Prototypes for Alternative Realities

In the global sphere of art and design Julijonas Urbonas – an APT artist, investigator, scientist of design, and engineer – is prominently distinguished for his activity diverseness. At the first sight such a variety of fields might bewilder, but according to J. Urbonas, the fantasy of reality unites the whole work. There is a myriad of realities with different – psychological, social, scientific, technological – conceptions of time and space, therefore the reality modelling demands interdisciplinary competence. This is the reason why such fields as design fiction, speculative engineering, social fiction, performative architecture, choreographic heuristics, medicine, theatre and dance are combined in the artist’s practice. 

The plural for the title of exhibition “Prototypes of alternative realities” was chosen not by coincidence – not only due to J. Urbonas’ multi-objective activity nature, but also due to thematic and methodological diversity which has been characteristic to the author in the formation process of alternative realities for almost a decade. There, for example, one project is orientated arithmomaniacs, that is, the people who suffer from mental disorder and count everything around; the other combines dance, robotics and amusement rides; the next is about the direction of dreams. Boxing-gloves that count the punches, a domestic earthquake generator, vomit sticks, a carousel killer –  these are only a few examples of artist’s fantasy.

Recent J. Urbonas’ projects are based on his artistic research on sensual gravitational experiences found in amusement rides, high manoeuvrability planes, acrobatics, sports, astronaut training etc. The visitors of the exhibition will have a chance to take a look at the results of such research. The model of perhaps the most famous J. Urbonas’ work “Euthanasia Coaster” (2010) will be one of them. A scale-model of “Cumspin” (2015), an orgasm enhancing funfair machine, a sort of a cousin of the “Euthanasia Coaster”, will be presented in Lithuania for the first time as well as the project “Air time” (2016) – an early prototype of the hybrid of a gut-oriented architecture, an antigravity machine and an amusement ride. This project will represent Lithuania in La Triennale di Milano in April this year.

Most of the exhibition showpieces are literally prototypes – unfinished works, sketches and models. This is a peculiar map of J. Urbonas’ creative researches. It illustrates the complex hunt for subject-matters and solutions, paths and sideways.