20 July 2015

On 21st of July 2015 from the centre of Vilnius a monument of Socialist period has been removed with no apparent reason. The object was standing on a bridge as city landmark since 1952. Eight figures have survived the 1990-91 wave of dismantlement of public sculptures of the Socialist period and were enlisted as a protected heritage object. And the only explanation why the monument was removed is to create a broadcasted event, similar to those successfully circulated a quarter of century ago. For several days the artist and a few people film team were following preparations and the actual taking down. The action of calibrating the cameras becomes a ritual for the object about to leave. The filming process and participation in it is both mediating and legitimising the procedure, even if against artists’ will. Sound and text narratives are associated with the disappearing monument and the removal of bronze bodies is edited into stereoscopic video performance.