Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Lithuania Kaunas George Maciunas Square
AO Edited

George Maciunas Square

The world's first invisible city square is an homage to a man who pushed the boundaries of art.

Kaunas, Lithuania

Added By
Elissaveta Brandon
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
George Maciunas Square seen from above.   Kaunas IN
The “square” is actually a triangle.   A. Aleksandravičius/Kaunas IN
There is a sign in the middle of the square.   Vilensija/CC BY-SA 3.0
The painting is barely visible from street level.   Vilensija/CC BY-SA 3.0
Streets surround the square on all three sides.   Vilensija/CC BY-SA 3.0
The Aztec symbol in George Maciunas Square lit up at night.   A. Aleksandravičius/Kaunas IN
This Aztec-inspired design was created by Maciunas in the 1960s.   Kaunas IN
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

East of the Old Town of Kaunas, a mere five minutes from the blue-domed, Neo-Byzantine St. Michael the Archangel Church, lies a small, triangular square with an Aztec symbol painted on the ground. This unique traffic island is surrounded by three busy streets; you can't access it, you can barely even see it from street level. And that is the point.

George Maciunas Square—aptly dubbed the world's first invisible square—is a suitably curious homage to the Lithuanian-American artist who pioneered the Fluxus movement in the 1960s. Rooted in experimental performances, Fluxus promoted nonsensical ideas and opened up the meaning of what art can be.

The square is a nod to Maciunas's legacy. It's invisible, it's inaccessible, and it's located right across from the house where he grew up. The Aztec-style motif painted on the ground—an ornate face with a tongue extended—evokes a logo for a Carnegie Hall concert flyer that Maciunas designed in 1965. The whole thing evokes the spirit of Maciunas, but it is the work of another Lithuanian artist, Naglis Rytis Baltušnikas.

Opened in 2017, George Maciunas Square was created as part of "Kaunas Highlights," a contest run by the Kaunas City Municipality that encourages artists to submit their ideas for public spaces. Other highlights around the city include "Star Seeder," an illegal graffiti-turned-permanent installation at Vytautas the Great War Museum sculpture garden, and "Planet X," a sculpture in the VMU Kaunas Botanical Garden that is shaped like the asteroid from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince.

Related Tags

Installations Art Outside Artists Street Art

Know Before You Go

Check out the memorial plaque commemorating his childhood house on Parodos Street. If you have half an hour to spare, stop by the Kaunas Picture Gallery—an art museum that is part of the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum—and visit the Fluxus room.

Community Contributors

Added By

elissavetabrandon

Edited By

Vaquero, Michelle Cassidy

  • Vaquero
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

April 8, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.unesco.org/creative-cities/events/kaunas%E2%80%99-george-maciunas-square-worlds-first-invisible-square
George Maciunas Square
Kaunas, 44239
Lithuania
54.89761, 23.925412
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Kaunas Museum for the Blind

Kaunas, Lithuania

miles away

Sugihara House

Kaunas, Lithuania

miles away

Žaliakalnis Funicular Railway

Kaunas, Lithuania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kaunas

Kaunas

Lithuania

Places 9

Nearby Places

Kaunas Museum for the Blind

Kaunas, Lithuania

miles away

Sugihara House

Kaunas, Lithuania

miles away

Žaliakalnis Funicular Railway

Kaunas, Lithuania

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kaunas

Kaunas

Lithuania

Places 9

Related Places

  • Muelle’s graffiti in Montera street

    Madrid, Spain

    Muelle's Graffiti

    Sometimes called the Banksy of Madrid, Muelle was a pioneer of street art in the Spanish city.

  • Phone box showing two sides with dioramas.

    Ormskirk, England

    The Time Tardis

    This classic red telephone box is now a community art installation celebrating local history.

  • Kaunas, Lithuania

    Kiemo Galerija (Courtyard Gallery)

    An open-air art gallery that aims to share the stories of the people who live around it.

  • Wemding, Germany

    'Zeitpyramide' ('Time Pyramid')

    An abstract sculpture that will be a work in progress for the next 1,000 years.

  • Reliefs on Botong Francisco’s house

    Angono, Philippines

    Doña Aurora Street Art

    A series of murals cast in concrete decorate the walls where the famous artist Botong once lived.

  • Hörby, Sweden

    'Multiplera Skåne'

    Unexpectedly standing in a glade, this large group of life-sized, 3D-printed clay figures captures the essence of local young people.

  • De Berenkuil

    Eindhoven, Netherlands

    De Berenkuil

    A bike traffic circle showcasing the works of local graffiti artists.

  • Miniature Underwater Scene Hidden in the Cobbles

    Dublin, Ireland

    'Freeflow'

    Tiny silver and copper fish set inside blue-green lights are like windows to the underwater world.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.