News
2023-02-10
Conversations with collectors. Interview with Ramutis Petniūnas
"Conversations with collectors" is the conversation series presented by the Lewben Art Foundation (LAF) and artnews.lt. For the past ten years the Lewben Art Foundation has been expanding its art collection with plans to open an art centre in Bernardinų str. 6–12 in Vilnius in 2023. By hosting this project, LAF, together with the art critic Karolina Tomkevičiūtė and photo artist Visvaldas Morkevičius, sheds light on Lithuanian art collectors and their experiences.
The project brings people who share an appreciation for art. Part of the interviewees are art collectors and patrons, while others are on a quest of seeking unique cultural discoveries. This series of discussions unveils how art collections are born, what arbitrary situations may arise in the meantime and ultimately, what are the benefits and value that are generated from the very interest in art. Some of the interviewees' private collections have grown to the point of museum exhibitions, while others are used solely for personal reverence. These stories aim to inspire and enlighten those who are considering purchasing artworks. Additionally, these discussions impart a new way of experiencing art.
In this interview art collector Ramutis Petniūnas explains why he looks cautiously at contemporary art, shares the experience he has accumulated over several decades of collecting and recalls how risk and quirky situations can lead to unexpected discoveries.
Full interview (in Lithuanian only) available at artnews.lt
