Wooden houses that talk: the art of Augustas Serapinas in Milan

From December 12, 2024 to March 15, 2025, Fondazione ICA Milan will host Wooden Travel, the new solo exhibition of Lithuanian artist Augustas Serapinas (Vilnius, 1990) curated by Chiara Nuzzi. An exhibition that transforms the spaces of the former industrial building into a place of dialogue between memory, identity and social transformations, through a path that interweaves Lithuanian vernacular art and architecture.

Serapinas, born in Vilnius in 1990, brings to the center of his artistic practice a reflection on forgotten histories and places, addressing crucial issues such as the loss of traditional cultures, the phenomenon of gentrification and the impact of global warming. Her gaze rests on living spaces and their evolution, revealing the institutional and economic mechanisms that shape their function and identity.

The focus of Serapinas’ research is the vernacular architecture of his homeland, with its modularity and deep relationship with time. Over the past decade, the artist has acquired historic buildings known as Vienkiemis, saving them from demolition and transforming them into works of art that speak of the relationships and heritage of local communities.

An installation that combines intimacy and industry

The heart of the exhibition is the installation House from Gaidalaučizna, commissioned by Fondazione ICA Milano and created for the occasion. This work, which testifies to Serapinas’ creative and critical process, stems from the restoration of a historic house identified in the village of Gaidalaučizna, 100 kilometers from Vilnius. Acquired in 2023, the house was disassembled, transported and reassembled in the Foundation’s spaces, transforming into a sculpture that preserves and narrates the cultural and social values of the past.

This wooden house, once inhabited, becomes a concrete testimony to a time when neighborhood relations and collective life were central. Its physical presence dialogues with the industrial context of ICA Milan’s headquarters, creating a contrast that invites the visitor to question the relationship between domestic intimacy and industrial production.

Wood as a common thread

The exhibition unfolds through thirteen works that share an essential element: wood. From reclaimed materials, Serapinas creates sculptures such as those in The wooden house fragment and The wooden house ornament series, and evocative installations such as Roof of a House from Meškauščizna. Wood, a symbol of memory and fragility, is charged with new and universal meanings, opening up reflections on the preservation of traditional architecture and the consequences of rural abandonment.

Abandoned wooden buildings, a widespread presence in Lithuanian landscapes, become for the artist metaphors for a migration phenomenon that has marked the country in recent decades. The global economic crisis of 2008 pushed many people out of rural areas, leaving a physical and emotional void that Serapinas transforms into art.

A platform for the future

The exhibition is part of the journey of the ICA Milan Foundation, which since 2019 has been dedicated to promoting artistic experiments that reflect on contemporary challenges. Wooden Travel represents a crucial stage in this journey.

The realization of the exhibition was made possible thanks to the support of Intesa Sanpaolo, the official sponsor of Fondazione ICA Milano. In addition, collaboration with APALAZZOGALLERY of Brescia, Nicoletta Fiorucci Russo, the Lithuanian Cultural Institute and the Lithuanian Embassy in Rome helped make this initiative a reality.

Open to the public on Wednesdays from 2 to 6 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays from noon to 7 p.m. Free admission.

Wooden houses that talk: the art of Augustas Serapinas in Milan

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