculptors, in conversation with the art critic Alfonsas Andriuškevičius. This idea defines the concept of the exhibition, which presents sculpture as a direct, sensory experience. Sculpture in the shadow of knowledge invites viewers to encounter sculptural objects before contextualizing their themes or meanings. Here, the emphasis is on the intrinsic properties of sculpture – its spatial presence, materiality, and emotional impact – elements we perceive immediately, before engaging in rational analysis and starting to “read” the work like a book. The exhibition unfolds in three sections: space, material, and dream. It features works from the TARTLE collection, spanning the 19th to the 21st centuries, with a strong focus on classical and modernist Lithuanian sculpture. Complementing these pieces are contemporary sculptures from artists’ private collections, which challenge tradition and invite new ways of seeing – offering moments of surprise and discovery.

The exhibition Forever Temporary is a dialogue between art history and the present, between then and now, between this and that. What does art history reveal about artworks and their viewers when we see it not merely as a succession of styles or eras, but as humanity’s ongoing effort to understand itself in the world? Each period brings its own context and visual language, yet all share a common thread: timeless existential questions around which creativity unfolds. TARTLE lent three artworks for this exhibition.