Suchergebnisse

The purpose of this M.A. thesis is to research a hypothetical possibillity of building a metropolitan system in the city of Vilnius. For many years the idea of Vilnius Metro has been already escalated from engineerical, economical, ecological, political point of views, nethertheless, there is no data about Lithuanian artists showing major interest in this theme. Metro stations still are unseen kind of public spaces in Lithuania, that's why a newly built metro could possibly foster our artists' imagination. During my M.A. research I was trying to find new aspects of this phenomenon who could give an additional impulse to the artists of various fields. A metro system is about permanent transit which continouos energy stream is created by people, traffic participants. Moving masses create a common – mass – emotion and they are impacted by a distinctive esthetics and ruled by the sum of signs. Basing myself upon Michele Foucoult space philosphy ideas, the interpretation of symbol language by Ernst Gombrich, Paul Johaness Tillich and other authors, also by deep rooted collective experience, which historically could be explained by a Christian theology narrative, I was looking for my own senses and resources of artistical expressions under the ground. By disclosing the best metro examples and my own theoretical considerations I am trying to prove that a metro system is a society's mirror and the reflectors are underground platforms, stations and visual expressions of metro entries. There are innumerable objective and subjective connections in a metro system, but my major survey method is an empirical study, id est observing of already existing objects and analysing them, searching for relevant and common aspects and derivative interactions (?). In order to comprehend how metro systems are created, developed and later on kept on functioning I have analysed several metropolitans in different countries and found out that a metro is a very sensitive system, reflecting economical, social and cultural aspects of a society. I am glad I have managed to percieve its universal problems and their solutions. Those countries have inspiringly huge amount of artworks in their public metro spaces and one should notice the abundance of ideas and the quality of their implementations there. So there is no wonder that those countries with such metros usually have a special organization taking care of a city's metro and its public spaces. In my M.A. thesis I discuss the best example of such an organization that is, in my consideration, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York. At the end of XX century it was created mainly to help NY Subway system to get rid of its negative image and save this rapid transit system from collapsing. The heads of MTA very early understood that it was a good idea invest not only in design but art, as well. Since 1985 MTA's Arts and Design Program has invited almost three hundred young and prominent artists to put into reality their creative ideas in 260, almost a half of all NY metro stations. That is why NY Subway has a right now to present itself as the world's biggest public art museum under the ground. Another inspiring example is Stokholm. At the second half of XX century Swedish artists successfully managed a completely new project to them in Stokholm underground and proudly proved that art can be very democratic and artists can work in collaboration with other specialists as engineers, architects and workers. Decades after decades Stokholm metro slowly built a 110 km length underground art gallery. Stokholm metro art no longer belongs exceptionally to the Swedes, the sound of their capital's unique underground system and its images has already spread all over the globe. It has to be said – the winners of Stokholm's metro are all Swedes and every artist in this country. Swedish art curator Göran Söderström in his book Art Goes Uderground, which I can already name as my basic table book, calls Stokholm metro "a utilitarian, literally". He along all the authors of this book explain every aspect of Stokholm metro: from a need to build it, as well as planning and engineering it, to a society's needs and opinions and detailed descriptions of all stations with artworks and presentation of their creating history and philosophy. Utilitarian point of view is very distinct in all the examples presented in my M.A. thesis. One couldn't find a negative artwork or negative context anywhere in metros. Perhaps it is a common secret publicly kept in silence. If somebody decided to come up with a destructive idea, probably it would be rejected because of responsibility for a huge audience, millions of people everyday travelling rapid transit trains. Open, anonymous, unregulated public spaces naturally become a scene for social expression, especially it is true in transit zone spaces. If I discuss the esthetics in art decorated metro stations, I should discuss the space before the occurance of this estethics, I guess. My opionion of graffiti, at times irritating, at times positive phenomenon for me, is very well represented in a book about graffiti's (im)propriety called Inopinatum, written by young scholars in Rome. I could only admit that the works of street artists as Banksy, Blu, Os Gemeos become organic part of a facade and immediately create an urban value to it. And on the contrary, messy, dirty, damaged and tagged public metro space is inducing so called broken windows syndrome. My object of interest – Vilnius Metro – does not exist. Its inexestance or, in other words, the imaginery existance, became the major problem of my M.A. survey. My interest in possibility to build Vilnius metropolitan started with already existing strategy of the city. M. De Certeau ideas prompted me that my metro could be reflected from the point of view of a tactitian. Vilnius metro idea creators already have several schemes and metro line junctions. It was interesting to study them and evaluating their correspondence with my expectations as a tactitian. An organic metro line net reminds me of a plant root system, a huge battery placed under the city and providing it with energy. Cities with metros remind me of a human body that is vital, vibrant and forever young. My meeting with Vilnius metro planners and conversations with them could have become a small play of its own or extend the practical part of my M.A. thesis. Sadly, I have to admit that very important topic of Vilnius city landed in the hands of lobbyists and their "life mission" to build a metro is nothing more as a selfish search for a lucrative way to dig under Vilnius ground. As soon as I found it, I decided to look for data of this subject by myself and stop using the data supplied from the Destorted Looking-Glass Land of Vilnius metro lobbyists. For months attentively studying Vilnius city structure and its maps I have built a Vilnius metro scheme of my own. Along these studies I have been reading Tomas Venclova books. I trusted this Vilnius researcher, as well as his experience and insights. His idea about Vilnius, which fascinated me the most, was that Vilnius old town reminded anatomical heart. So I looked precisely at the contor map of Vilnius old town made by Vilnius municipality and I was astonished at how right and precise Tomas Venclova was, only several percent of the old town had not fitted into the contour. And not only this, Vilnius old town resembled an actual anatomical heart with its venous and arterial blood vessels taking all nutrients needed form the rivers Neris and Vilnelė. So that is how my city started – from the heart. Vilnius city anatomy with metro stations, that are still waiting for being created and given significance. It seems quite a good idea to me.