Armenian-Lithuanian artist and composer Andrius Arutiunian presents a new version of his large-scale installation Under the Cold Sun (2024/25). Working with the architecture of the historic monastery church of the Kunstmuseum Magdeburg, the work relies on two essential materials—light and sound—to create its hypnotic state.
In Under the Cold Sun, Arutiunian explores the clashes between historical narratives and contemporary imaginaries. At the center of the piece are three elements—a mirror, a light, and a synthetic organ—three ghostly presences permeating the former monastery’s space. Working with psychoacoustics and light reflections, Under the Cold Sun continues the artist’s exploration of vernacular knowledges, alternate methods of world-ordering, and concepts of musical and political attunement.
Armenian-Lithuanian artist and composer Andrius Arutiunian (*1991) represented Armenia at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022 with the solo exhibition Gharīb. His works have also been exhibited at major biennials and museums, including the Palais de Tokyo (Paris), Centre Pompidou (Paris), M HKA (Antwerp), Sapieha Palace (Vilnius), FACT (Liverpool) and the Contemporary Art Centre (Vilnius). In 2024 he was shortlisted for the Future Generation Art Prize, and in 2023 he was a DAAD Artist-in-Residence Fellow. Arutiunian's work combines hypnotic sound structures, synthetic sounds and cultural sound languages, creating an experience that is both aesthetically sophisticated and emotionally tangible.
A project part of Herausgeforderte Gemeinschaft / Challenged Togetherness Funded by the German Federal Cultural Foundation
