Kaunas Fluxus Festival marks 60th anniversary with Yoko Ono retrospective

Kaunas, Lithuania's second-largest city and European Capital of Culture 2022, hosts a major Fluxus festival on September 10–11 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the anti-art movement founded by Lithuanian-American artist George Mačiūnas in 1960. The program includes over 30 performances, 7 light installations, and nearly 400 events. Highlights include a parade up Parodos Hill, evening performances by Walk The Plank, and a retrospective titled "Learning Garden of Freedom" by Yoko Ono, a longtime Fluxus affiliate. Ono's exhibition follows her earlier installation "Ex It" inaugurated in Kaunas in January 2022. The airport in Kaunas was renamed after Fluxus in 2021 as a precursor to the anniversary. Fluxus, rooted in experimental music and influenced by John Cage and Dada, rejected academic and capitalist art norms, embracing a DIY ethos and audience participation.