Artist, interior designer and decorator Eglė Bučienė, using old books as a symbol and form, created unique, individualized artistic sculptures-decorations from them, which subtly and aesthetically decorated one of the legendary Vilnius restaurant space, spreading the breath of childhood fairy tales and the festive mood of waiting for Christmas.
This Christmas decoration idea of E. Bučienė was based on Lithuanian culture - folklore, folk art, visual arts, traditions and their expression. In the recently restored historical spaces of one of the oldest restaurants in Vilnius, book sculptures like Lithuanian chapel pillars or Neringa weathervanes attract the eyes of passers-by, standing next to forest trees decorated with sun-dried blossoms and candlelight, and create a cozy and particularly sensitive festive mood.
According to the artist, book sculptures are not only a search for parallels in the origins of Lithuanian culture, but also an invitation to discuss the fate of books - their rich archival legacy and physical surplus as material objects in a constantly renewing environment. "For me, a book is both a work of art and a wandering of the mind, an exercise of the mind, layers of ideas and impulses. I feel comfortable when there are books around. They inspire, distract from the routine, are born as an ideological axis of interiors, decorations or a significant element that opens up wide possibilities for discussions", says the author and creator of the idea.
"To save, restore, continue and simultaneously develop, update the topic of books", - this is the bar he has set this year restaurant "Neringa". Therefore, when creating festive decorations, E. Bučienė tried to respond to the philosophy and principles of space and to expand the boundaries of both thought and aesthetics with her contribution. "The book was chosen for the festive decoration of the restaurant not only as a symbol and a source of thought and fairy tales, but also as a form and a tool. In this way, the book was given a new life - an opportunity to be part of the most beautiful celebration of the year. Publications would rot in oblivion, so let this transformation of them be a sign of our respect for wisdom, the book and those who created it. Also, a sincere wish to create your own and unique Christmas tale for Vilnius together. We could start it with a wish or just a good word - to ourselves and to everyone around us and in our hearts. Let that wish be a symbolic herald of a fairy tale illuminated by the spirit of Christmas," the founder of the Art Interior by EB studio presents the idea.
According to the artist, the main idea was not only to create unique festive decorations, but also to give them an idea and life - to invite visitors and viewers to think and discuss the value, meaning and at the same time excess of books. "What fairy tales are not written in books!" They contain the entire pulsating life source of our culture, the cornucopia. Books, like fairy tales, sometimes address their listeners with their intentions. However, every fairy tale is born from the desire to give something to another: to share, to inspire, to expand the boundaries, to teach, to comfort, to dream, to wish... And we, in order to create a Christmas fairy tale for Vilnius, thought for a long time, what could it be? The symbolic story of Neringa and Naglis dressed up in the spirit of Christmas, or maybe a fairy tale about a girl with a chocolate bar? It doesn't matter what it is, the most important thing is that we wanted the Christmas fairy tale we created to inspire hope," shared the idea of the festive decoration by the creator and author of the artistic installation.
When asked if all these artistic sculptures were created specifically from fairy-tale books, E. Bučienė, a passionate fan of literature, assures that every book here is full of its own miracles and could partly be called a kind of fairy tale.
