Equinox Gardens
On 20 March, the seasons of darkness and lightness will collide and the duration of night and day will become equal. The Spring Equinox will mark the start of the astronomical spring. On this occasion residents of Vilnius are invited to come out of the stillness of winter and through the gates of spring step into the "Equinox Gardens" that will have grown in the Šventaragis Valley.
The straw garden is one of the most impressive types of Lithuanian art. It is a model of a perfect universe where harmony is created by the balance of opposite poles. A classical garden consists of two pyramids with a common base, one of them pointing upwards (the sky, heavens) and the other one facing downwards (the underworld). In the middle of the garden, the whole of human life is concentrated between heaven and earth, between beginning and end - all the joys and sorrows, aspirations and worries.
On 20 March at 8 pm, those gathered in the Šventaragis Valley will have the opportunity to experience the inside of a straw garden. The venue will present an interactive art installation created by Mantvydas Vladas Vilys, consisting of sculptures resembling traditional gardens. Participants will be able to go inside the largest garden and experience the game of light and shadows, accompanied by musical compositions performed by the folk-rock band "Atalyja" and Vladas Braziūnas' poetry. The largest garden will be surrounded by small gardens, which will be flocked by the birds, created by the pupils of Vilnius. The oasis of awakening nature will be illuminated by candle flame patterns.
"Equinox Gardens" will be installed in Šventaragis Garden from 15–17 March and will be displayed until 3 April.
The event is organised by the Vilnius Ethnic Culture Centre and Vilnius City Municipality.
Partners: Vilnius State Castles Cultural Reserve Directorate.
The event will be photographed and filmed, and the footage made public.
