“DARŽAS” GALLERY OF THE KLAIPĖDA FACULTY OF THE VILNIUS ACADEMY OF ARTS
The “Daržas” Gallery was established in 2026 in the historic part of the Klaipėda Faculty of the Vilnius Academy of Arts, located at 18 Daržų St., Klaipėda. The name is associated with the historic Daržų Street, which took shape in the 17th–18th centuries, when this part of the city was surrounded by gardens and orchards. Since 2015, the building’s facade has been adorned by the neo-fresco “Sapnas” (“Dream”), created by street artists Edvardas Šeputis (Shepa) and Tadas Vincaitis (Plūgo)—one of the most striking works of street art in Klaipėda.
The gallery’s operational model is based on the metaphor of cultivation: each season becomes a new cycle in which the soil is prepared, experiments are conducted, observations are made, and growth takes place. Art is understood here as a living, constantly evolving process, for which not only exhibition spaces are important, but also favorable conditions for creation, research, and collaboration.
“Daržas” focuses on presenting the work of students, graduates, and young artists, as well as fostering their professional growth. The gallery hosts exhibitions, thesis defense exhibitions by VDA students, creative workshops, lectures, and meetings with artists and curators. Here, it is not only the final result that matters, but also the creative process itself—the development of ideas, curatorial practice, the creation of exhibitions, and community dialogue.
The gallery is open to projects by students from the Vilnius Academy of Arts and foreign art academies, as well as to interdisciplinary initiatives, artistic research, and collaborative projects. Professional artists from Lithuania and abroad also present their work here, making “Daržas” a meeting place for different generations, experiences, and creative methods.
An important part of the gallery’s activities is experimental and process-oriented art. “Daržas” aims to be a space where exploration, experimentation, and exchange are encouraged, promoting non-traditional formats, performative practices, and initiatives based on the principles of temporariness.
The gallery also collaborates with cultural organizations, museums, and other institutions in Lithuania and abroad, promoting the visibility, mobility, and creative exchange of young artists. International projects are initiated and carried out here.
Conceptually, “Daržas” functions as a space of constant transformation—a place where art grows, changes, and responds to its environment and the passage of time. Here, it is not only the result that matters, but also the process of cultivation itself: attention, risk, patience, and the possibility of unexpected discoveries.
