Gediminas and Nomeda Urbonas are representing Lithuania in Venice Biennale this year. Their project consists of a pigeon race from Venice to the Embassy of Russia (known as Embassy of Lithuania, or Villa Lituania, until 1940) in Rome.
Russian embassy refused to cooperate with Urbonas. Lithuanian government was briefly against it, afraid of the Russian and Italian reactions.
When the Soviets took over Lithuania in 1940, it also took over Lithuania’s embassy in Rome – Villa Lituania. The Lozoraitis dinasty of diplomats are a great example of integrity, running Lithuania’s mission in Rome and then the Vatican despite being effectively stateless. Statys Lozoraitis ran for the President of Lithuania in 1992 and lost to the ex-Communists. Having married Daniella, an Italian, must have been a bagage back then. Good for him, because he might have regretted being ellected. This is what Lithuania is in 2007. It’s OK. What was it in 1992? It was probably an absolute quagmire of corruption.
Italy has recently recompensed Lithuania for passing the embassy to the Soviets.
I regret not being able to be in Venice and Paris Fashion Week this weekend. Lots of work to do here.
