Andrius Erminas. Memory Chapel. The Sun Above the Cabbage Field
23 September 2026 – 18 April 2027
In the exhibition “Memory Chapel. The Sun Above the Cabbage Field”, the well-known conceptual sculpture creator Andrius Erminas continues his exploration of personal and collective memory, and of place and identity. The site-specific project created especially for the Palanga Amber Museum’s chapel space brings together the building’s historical context with the artist’s internal experiences. The conceptual axis of this exhibition is the vision of the author’s childhood home, located not far from Palanga. Created from repeating fragments of dreams and memories, this structure made of concrete forms and metal elements sensitively opens up the author’s personal past.
The personal experiences in this exposition directly fuse with the museum space – sculptural objects are housed on authentic concrete pavement tiles, which had once been laid on the city’s paths. The concrete cabbage casts exhibited on this historic foundation serve as a reference to the myth of human birth and the search for one’s very beginnings. Erminas’ characteristic inclination to transform everyday industrial materials into sculptural symbols is most distinctly revealed in the exhibition’s architecture – an installation reminiscent of a theatre curtain creates a distinct transition from one space to the next, while the sculptural cement disc deconstructs its industrial purpose to become an image of a sun setting into the sea. These works are combined into the artist’s personal memory archive where the viewer is invited to rethink their own relationship with the past, their childhood memories and the images created by their subconscious.
Andrius Erminas is a conceptual sculpture creator who makes sculptures, objects and installations where everyday things take on new symbolic meanings. In his works he explores themes of memory, individuality, authorship, and the individual’s relationship with the environment and culture, often relying on motifs from his personal experiences. The principle of contrast and transformation is an important aspect of the artist’s work, when ordinary objects balance between reality and surrealism, prompting the viewer to rethink their meaning, the human experience, memory and perception of the world around us.
Andrius Erminas (b. 1971) undertook Bachelor’s studies in fresco-mosaic and Master’s studies in sculpture at the Vilnius Academy of Arts. He has received state scholarships for culture and art creators, receiving awards for his highly idiosyncratic work and encouragement to pursue its further development. Erminas has held over twenty solo exhibitions and actively participates in various joint projects in Lithuania, Great Britain, Ukraine, Austria, Bulgaria, Germany and elsewhere. His work has been acquired by private Lithuanian and foreign art collectors, and has been included in the MO Museum’s collections. The artist is represented by (AV17) Gallery.
Architect Andrius Erminas
Coordinators: Sigita Bagužaitė-Talačkienė, Regina Makauskienė
Graphic designer Domantas Pigulevičius
17 Vytauto st, LT-00101, Palanga, Lithuania
(+370 460) 30314
gintaro.muziejus@lndm.lt
