#1768: Symbolic Journey through Lithuania’s Artist Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis’ Paintings in “Creation of the World”

I interviewed Kristina Buožytė & Vitalijus Žukas about Creation of the World on Monday, September 1, 2025 at Venice Immersive in Venice, Italy.

Here is the story synopsis for Creation of the World:

"Creation of the Worlds is a VR experience inspired by the visionary art and music of Lithuania’s most renowned artist, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. This poetic VR odyssey is both a meditation on creation and a metaphor for the human journey toward inner maturity. Created by Kristina Buožytė and Vitalijus Žukas, the experience blends immersive storytelling with interactive elements, inviting viewers into a dreamlike world. With the freedom to navigate and soar through evolving environments, the viewer gradually discovers they are not merely an observer — but the creator and caretaker of timeless worlds. Inspired by over sixty of Čiurlionis’s paintings, the experience blends visual art with a contemporary reimagining of Čiurlionis’s music by Phil Von and Rokas Zubovas."

Here are the contextual domains that are explored:

[9] Surreal art [5] inspired by religious themes [9] and creation stories with a bit of a pagan edge.

Here is the Elemental Center of Gravity:

1st Center of Gravity of Earth Element / Environmental and Embodied Presence: Spatial journey of the Lithuanian artist Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis.2nd Center of Gravity of Water Element / Emotional Presence: Musical score. "Immersive Cinema"3rd Center of Gravity of Fire Element / Active Presence: Very subtle gaze detected navigation mechanic. Mostly on rails, but there's quite a lot of variation.4th Center of Gravity of Air Element / Mental and Social Presence: No words or narration. You're left to discern the meaning of the symbolism on your own.

Archetypal Themes and Character Explored:

Explorations of the blending of different modes of artistic expression with the transcendent realms of mythology, religion, and symbolism. "Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis — painter, composer and visionary... His worldview and artistic depth reflect a Renaissance-like spirit, blending music, visual art and philosophy into unique and timeless universes." Also explorations how this transcendent is ingressed into physical reality, and the relationship between the two. The piece is also described as "an immersive VR fairy tale exploring the connection between the material and spiritual realms. A subtle, symbol- and metaphor-rich journey through human maturity and the awakening of creative power, told in the timeless language of myth. It is an ode to creation — divine, natural and human"

Artist Statement:

"Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis — painter, composer and visionary — is one of Lithuania’s most important cultural figures and a unique voice in global art history. His worldview and artistic depth reflect a Renaissance-like spirit, blending music, visual art and philosophy into unique and timeless universes. Creation of the Worlds is our homage to his legacy — an immersive VR fairy tale exploring the connection between the material and spiritual realms. A subtle, symbol- and metaphor-rich journey through human maturity and the awakening of creative power, told in the timeless language of myth. It is an ode to creation — divine, natural and human — inspired by Čiurlionis’s art and music."

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Music: Fatality