ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Ricardas Gavelis' Vilnius Poker Reviewed in Artpress

publication · 2026-04-24

Artpress issue 421 (April 2015) features a review of Ricardas Gavelis' novel 'Vilnius Poker'. The protagonist Vytautas, last of the Vargalys family, may be insane. He wanders Vilnius, where buildings once housed Gestapo and KGB prisons. Like a Minotaur in a labyrinth, Vytautas feels watched by an omnipresent 'They'.

Key facts

  • Artpress issue 421, April 2015
  • Review of Ricardas Gavelis' novel 'Vilnius Poker'
  • Protagonist Vytautas Vargalys is possibly insane
  • Vytautas wanders Vilnius streets
  • Buildings in Vilnius were Gestapo and KGB prisons
  • Vytautas feels constantly watched by 'They'
  • Minotaur metaphor used for Vytautas' labyrinthine experience
  • Review appears on page 86

Entities

Artists

  • Ricardas Gavelis

Institutions

  • artpress

Locations

  • Vilnius
  • Lithuania

Sources