Vygandas Šimbelis (Das Vegas), Restitutio, 2017. Photos – courtesy of Vygandas Šimbelis ©
Vygandas Šimbelis (Das Vegas) solo exhibition “Bit Value” opens on 1st February, 6 pm, at (AV17) Gallery at Totorių str. 5, Vilnius.
Vygandas Šimbelis is a Lithuanian and Swedish contemporary artist globally recognized as Das Vegas. Two key themes in his work are the art market and economic processes, as well as the relationship between humanity and machinery in today’s society. Drawing upon artistic, scientific, and technological resources, Das Vegas illuminates contexts relevant to contemporary society, exploring the interplay between the digital and physical realms. The artist consistently experiments with innovative display solutions and spaces, ranging from websites and mobile apps to digital tokens and tax systems.
In his solo exhibition “Bit Value”, Vygandas Šimbelis scrutinizes the processes of the art market and the monetary value of a piece. Emphasizing the economic facet, Das Vegas deliberately departs from conventional principles of art valuation and provocatively illustrates the works’ inherent monetary expressions. The perennial question of the value of art is assuming new nuances today, reshaping the criteria for valuing the work. Swift technological advancements, the virtual realm, artificial intelligence, NFTs, and more inevitably influence both the aesthetic form and the monetary value. With the widespread use of AI in art creation, questions arise not only about the artist’s role but also about the pricing of works generated by algorithms. Numbers and the digital dimension emerge as the primary links between the works in the exhibition, scrutinizing the relationship between man and machine. Using numerical abstraction and contemporary information tools – specifically the smallest unit of information, the bit – the artist delves into digital ownership of works, the economics of art, and their impact on the visual aesthetics of the work. In “Bit Value”, viewers are encouraged to decode these issues and explore their implications for the art market.
Vygandas Šimbelis (Das Vegas) is a contemporary artist who graduated from the Vilnius Academy of Arts and later obtained his PhD from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, where he also taught and conducted research and artistic studies. His work has been showcased in various international exhibitions, biennials, and art festivals in São Paulo, New York, Dubai, Stockholm, Bergen, Barcelona, and beyond.
Vygandas Šimbelis (Das Vegas) exhibition “Bit Value” will be on view until 7th March at the (AV17) Gallery.
Vygandas Šimbelis (Das Vegas), Data Economy, 2017 ©
Vygandas Šimbelis (Das Vegas), Data Economy, 2017 ©
Vygandas Šimbelis (Das Vegas), Metaphone, 2012 ©
