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Kaunas boasts more than 6,000 buildings created in the spirit of interwar modernism — a heritage that earned the city the European Heritage Label in 2015. Inspired by this architectural legacy, the project “Birdhouses in the Style of Interwar Modernism” reimagines modernist forms as functional, handcrafted homes for birds.
These wooden miniature improvisations draw directly from Kaunas’ pre-war modernist architecture. Each birdhouse is fully functional — built according to ornithologists’ recommendations and designed to host real feathered residents. The collection features ten unique designs, each produced in two editions: one for exhibition and another for installation in Kaunas’ trees, where they have already welcomed new occupants. After each exhibition, the remaining birdhouses also take flight into nature, offering returning birds not just homes, but homes in the style of Kaunas Modernism.
While some designs clearly reference iconic landmarks — such as architect F. Vizbaras’ Central Post Office — others interpret the defining features of modernist architecture: rounded and angular windows, curved corners, decorative reliefs, and cornices. The result is a delicate fusion of architectural heritage and artistic imagination.
Special thanks to sculptor and carpenter Lukas Pelegrimas, who transformed the artist’s sketches into finely crafted wooden forms.
Funded by the Kaunas City Municipality under the Kauno akcentai programme.
Awarded Best Sculpture/Installation at ArtVilnius 2020.
LRT:
Pilotas.lt
Pilotas.lt
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LOCATION
Kaunas, Lithuania