OREANDA-NEWS. On October 04, 2007 Kumu Art Museum opened the exhibition of the winner of Hansabank's Art Award, Valdas Ozarinskas, Transverse. The same exhibition can be seen in November in Riga and in December in Vilnius, reported the press-centre of Hansabank.

Hansabank issues its annual art award since the year 2000. The first prizewinner was Marko Maetamm. In 2001, the prize was awarded to Ene-Liis Semper, and in 2002 to Marko Maetamm. Since 2003 the award was extended also to Latvian and Lithuanian artists and in 2003 the award winner was the Lithuanian artist Arturas Raila, in 2004 the Latvian artist Gints Gabrans. In 2005 the prizewinner was Mark Raidpere. The award is 5000 Euros. In addition to this the laureate gets a chance to organise a solo exhibition in all three Baltic countries.

Priit Poldoja, General Manager of Hansabank Estonia: "By giving out the Hansabank Group Art Award we support the development of contemporary art in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Contemporary art needs much more general appreciation in the society and Hansbank is really trying to contribute."

Sirje Helme, Director of the Kumu Art Museum: „It is especially important that Hansabank has established its own art award. This does not signify only a sign of the open mind in Hansabank but also hopefully, is a sign of a broader understanding that culture forms the most important basis for the operation of the society.”

Valdas Ozarinskas presents a specifically applied installation in every city – Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius, where according to the rules of creation of an “open artwork“ audio, video, urbanism, design, architecture, texts and other forms merge together. The name of the project is a term, which describes waves of various nature (and sound among them) and their movement. That‘s why the process and indetermination of artificial act are equally important for the final result of the installation, which will not be finite and will fluctuate in different cities of travelling exhibition.

Valdas Ozarinskas was born in 1961 in Ignalina, Lithuania. He completed his studies of architecture in Vilnius and is a member of a group of Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Art Creators' Association and group of Lithuanian artists Private Ideology, well known for their innovative ideas. The Group has won several awards: in 2000 for the Lithuanian pavilion on the World Exhibition EXPO 2000 and in 2005 the innovation prize of Lithuania, Identity, was awarded to them. Presently he is working as the Deputy Director in the Lithuanian Centre of Contemporary Art.

The exhibition will remain open until 28 October in the hall of the second floor in Kumu.