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The article shows how the perception and representation of the art of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875-1911) was changing in the perspective of commemorations of his anniversaries. Already in the prewar period, two views of Čiurlionis were formed in Lithuania. Some people thought that he channelled the nation's spirit, while others considered him a symbolist and a cosmopolitan. In Stalin's era, the artist was condemned as a formalist. Later, the Soviet authorities cunningly used his creative heritage for propaganda purposes, and used his example to demonstrate their concern for national culture. Having created good conditions for exhibiting the artist's works by funding the construction of an annex of the Čiurlionis Gallery at the Kaunas Museum (1965-1969), the Soviet authorities appropriated the representation of this artist, his image formation, and the organising of exhibitions of his works. The opinion of the museum's employees about the protection of the paintings was disregarded. In 1975, an exhibition dedicated to Čiurlionis's centenary was held in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. 60 paintings were displayed, and the exhibition attracted circa 240 thousand visitors. It was accompanied by commemorative events and scientific conferences in Moscow and Vilnius. The speakers were carefully selected in Moscow, and the presentations were censored and redacted. In general, the exhibition in the Tretyakov Gallery had a positive effect. It was visited by foreign diplomats based in Moscow and tourists, and thus, information about the Lithuanian symbolist hardly known in the West spread more widely. Popularised and actualised, Čiurlionis's art made an impact on the socio-cultural medium of Soviet Lithuania: it raised Lithuanian self-esteem, and helped to build a new layer of Lithuanian intellectuals who were hostile to the regime. Once again, the ideas of Čiurlionis's painting became an important part of Lithuanian historical self-consciousness. However, increasing overtourism, annual commemorations, artists' and poets' dedications to Čiurlionis, numerous superficial writings in the popular press, as well as the scale of cultural industry had some features of a new cult, which was cultural rather than religious. In the Soviet period, Čiurlionis was presented to society as a genius artist and a herald of the bright future, while the philosophical basis of his work and such aspects as mysticism or creating a new artistic language were overlooked. The one-sidedness of analysis and research, and the aim to assess his work exclusively from the Marxist position did not allow placing this artist in an argumentative normative narrative of art history, which became a serious obstacle for his international fame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article attempts to approach texts (creative concepts) written by artists as a specific, unique field of theorising. The objects of reflections include exhibition descriptions/ artist statements as well as academic and free studies. In the context of contemporary artistic research, a theoretical framework for creative work is obviously overrated; however, paradoxically, the function of texts has acquired new meanings. Scientification of artistic ideas prevails while the fields of art and science are unnaturally drawn together. Text is treated as part of a visual work, which turns theorising into playful methodology strategies. Proliferation of psychologised narratives and autobiographical investigations leads to formal legitimisation of creativity. While discussing these tendencies, the article is concerned with what texts mean from the semantic point of view, why conscious efforts to develop artistic theories are diminishing and what could spur them on. What can we actually define as an artistic concept with a philosophical dimension? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To artists, border is not just a physical reality imposed on the landscape by political forces, but also a subject for imagination and creativity, representation and visualization. Presentation of migration, refugees and growing new ethnic and religious communities is important for visual arts. Our task is to discuss the correlativeness between the new form of city bordering and reterritorialization and their materialized visual image, to reflect the balance between claims of difference and sameness and the dynamics between dominant perceptions and refugees’ self-representations. Nowadays in the media, we deal with the Debordian spectacle which reduces reality to an endless fragmentation, while encouraging us to focus on appearances. Thomas Neil notes that the migrant has become the political figure of our time, and migrant phenomena invite us to rethink the fundamental political, cultural and art philosophy. It is important to reveal the interconnections between new discourses and art practices, reflecting on the local Lithuanian image of the migration process. Thus, the case study of the research represents an analysis of Sigita Maslauskaitė-Mažylienė (Lithuania) artworks and artistic practices as important discursive processes and cultural meanings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Representative squares are sites where ideological monuments or monuments are built, or squares to important state or municipal buildings. Representation square is a mark or sign system that is intended to provide some relevant information. This information may include events or actors that are important and desirable to commemorate, ideological - political motives that want to be given exclusive importance. In determining the structure of the area’s representative area, causal relationships with the represented object are identified. The original key information is the name. Subsequently, the type of object represented - an event or personality, a connection to the square, the importance of the mark on the square (dominant, noticeable or invisible), and the interaction between the label and the environment are determined. After examining the structure of the square of the square and writing the values in the matrix, we can determine the representation level of the square. In the representation square we can name the square, for which the context of the environment and the level of representational marks for the purpose of the square have a decisive or significant influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keeping in mind the complexity of Charles Taylor's thought, we consider briefly the twofold understanding of language, the representational-procedural approach and the constitutive-expressive approach, beginning with the moral ontology of self or agent. In the introduction, we briefly recapitulate some of the main ideas of Taylor's philosophy. After this, we introduce the manner in which, for Taylor, language predicates an understanding of reality, from which he refers to the twofold understanding of language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the theory of situated cognition is mostly positioned as a critique of the standard cognitive model, the critiques of the situationist thesis mostly deal with issues of contention between situationism and the standard model. A critical review of situationism can be expanded if attention is drawn to issues that are normally not the subject of these discussion, such as the issue of the nature of perception. Reinterpretation of the situatedness thesis in the light of the theory of indirect perception provides important insights that can form the basis for the modification of the basic tenets of situationism. The most important of these conclusions is that the indirect nature of perception, the fact that the observer is never directly aware of the observed object but only of the sense-data related to that object, undermines the possibility of situating the cognition in the external situation. Other than providing specific guidelines for the redefinition of situationism, these insights underline the importance of analyzing the role of perception in future research on situated cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text explores the creative work of one of the most famous Lithuanian designers, Rasa Baradinskienė, and its presentation. The representative identity of Baradinskienė's creative work is researched using complex, contextual, comparative and artistic analysis. The aim of the study is to pinpoint the connections of uniqueness of her work, creative name and the attributes of presenting her work. Baradinskienė's creative work came to prominence during a complicated time for Lithuanian design. The search for a unique creative identity, the publicity of design in Lithuania and aspects of presenting a newly restored independent Lithuanian state abroad became especially important. Rasa Baradinskienė, a freelance designer, graduated from Kaunas Applied Arts School with speciality in textile and embroidery (1985-1987). From 1988-1993 she studied at the Design department of Vilnius Academy of Arts. She created the RASA deSIGN brand in 2002. This creative brand was contrived when Rasa started participating in international exhibitions and the need for distinctive and concise presentation arose. Four areas of work are noted in the designer's biography: projects of furniture and lights fixtures, accessories projects, and graphics in the interior and design concepts. The outstanding features of Baradinskienė's design are: transformation (construction of objects), harmonious contrast (creative expression), feelings (emotional influence) and signs (visual perception). The design motive allows the artist to connect emotionally to the viewer of the object. It acquires a symbolic quality in Barandinskienė's work and becomes the sign spanning all areas of her work. The *Sign* is confirmed by the main anthropomorphic motives of her works - smiley face, hand and doll. Their function is utilitarian and the aesthetics are based on a positive emotional response. In this way the designer creates and develops the idea of emotive design. One of the segments of presentation of creative work and brand identity is Rasa Baradinskienė's creative output the exhibitions which have been especially numerous. She has participated in more than 50 exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad and has organised various exhibitions herself. The design objects presented at the shows are often created for exhibitions and design events and not commissioned by manufacturers. This way the possibilities for individual artistic expression were opened and the creative brand strengthened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on illegal African immigrants who consider European Union (EU) member countries as their new homeland. Data employed in the study were from in-depth interviews with illegal immigrants to EU from Africa as well as Somalia and Nigeria who have false images of EU lifestyle and success before leaving their countries. It notes the imaginaries of the EU and the illegal immigration to Italy. Findings indicated the prevailing myth that Europe is a place where Africans can succeed as presented by the media.

In this article, we will approach the mechanisms used for entitlement and the way in which public space has been reappropriated and resignified by sexual dissidents as a space for vindication, visibilization and commemoration. We will do so through the analysis of the LGTB Pride Parades in Spain -- Madrid Pride in particular -- and through an analysis of the relationship between territorialisation, communities (shared identities) and political activism. The use of public space as a specific locus for entitlement and commemoration has only been possible in Spain since democracy was restored and, therefore, it is politically meaningful. LGTB Pride Parades marching through central streets do not only occupy, but 'produce' space and identities. They constitute a privileged field for the analysis of the mechanisms through which sexual diversity manifests and expresses social and subjective identities which are intertwined with discourses and counter-discourses that can be traced through the participation (or absence) from the event, through the strategies of representation displayed and through the narratives about this event. This work is based on systematic observation of the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Madrid parades and on the observation of 2007 and 2008 Barcelona parades. We have also undertaken in-depth interviews with members of the organisation of Madrid Pride and Barcelona Pride 2009. It is preceded by intensive fieldwork on the gay community carried out intermittently from 1990 to the present day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paintings by contemporary Lithuanian artists Jonas Gasiunas and Eglė Ridikaitė new strategies of depiction can be observed. Crisis of depiction is typical for the work of these artists and reflects an even wider change in the visual depiction of Western painting. The changes in the contemporary Western painting are analysed using Jacques Lacan's psychoanalysis method, which sets clear boundaries of depiction. This theory had never been used to analyse Lithuanian painting before. In this article paintings by Jonas Gasiunas and Egle Ridikaite are analysed using Jacques Lacan's psychoanalysis method. For both artists depiction of reality is important, they examine a certain existing mismatch between reality and language of painting. In their paintings the reality is reflected as deficient and lacking. The image presented is barren of its primary meaning and lacking substance, the painting's depictive function useless. This is depiction without subject, which conforms to Lacan's term Imaginary. In these paintings the subject disappears and disperses, the communication becomes deprived of individuality and the image, passed through the personal memory, loses its sharpness. Ephemeral visuals are strengthened by incorporating cinematographic image structures into paintings. Ephemeral existence is characteristic to the subject of psychoanalysis (reality), it exists only when described by language, which only marks the subject's disparity with itself. To open a gap between real object and paintings possibilities to depict it, the metaphoric and metonymic distortion of meaning is used. Also, the reality is depicted indirectly through dreams; the fragments of reality and dream or fantasy are combined in the paintings. The principles of reptition and coincidence, important in the psychoanalysis, are also used. The successful usage of Lacan's theory shows that analysis of contemporary Lithuanian painting could be expanded to incorporate new points of view. Jacques Lacan's and other research theories could expand the possibilities of the psychoanalysis method, and a wider range of contemporary art could be analysed using the psychoanalysis method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the relationship between signification and representation in the context of social, cultural and philosophical topicalities of today. Sustaining by the differential theory of language of the French structuralist F. de Saussure and by the theory of simulation of the contemporary philosopher of media J. Baudrillard, it is maintained that under the influence of historical transformations of capitalism the sign and the referent sever from each other. Under the influence of changing of the engineering and the order of fabrication, the production is replaced by the reproduction. That is why, according to J. Baudrillard, the overall process of simulation establishes and the post-marxistic political economy constitutes self-defining non-referential system of signification. Sustaining by the semiotics of F. de Saussure, the signs of the social status become autonomic in point of the Real, and they exist only in relation with the other signs in the medium of contemporary simulacrum. That is why the social life can be treated as the fighting for the prestige and status. Under these circumstances the classical principle of representation is displaced by the contemporary principle of simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]