Pretext Street: giving a name to an unnamed street in Klaipėda, 2024
street name sign; 700 x 150 mm
marine buoy; 1.7 x 10 m
M-8 unnamed street between Šimkaus g. 15/17 and Puodžių g. 20/22
The Lithuanian compound word uostamiestis (“port city”) also reflects the urban structure of Klaipėda: this is a city of two parts that mostly never meet – the port area is separated from the city by a fence. While exploring Klaipėda, Tomas Martišauskis came across marine buoys pulled out of the water in the port area. The artist’s idea of borrowing a buoy from the port and moving it into the city’s public space is an artistic gesture, an attempt to establish a connection between the city and the port – and perhaps a pretext for further collaboration. The artist drew a straight line on the map between the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority and the Klaipėda Culture Communication Centre, and its midpoint fell on an unnamed street that begins between 15 and 17 S. Šimkaus Street and ends between 20 and 22 Puodžių Street. Martišauskis proposes naming this street Pretext Street, thus symbolically marking the possibility of cooperation between the city and the port.
Paulina Pukytė
Tomas Martišauskis is a sculptor and art researcher living in Vilnius and Palanga, with more than 20 years of creative experience. In 2006 he completed a master’s degree in sculpture at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, and in 2020 he defended his doctoral art project there. Since 2000 he has held solo exhibitions in Lithuania, Germany and Iceland, and has taken part in international group exhibitions and art projects. In 2013 he became a member of the Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists’ Association (LTMKS) and was granted the status of art creator. Since 2015 he has taught at the J. Vienožinskis Art School. His work has been recognised with prestigious grants and international residencies.