On February 6 (Friday) at 6 PM, Vilnius art space “GODÒ gallery” continues its annual February tradition by presenting the group painting exhibition “HEDONISM.LT”, which explores the role of hedonism in contemporary Lithuanian art. As every year, the exhibition is dedicated to the memory of the late painter Aleksandras Vozbinas.
Originating in Ancient Greece, the theory of hedonism proposes that pleasure is the fundamental value of human life – its ultimate goal and highest good. However, both at the roots of the theory and in contemporary culture, hedonism is understood ambiguously: it can be associated with mindful self-awareness and balance, with excessive indulgence and paradoxical luxury, or with the ritual of small everyday joys.
Each year, by bringing together different contemporary artists, the exhibition’s curator Lena Chvičija develops the hypothesis that the concept of hedonism may be closely linked to national mentality and cultural self-perception. “HEDONISM.LT” invites visitors to consider the theme of pleasure through the lens of the Lithuanian context: How relevant is a hedonistic perspective to contemporary Lithuanian painting? Does it act as a creative impulse or as a subtle, visually encoded motif? How does this impulse manifest in the painter’s practice, and in what forms does it materialize on the canvas?
The exhibition highlights various dimensions of hedonistic painting: subject matter and its interpretative layers, philosophical and literary contexts, mood and sensory perception, the expressiveness of color and texture, and the artist’s personal experiences, which often become distinctive “codes” of pleasure within the painting.
Participating artists: Romualdas Balinskas, Martynas Gediminas, Agnė Juškaitė, Viačeslavas Jevdokimovas-Karmalita, Inga Noir Mrazauskė, Audronė Petrašiūnaitė, Aleksandras Vozbinas (1958-2021).
The exhibition aims not only to reveal the diversity of hedonism in Lithuanian painting, but also to encourage viewers to reconsider the importance of pleasure in everyday life, culture, and the field of visual art. Visitors are invited to join an open discussion – to reflect on how hedonism manifests in their own lives, what forms it takes, and what values it reveals. Since the beginning of this exhibition tradition in 2021, visitors have also been invited to record their personal reflections on hedonism in a book that is updated annually. The collected thoughts gradually form a kind of collective map of “Lithuanian” hedonism.
The exhibition will run until March 7. Admission is free.
The exhibition is part of the contemporary art initiative “SU-MENĖK 2026”, organized by Neakivaizdinis Vilnius.
On February 14 and 21 at 3 PM, guided tours of the exhibition “HEDONISM.LT” with curator Lena Chvičija will take place. The tours will explore the concept of hedonism in contemporary Lithuanian painting and its connections to cultural identity, everyday and creative rituals of pleasure, and personal experience.
Traditionally, in the exhibition “HEDONIZMAS.LT”, the artists reveal where their personal hedonism lies.
R. Balinskas first raises the question of the value of pleasure and consciously distances himself from a superficial understanding of it. “Classical hedonism is often associated with short-term gratification. But can something that satisfies us only briefly not also hold deeper value? Perhaps that momentary pleasure is like a spark that inspires and enriches life, despite its fleeting nature? And it’s certainly not about sex, food, or a warm breeze caressing the body by the sea. I am closer to Epicurus’ teaching, where pleasure is understood not as temporary sensory enjoyment, but as peace of the soul and a state of mind free from pain and fear. That is a more idealistic definition of happiness,” he says.
A. Juškaitė defines hedonism in a completely different, yet equally introspective way. For her, it is the ability to step away. “To detach, but in a way that doesn’t hurt myself or others. There are things, of course, from which we can never truly detach — who would I be then? The place of withdrawal is the road. Whether it’s a stretch of the Via Podiensis or the road from Kupiškis to Plundakai. There are always roads and paths that feel good to walk. To admire and to thank God for what has been created. For what I am allowed to see and experience in life. Simply for the fact that I can still walk,” she says.
Meanwhile, I. Noir Mrazauskė describes hedonism laconically, yet with existential depth: “The meaning of life is to live.”
This idea is, in a way, close to M. Gediminas’ understanding of hedonism as well. “I make love with life, and it feels good,” he says.
When thinking about hedonism, A. Petrašiūnaitė first names sensory experiences: “To breathe. To be alive. To paint. To stroke a cat’s fur. To listen to the rain falling. And falling. Red drops of wine. In the night.”
Meanwhile, Viačeslavas Jevdokimovas-Karmalita associates hedonism with a way of looking at the world — for him, it is a state in which, through the window, “all the answers” can be seen.
Biographies:
Romualdas Balinskas (b. 1959, Šiauliai) has been a member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association since 1990. In 2019, he was awarded the Association’s “Golden Badge” for innovative explorations of visual language and the development of rich, universal themes. He has participated in exhibitions since 1984 and has held more than 70 solo exhibitions in Lithuania, India, Germany, and elsewhere. He also takes part in major Lithuanian group exhibitions in Lithuania, Germany, Estonia, the USA, Belgium, Italy, and other countries. His works are in the collections of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art, the Art Fund, the Mark Rothko Art Centre, as well as in private collections in Lithuania and abroad. Since 1988, he has worked as a book artist, creating more than 600 book covers, book designs, textbooks, posters, and other graphic design works.
Martynas Gediminas (b. 1974) received a BA in Textile Art and Design from the Vilnius Academy of Arts in 1997 and an MA in the same field in 1999. In 1995, he completed an internship in the United Kingdom at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation through a bilateral exchange program. He currently works primarily in painting.
Agnė Juškaitė (b. 1972, Vilnius) studied at the Vilnius Academy of Arts from 1993 to 1999 in the Department of Monumental Art (specializing in stained glass). She has participated in exhibitions since 1997 and has been a member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association since 2021.
Viačeslavas Jevdokimovas-Karmalita (b. 1946, Khmelnytskyi, Western Ukraine) graduated in 1980 with a degree in fresco and mosaic from the State Art Institute (now the Vilnius Academy of Arts). He has been exhibiting since 1993. His works are held in the MO Museum in Vilnius and in private collections in Lithuania and abroad.
Inga Noir Mrazauskė (b. 1986) graduated from Vilnius Tuskulėnai Secondary School with a specialization in art. In 2009, she completed her BA studies at the Vilnius Academy of Arts with honors and received her MA in Fine Arts with honors in 2011. She has been a member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association since 2020 and has belonged to the art movement “SinThesis Gang” since 2019. She has been exhibiting since 2009 and currently works actively as an independent artist. She has held 40 exhibitions, including 11 solo shows, and participates in plein-air events. Her paintings are in private collections in Lithuania, Germany, Italy, the USA, and the Netherlands.
Audronė Petrašiūnaitė (b. 1954) graduated in painting from the Lithuanian Art Institute (now the Vilnius Academy of Arts) in 1982; her teacher was painter Vladas Karatajus. From 1982 to 1988, she taught painting at the Kaunas S. Žukas Applied Art Technical School; from 1988 to 1993, she taught the subject at the Kaunas Juozas Naujalis Secondary School of Art; and from 1995 to 2010, she was an associate professor at the Vilnius Academy of Arts. She has been participating in exhibitions since 1983 and has been a member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association since 1988. She has received numerous awards and grants, including: the magazine Nemunas Prize at the 3rd Baltic Young Artists’ Fine Art Exhibition “Youth 85” (1985); a scholarship from the Lippe District Cultural Institute, Germany (1991); a grant from the Soros Center for Contemporary Art in Lithuania (1998); and a State Scholarship of the Republic of Lithuania for artists (2002), among others. Her works are in the MO Museum and in private collections.
Aleksandras Vozbinas (1958, Vilnius – 2021) graduated in painting from the State Art Institute (now the Vilnius Academy of Arts) in 1988 and studied under Professor Augustinas Savickas. He was a member of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association from 1990 and served on its board from 1997. He participated in more than 300 exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad and held over 50 solo exhibitions. He also curated numerous exhibitions and organized plein-air events in Lithuania and internationally.
Gallery address: Malūnų St. 6A, Vilnius
Opening hours: Tue–Fri 13:00–19:00, Sat 12:00–18:00