Artifex is a textile gallery and studio of Vilnius Academy of Arts in Vilnius. It presents individual and collective exhibitions and collaborative projects of the Academy's staff, students and guests from all over the world. The cosy 36 square metre gallery space in the heart of Vilnius Old Town often hosts artistic and cultural events.
The Latin word artifex was chosen as the name of the gallery in order to emphasize the concept of the artist as a conceptual creator, but also as a craftsman, a professional in his/her own field of expertise. The dialogue between new ideas and technical craftsmanship is important for the gallery, and the intention is to transcend the currently popular distinction between these two aspects of artistic expression.
At the same time, the gallery remains open to both conceptual and technique-oriented work. The main focus of Artifex is materiality, understood in all its reflexive and physical senses. The gallery is interested in artistic projects that address this theme in different ways - from sounds to fabrics, from objects to texts, from thought to action. In this way, it seeks to re-articulate textile art in creative and unexpected ways and in a constantly changing context.
