Kamanė's texts

Graphics work of Cornelia Gurlitt. Photo belongs to Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum

Month of March in the galleries of Kaunas 2016-03-29

Astijus Krauleidis-Vermontas

"I was astonished and after that / I welcomed spring", writes poet Donaldas Kajokas in one of his poems. The abundance and variety of exhibitions taking place in March also astonishes - from the ones looking back at the classic painting school or the topic of war to philosophical, or the ones that celebrate the female beauty in painting.

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Fragment of M. Žaltauskienė-Grašienė's exhibition Attire

The aim of rethinking the continuity of time and history and the importance and sacredness of the cloth 2016-03-29

Gabrielė Kuizinaitė

M. Žaltauskaitė-Grašienė's exhibition Attire hosted in Pažaislis, presents the works comprised of three series about women: nymph (Penelope), saint (Virgin Mary) and queen (Victoria). The drapes carved in all of these sculptures are re-weaved by the artist and brought back to the shape of fabric.

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Verkiai Palace interior, 1837, Lithuanian National Museum

Power and riches - collections of kings and noblemen (Part II) 2016-03-25

Marius Vyšniauskas

Collections of Lithuanian aristocrats were as valuable as those of the old European families.  Several years ago, Meadows Museum (USA) organized an exhibition of one of the oldest noble European families - Dukes of Alba (Spain) - collection, which they accumulated for more than 500 years. The interest exceeded the expectations. Meanwhile, the time seems to be standing still at the count Oginskiai' art treasures’ exhibition presented at the M. Žilinskas Gallery. Our country, which has preserved a magnificent history still turns away from the heritage of its aristocrats, who helped us integrate into the Western culture.

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B. Stančikaitė. Gentle touch. 1998, aquatint, etching, 48 x 64. Modern Art Center archive.

A never-ending glow 2016-03-24

Gediminas Jasinskas

Although it has become increasingly difficult to believe in something absolutely sacred, to believe in your fellow man, a utopian world of joy, harmony and goodness, graphic artist Birutė Stančikaitė still believes in that and lives it. Artist's exhibition Light in the dark at the National Art Gallery is an incentive or rather a friendly invitation to discover that magical particle that eventually turns our days, months and years into Life.

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Fragment of E. Markūnas' painting. Author's photograph

Eternity that lies in the graphite 2016-03-23

Astijus Krauleidis-Vermontas

The images and smell of the Small version of the great chaos remains in the memory for a long time and, without a doubt, encourages to (get to) know, to create your own galaxy and perhaps even destroy it. It is a game of contemporary art, which artist E. Markūnas invites to play and develop, because creation is not a finite phenomenon. It continues in the viewer's mind.

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Fragment from the play Loser. Donatas Stankevičius' photo, from the A. Areima Theatre archive

Text of nineteen references 2016-03-23

Kristina Steiblytė

As much as nonconformism was mentioned in its context Artūras Areima theatre's Loser (based on Eduard Limonov's Diary of a loser) is not an avant-garde play and neither it is a performance about punks; there is also not that much (if at all) anarchy in it. However, it has plenty of references to various attempts to resist the rules of theatre, to punk subculture, to what was the avant-garde artistic movements of the second half of the 20th century and contemporary variations of Lithuanian avant-garde.

Kazys Daugėla's photograph Family's ration (1945-1949). Photo from Šiauliai Photography Museum archive

A look at the Lithuanian photography from 1940's to 1980's 2016-03-22

Astijus Krauleidis-Vermontas

Kaunas Photography Gallery is currently hosting Šiauliai Photography Museum’s artistic photography collection exhibition Collection. The exhibition features various country's artists representing the development of Lithuanian photography starting with 1940's, until the 1980's. The exhibited photographs examine different periods - the time of Stalinism, "thaw" and Revival. The works point at how the system and time was affecting the aesthetics of the photograph, determined the different viewpoints towards a man, his environment and how it distorted the meaning of photography.

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Theatre scholar Rasa Vasinauskaitė. Photo from personal archive

Theatre Year contextually - conversation with Rasa Vasinauskaitė 2016-03-18

Elvina Baužaitė

With Theatre Day approaching and all the theatre community and fans in anticipation of Golden Stage Cross award ceremony (29th of March) it is worth talking about this theatre season. Theatre scholar Rasa Vasinauskaitė has been a member of the Golden Stage Cross commission for many years. This year's selection of winners is no exception. Therefore, it is worthwhile and valuable to ask and listen to her answers.

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Solo exhibition Glass logic at the Kaunas Castle, 2016. Works from the series Sleeping in time and White faces.

Glass portraits, signs and hand prints at the Kaunas Castle 2016-03-17

Raimonda Simanaitienė

S. Grabliauskaitė's exhibition at the Kaunas Castle is intriguing and slightly surrealistic. This feeling is strengthened by enlarged photographs (as well as objects depicted in them). Artist explains the latter as her need to not only convey the creative process but also to highlight it as an integral part of the art for the viewer. 

Image from the exhibition. Author's photograph

Found ideas 2016-03-15

Tomas Pabedinskas

Gytis Skudžinskas' exhibition Several truthsofphotography, which is taking place in Kaunas at the Post gallery, from March 3 till 15, can easily be considered as yet another "exhibition of photography." Author does not create new images, but aims at looking critically at the role of the image in today's culture overfilled with images.

Fragment of the play Stone in his pockets

The search for a version of Irish comedy 2016-03-15

Astijus Krauleidis-Vermontas

Stating that today is "full of pessimistic plays about suicide, violence, abuse and evil...  Big, medium or small evil is everywhere," director Gytis Padegimas chose the genre of comedy and presented his latest production Stone in his pockets (based on the Irish playwright Marie Jones' play of the same name) at the Kaunas Chamber Theatre in February. The production focuses on the Irish comedy school and traditions.

Costumes for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera Don Giovanni. Kaunas State Musical Theatre. Director G. Žilys. 1980

The art of costume in Gražina Konstancija Remeikaitė's exhibition 2016-03-11

Raimonda Simanaitienė, Ieva Raudeliūnaitė

A rare exhibition of artist Gražina Konstancija Remeikaitė's costume examples is taking place at the A. Žmuidzinavičius Memorial Museum throughout March. Most of the examples are stored in Lithuanian Theatre, Music and Cinema Museum in Vilnius. Hence, this large and comprehensive exhibition focused on the main creative activities of the artist was prepared from the funds of the museum and private collections of the artist.

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Still from the film Son of Saul (director László Nemes, 2015)

Images from the ashes. Film - Son of Saul 2016-03-11

Tomas Genevičius

Currently, Lithuanian cinemas are screening Hungarian director László Nemes' (1977) feature film Son of Saul (2015, distributor: Scanorama). This film stands out among many other films about the Holocaust. The director is seeking to convey this tragic event of humanity as a personal experience that is happening in the present. He combines different forms of action and avant-garde films; creates and retains suggestive moral allegories, up to the last frame.

While receiving Vytautas Kubilius Prize. Regimantas Tamošaitis' photo

Literary mansion in the eyes of Laimantas Jonušys 2016-03-10

Elvina Baužaitė

Translator and literary critic Laimantas Jonušys, "Every talented literary work is multi-faceted, and criticism can draw our attention to its various aspects, which normally we might overlook."

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Algirdas and Remigijus Gataveckai exhibition at the POST gallery. Photo by Lina Pranaitytė and Andrius Pukis.

The search for authentic portrait in the works of Gataveckai 2016-03-07

Vytautas Paplauskas

The exhibition of brothers Algirdas and Remigijus Gataveckai "Self-portraits - homonyms", which was opened at the Kaunas POST gallery has recently ended. The exhibition presented the most recent artists' works, indicating a new phase in their oeuvre. Although, the exhibition is over, I hope this text will still appear to be relevant, at least for those who are less familiar with the artists' works, because I will not only review the exhibition but Gataveckai oeuvre more generally.

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Etienne de la Hyre (?). Vladislav Sigismund Vasa's royal cabinet of paintings, 1626 Warsaw Royal Palace, Poland

Power and riches - collections of kings and noblemen (Part I) 2016-03-04

Marius Vyšniauskas

Since the ancient times the ruling class stood out from the rest of society with its accumulated wealth. This series of articles provide an overview of kings and noblemen's collections from the 15th to the early 20th century, not only in the West but also in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Moreover, it investigates how these art collections formed the high society's worldview.

Albinas Kuliešius' photograph

Reality monitoring and visual poetry in Albinas Kuliešius' works 2016-03-03

Remigijus Venckus

When I look at the documentary photography, in which I recognize Lithuania that I fully understand and which is stuck in my imagination; similarly seen landscapes and people's daily activities, I get the impression that all of this is that universally cognizable, finite accumulation of Lithuanian experiences. Probably I will not be wrong saying that I notice all that in the photographs of Ukmergė-based A. Kuliešius.

Vilius Slavinskas. Repetition II, paper, acrylic, 57x65, 2012

Breakthrough and freedom: Kaunas artists' exhibition Rebirth 2016-03-03

Ainė Jacytė

Rebirth is a joint exhibition of professional artists that has been organized for more than two decades and is dedicated to commemoration of two important dates - February the 16th and March 11. Each year the exhibition surprises not only with the exhibited works' range of visual expression, but also with the variations of topics that move from reflections on the being of the human, the truths he discovers and hope in faith to ironic depiction of everyday life and playful interpretation of gray routine of days.

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G. Vaičys. Songs without Words, 2012. Photo from the Lithuanian Artists' Association's, Kaunas branch archive

Letters written on canvas 2016-02-29

Astijus Krauleidis-Vermontas

The painter Gintautas Vaičys presents the exhibition Letters from Nemunas at the Kaunas State Philharmonic. The ehibition features works created during the period of 2005-2015. The painter remains faithful to his creative strategy and chooses to continue with the aesthetics of abstract art, which would not name the thought clearly, but would draw the viewer's attention and would tip his thinking towards existential philosophy.

Valdas papievis. Montmartre, Paris, 2009. Vladas Braziūnas' photo

Conversation with Valdas Papievis about Paris - the white city, which insensibly sucks you in... 2016-02-28

Elvina Baužaitė

We could say that possibilities of being are the topic of Valdas Papievis (1962) oeuvre, the leitmotif connecting his works. Writer has been living in France for more than 20 years, and thus authentically experiencing the country's daily life and feeling its pulse. He is one of the most relevant people to talk to in order to grasp the French present and being of mankind in general.

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Fragment of Agnė Liškauskienė's exhibition Horizontal patches / scrapings

Landscapes "scraped" from the memory and pallet 2016-02-26

Vytautas Paplauskas

Agnė Liškauskienė's works complement the current field of Kaunas (and not only) painting. However, in them, we will not discover new conceptual moves, rather a long-tested and approved modernist abstraction of nature, savoring of color, brush stroke and unexpected variations of compositions.

Jacques Lipchitz. Photo from gogiveblood.com

Jacques Lipchitz: from the cult object to the image 2016-02-25

Ramūnas Čičelis

It would be wrong to assume that J. Lipchitz’s sculpture is sacred. Religious base in the sculptor's works and life lies not on the level of themes and scenes, but in the underlying creative conception. Sculpture is perceived as an object, therefore it never becomes an image, because this matter hides, Parisian speaking, inspiration and muses and when thinking religiously - order, work and creativity.

The fragment of the Best Artwork of the Year 2015 - mural Urmas railway station

Best artwork of the year. Is it, really? 2016-02-23

Astijus Krauleidis-Vermontas

The exhibition The Best Artwork of the Year held traditionally at Kaunas Picture Gallery is necessary in the Kaunas art context. Not because it attracts a lot of visitors, but because it is important to see how artists live. Unfortunately, exhibition was especially lacking young authors who would boldly represent their work. It seems as if they had disappeared or they are afraid to compete with the old-timers. However, the older generation is not afraid to experiment and impress the viewer.

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Ramunė Balevičiūtė. Photo from personal archive

R. Balevičiūtė, "Theatre is valuable to the extent that it allows one to meet with oneself" 2016-02-23

Elvina Baužaitė

Head of Art History and Theory department at the Lithuanian Academy of Music, Assoc. Dr. Ramunė Balevičiūtė, "It seems to me that the tradition of author's directing is declining in our theatre; it does not know how and where from it could regenerate. I really hope that among all the young people who are currently studying directing at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, a few will become prominent author's theatre creators, but at the same time I feel that collectivity as a creative method has much more potency and prospects."

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A. Petrašiūnaitė. Two natural possibilities, oil on canvas, 135x160, 2015

A look at the poeticized world of A. Petrašiūnaitė's paintings 2016-02-22

Gabrielė Kuizinaitė

In the painterly world of A. Petrašiūnaitė dialog is of the utmost importance - between human and nature, a subtle and playful presentation of the relationship between the painter's beloved cat and herself. However, the image that artist presents in her work is temporary and fragile; it opens up through the human image and the fragments and details of the surrounding world.

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Dalia Gentvainytė. Jūratė Gentvainytė's photo

Dalia Gentvainytė, "Ceramics is so much more than just a craft" 2016-02-22

Vilija Virkutytė

Dalia Gentvainytė talks about art, ceramics, teaching, sources of inspiration, creative search, plans and a one-night exhibition-action Catch your demon that recently took place in Vilnius at the Menų tiltas gallery and surprised everyone with its unexpected artistic solutions.

The fragment of the exhibition at Titanikas

On the Context - distant and close 2016-02-19

Raimonda Simanaitienė

Throughout February, Vilnius Titanikas exhibition halls are hosting an exhibition of Vilnius Academy of Arts, Kaunas Faculty Glass Department students' works. The exhibition invites to review the recent works of the students.

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Fragment of the play Non-existent city (director Arvydas Lebeliūnas). Gintaras Česonis' photo from the KKT archive

(Not) Idyllic Non-existent city 2016-02-18

Miglė Munderzbakaitė

If we approach the play Non-existent city from the perspective offered by the playwright, we will probably see that this production will constantly be in between (next) to what has been proposed to avoid - sarcasm, irony and funny moments and sentimentality, idyllic depiction, when it is spoken of serious and sad things.

G. M. Kinčinaitytė's exhibition You belong to me at the Kaunas Photography Gallery

Landscapes of longing 2016-02-17

Tomas Pabedinskas

You belong to me is not an exhibition on Mars or sentimental human feelings. The obvious content of photographs and their provoking inexpressiveness, just like the metaphors involved in the text is only a way to form conceptual references that lead beyond the functional perception determined by the purpose of the photographs and the everyday approach to the world around us. 

Jonava. Photo from wikipedia.org

Jonava - European Capital of Culture in 2022. Why? 2016-02-15

Kastytis Rudokas

If there is a wish to build Bilbao then it should not be built in Vilnius, neither in Kaunas nor Klaipėda. It should be built in Tauragė, Mažeikiai or Alytus. If such show-off fiesta exists - and it sure does and is very lively - it should at least bring benefits to the place where they are needed most. For Jonava!

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Chain of generations. Vaitkuškis, 1903 06 22. Property of National M. K. Čiurlionis Art Museum

Count S. K. Kosakovskis' legacy: modern look from the past 2016-02-12

Kristina Budrytė-Genevičė

Everyday flowers: women's and children's portraits from Count Kazimieras Kosakovskis' photography collection is the name of the exhibition at the National M. K Čiurlionis Art Museum, open until the 6th of March. Upon its opening earlier this year, exhibition could not accommodate all the visitors in a small hall, many of them waited in line, in the corridor, for their turn to get a closer look at the Count's photo albums, registration book, some enlarged photographs and to read the detailed descriptions.

A still from Jean-Pierre Ameris’ film Family for rent

French cinema, mon amour 2016-02-11

Enrika Striogaitė

The festival of French cinema Winter Screens usually takes place when the winter with its full-blown flu and other viruses has already been tormenting enough and you especially feel like looking not out the window but at the screen, in which you are drawn in by another reality for an hour or two, providing strong emotions, feelings and thoughts. French cinema is amazing, it stands out in the context of all film festivals; it is difficult to define it - the best is to feel it.

Claudius-Gertrude (Dainius Svobonas) and Hamlet (Vainius Sodeika)

When Hamlet wanders into a nightclub 2016-02-10

Astijus Krauleidis-Vermontas

The latest work of the younger generation director Vidas Bareikis presented at the Kaunas State Drama Theatre was eagerly awaited. And not because the theatre is celebrating its 95th anniversary, or because a play is the best gift. This time the attention was drawn to the reason why this director, new in Kaunas theatrical life, is interesting, taking up quite a difficult task - to stage a play based on the Renaissance playwright William Shakespeare's play Hamlet.

Kaunas central post office (Laisvės av. 102). Architect F. Vizbaras, 1930-1932. Photo from Galerija.kvb.lt

The importance of identity for the city of Kaunas 2016-02-09

Laura Rimkutė

Kaunas does not have a strong face. The general public, not the residents of Kaunas or representatives of cultural heritage, often associate Kaunas with Žalgiris basketball team. However, this is not the true identity of the city, which should consist of history, culture and social areas. In recent years, the actions carried out by both Kaunas City Municipality and Architecture and Urban Research Center in respect to Kaunas interwar period modernism contributes to the shaping of the somewhat different image of Kaunas.

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Let the chronicle of brilliant work sound 2016-02-04

Elvina Baužaitė

V. Gerulaitis' book Virgilijus Noreika, "And wherever I'd go..." (Virgilijus Noreika: „Ir kur benueičiau...“ 2015, Vilnius: Tyto alba) appeared last year, in 2015, but the silence in the public space (without thinking that several messages and V. Noreika’s biography summaries - as if repeating the text of the book, which are neither reviews, nor critical articles - are not the needed, the right and enough resonance) simply pushes to take this non-traditional monograph and speak about this work that is very important not only to Lithuanian music but also to the whole culture.

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Jurgis Mačiūnas. Self-portrait, 1961

The Lithuanianness of Fluxus 2016-02-01

Ramūnas Čičelis

Fluxus is an "ancient" craft mastery. Its forms - the life of artists, performances and ready-made objects - were in line with the rules set by the pioneer of this old-fashionedly ‎new "craft" Jurgis Mačiūnas.  Lithuanian farmer's environment is art as craft till modernization and Fluxus is a reminiscence of the traditional Lithuanian village order and a refusal to modernize, resisting the four centuries of European art tradition.

Quantum criticism – “Suniro” in Leipzig 2015 2016-01-30

Jenna Jauhiainen

Three Lithuanian artists Daina Pupkevičiūtė, Gabrielė Gervickaitė and Andrėja Šaltytė took part in the exhibition "Suniro" held at Бükü cultural centre in Leipzig, Germany, on November 13-28, 2015. The exhibition was opened with the performance of Daina Pupkevičiūtė on Nomveber 12, 13 and 14. The lecture "Different bodies, similar needs: What bonobos can teach us about the roots of social relationships" was read by Liza R. Moscovice on November 16. This is a reflection about the exhibition written by the Finnish art critic Jenna Jauhiainen.

Visitors at the Louvre, 1923. Paris, France, www.pinterest.com

Museum: sacred or destructive space? (Part II) 2016-01-29

Marius Vyšniauskas

The majority of society sees museum as a boring sacred space full of angry guards, where it is forbidden to make noise and touch the exhibits. However, museums have changed in the early 21st century and those changes were caused by mass advertising. The enormous tourist lines in front of museum doors, colorful exhibition posters hanging in public, presentations on television and art workshops - all of which, in one way or another, attract people's attention.

Vida Savičiūnaitė (1956–2011). Photo from personal archive

Features of theatre criticism by Vida Savičiūnaitė 2016-01-28

Lina Japertaitė

This time is the most appropriate occasion to remember the founder and chief editor of kamane.lt, theatre critic and journalist, who worked during one of the most significant periods of Lithuanian theatre history - Vida Savičiūnaitė (1956–2011). On the 15th of January of this year, V. Savičiūnaitė would have celebrated her 60th jubilee. The silence after her passing is intuitively ripening the wish of her colleagues and relatives to remember her works and this time, to explore her work in the field of theatre criticism.

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Çatalhöyük. Photo from tumblr.com

Let's bring the goldsmiths back into the heart of Kaunas 2016-01-26

Kastytis Rudokas

Recently I wrote about the "pen architecture" in the Old Town of Kaunas. It is a way to drive out the goldsmith without the right to return, forcing him to move to Dainava or Šilainiai district and in doing so to lose the largest part of value of the city created over centuries. Therefore, I greatly rejoiced after reading that the building of the old horse post station should be turned into offices and that the Communications' Museum operating there will seize to exist. I have nothing against the museum, but experiencing the phenomenon, when the historical parts of the city are turned into "skansens" for eating and drinking, the 15 programmers working in that building will appear to be true goldsmiths.

Fragment of the exhibition. Photo by Karolina Maselskytė

Photosynthesis - art from nature to nature 2016-01-18

Remigijus Venckus

From the 11th of December of 2015 till the 10th of January of 2016 National M. K. Čiurlionis Museum, Ceramics Museum (Rotušės sq. 15, Kaunas) held an exhibition that featured works created during the creative summer camp Paluodė 2015. The 3rd international camp, which summoned artists of different art fields, was held in June of 2015. The camp took place in Zarasai region, Paluodė, on the Luodis lake shore.

S. Rickevičiūtė. Thornes in the dunes.

Summer entwined in the white canvas 2016-01-13

Astijus Krauleidis-Vermontas

In the works of Kaunas painter Sofija Rickevičiūtė, nature occupies a very important place and has different expressions, i.e. symbols that make up the whole of her works. The painter stays true to femininity and playfulness, although, she leaves increasingly less unpainted spots on the canvas. In this way a new creative line is being drawn.

R. Čiurlionis. For the gnostic and agnostic. Oil, marble dust, paper pulp, canvas, 2013-2014

Painting limits of Rimas Čiurlionis 2016-01-06

Ramūnas Čičelis

Youthful experiences, communication with the Soviet Lithuanian artists, openness to the destinies of the people from DP generation, intellectual Lithuanian-American heritage and the present; western classic art and contemporary art is the basis of the US-based painter Rimas Čiurlionis' oeuvre.

Exposition. Edmundas Saladžius' works in the foreground with Greta Grendaitė's works in the distance. Tomas Vosylius photo.

Masters and students of graphic arts 2016-01-05

Kristina Budrytė-Genevičė

The art project "Masters and students" is taking place in Vilnius, at Pamėnkalnio gallery of the Lithuanian Artists' Association. Open from the 18th of December till the 9th of January, it features one part of the project - the exhibition "Edmundas Saladžius and students". It is a code name or the simplest password, used for remembering the important meeting places of graphic artists.

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D. Velasquez Venus with a mirror, 1647–1651, cut by M. Richardson, National Gallery, London, United Kingdom

Museum: sacred or destructive space? (Part I) 2016-01-04

Marius Vyšniauskas

Museum as we know it has formed relatively recently, surviving social change and becoming a sharp line between destruction and holiness. As mentioned by the German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889–1976) art helps improve public expression and interpretation, but in case of emergency it takes on a role of blackmail. Thus, the series of articles will discuss not only the museum metamorphosis, administrations' sanctions for visitors, but also the questions why art triggers human aggression.

M. Valančius square in Kaunas

Reflections on the unrelated issues 2015-12-28

Kastytis Rudokas

Eternity is good if it fits the moment and vice versa. That is what our recklessly westernized society lacks. Pausing, taking a breath and reflecting. Meanwhile now, we have a modular principle of operation, when we apply clichéd solutions for unique situations.

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Z. Varnauskas. From the series Mother and Child. Paper, mixed tech., 39,3x29,7 cm, 1999.

In the light of pictures. To have a method - interview of Zenonas Varnauskas 2015-12-23

Gvidas Latakas

The artist Zenonas Varnauskas says, "To me, as for many, the picture is born while working. Especially when working on abstract paintings, the idea is revealed in the process. As far as I remember, A. Savickas has also said that he often takes an old work, turns it upside down and finishes it off with a completely different plot. Some relationship, the clash of two colors creates a new painting story."

A. Obcarskas. Acrylic Scripts I. 2012, 146x195

Antanas Obcarskas' work: from expression to minimalism 2015-12-09

Gabrielė Kuizinaitė

The fragment of neat detail in a large format plane is very important in Antanas Obcarskas' work. Each geometrical line transmits different informative and emotional messages to the viewer. The lines or acrylic patterns on those planes are rhythmically united, subtle and they optically bring in the viewer with their minimalist style.

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Kazimieras Stabrauskas. Grotto

Mysterious world of Kazimieras Stabrauskas painting 2015-12-08

Astijus Krauleidis-Vermontas

The exhibition Kazimieras Stabrauskas - the teacher of M. K. Čiurlionis aims to show how K. Stabrauskas is special and meaningful when it comes to M. K. Čiurlionis oeuvre. Without a doubt, these two artists should be treated as individuals, but we can also look for links and similarities in their works. Only, is it really necessary?

Restaurant's Castle Garden building in Kaunas, architects of which were awarded the  Ministry of the Environment Award for creative achievements in urban design and architecture. LAS photo.

Pen society surrounded by pen architecture 2015-12-08

Kastytis Rudokas

I am not criticizing the occurrence of pen in the Old Town. However, I am worried about the award given to this building by the Ministry of Environment for the best architecture, which in a sense, becomes the only reason that provides meaning for the existence of the pen.

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A fragment from E. Markūnas exhibition Twilight Zone

Twilight Zone - eternal beauty and mutations 2015-12-01

Neringa Krikščiūnaitė

The exhibition of E. Markūnas Twilight Zone open at Pamėnkalnio Gallery in Vilnius is a subtle navigation between human-created beauty, precision, aesthetics and deviations into the darkness, deplorable props and inner mutations that are also caused by humans. Twilight Zone becomes the place of choosing of which direction we will eventually be taking.

A still from Andrew Haigh's film 45 years. Scanorama.lt photo

Self-grief - a fear of confronting another "I" 2015-12-01

Aušra Kaziliūnaitė

An elderly couple, Jeff (Tom Courtenay) and Kate (Charlotte Rampling) are waiting for an extraordinary event. At the end of the week they will have a big celebration - the 45th anniversary of their marriage. The banquet hall is booked, a list of songs is being put together as well as a snack menu. In Andrew Haigh's film 45 years (2015), which was shown in this year’s Scanorama even time is recorded according to the number of days left until the big event... Only suddenly, everything is perturbed when Jeff receives a letter stating that a body of his lover, who had disappeared 50 years ago was found.

Katie Paterson, Creations of time, 2015. Remis Ščerbauskas photo

Two of the many events: 10th Kaunas Biennial 2015-11-27

Kristina Budrytė-Genevičė

Exhibition Threads: phantasmagoria about distance curated by Nicolas Bourriaud and opened at the Kaunas Central Post Office, because of its quality and relevance, in fact, could have taken place in any European city museum and the historic Kaunas building provided the European version with some local aspects that accreted meanings to the presented works.

Tales from the rough reality 2015-11-26

Vilija Virkutytė

M. Sauka collection of short stories - Roughly (Grubiai, 2015, Vilnius: Lietuvos rašytojų sąjungos leidykla) - is a poignant and open look of a young artist at himself, those around him, objects and phenomena, full of humor and irony. M. Sauka reveals the rules, stereotypes and superstitions that exist in life and creative work. Maybe that is why his short stories are full of absurd situations and limitary states. When reading a book, one feels constantly surprised by the author’s language play and ability to see unexpected details in everyday life.

National School of Fine Arts painting studio. Late 19th century. Postcard

Influence of Paris schools on Lithuanian art (Part II) 2015-11-25

Marius Vyšniauskas

Most of the Litvaks who had studied at l’Eécole de Paris were coming from various Vilnius art schools. It was the artists coming from Lithuanian territory who had given the basis for the art critics to call the second wave of l’Ecole de Paris – l’Eécole Juive (Jewish school), which "occupied" the French capital during 1909-1913.

Fragment of Arvydas Šliogeris book cover Melancholy Archipelagos

Philotopic greetings 2015-11-23

Ramūnas Čičelis

The bravest and hardest wish is not to be afraid to disown yourself - to be without the relationship of the subject and the object; to view the world without any assessment of yourself and external reality. Rejection of subjectivity frees one from the dictatorship of ideology, blind following and criminal behavior against humanity.

Time for one's own bees 2015-11-18

Elvina Baužaitė

Donaldas Kajokas knows the world, life, language - that is why the texts live not in one form, not in one meaning. They invite, asking to pause, to return, and to be read once again. While higher mathematics is very simple, "terribly basic:/two times two for her always equals/ four (as much as you have)" (p. 73), in poetry it takes on a different quality and turns into linguistic quantity - content, which is covered with more than one cover. It is time to open it, while it is still November, while it is evening, while the world still can be vague and unexplained.

To breathe with the soul of a woman 2015-11-14

Vilija Virkutytė

V. Pilipauskaitė-Butkienė book of poems "I breathe" (Kvėpuoju, 2015, Vilnius: Lietuvos rašytojų sąjungos leidykla) is a very open and also a fragile poetry of woman's soul. In the book the author identifies with the women talking and tells their stories, which are often shocking. She not only sums up her own experience but also the experience of many women.

To be (with) human 2015-11-10

Elvina Baužaitė

Valdas Papievis novel "Odilė, or the airport loneliness" is for anyone in autumn, on the month of November, who does not want anything more - while looking at the storm clouds carried by wind - only that "at least one sister or brother, who had opened their hearts to the Lord... Would pray for us all... For us all, visiterus."

Židrija Janušaitė. Image from solo exhibition "Solitudes. Touches."

Židrija Janušaitė, "In order to feel you need to stop" 2015-11-06

Dovilė Stirbytė

Probably the main creative essence and purpose of artist Židrija Janušaitė is to show how important it is for a constantly busy contemporary person to stop and meet himself. Perhaps, this aim of the artist is best seen in her long performances of minimalist aesthetics. A conversation with the artist at her studio about creative work that can hardly be put into words is presented.

Writer Aldona Ruseckaitė. Photo from A. Ruseckaitė's personal archive

Writer Aldona Ruseckaitė, "Žemaitė is not a boring grandma with a headscarf" 2015-11-05

Enrika Striogaitė

Quite recently, the writer Aldona Ruseckaitė presented her books - "Žemaitė's Secret" and "Better (not) to Forget" - instead of other authors' (something we all have gotten used to) at Maironis Lithuanian Literature Museum in Kaunas. The visitors found themselves in a tastefully prepared literary performance, in which the Lithuanian literature classic Žemaitė came to life not as a public figure and classic, but as a mother and a woman tormented by love, guilt and longing.

Neither pilaf, nor spies 2015-11-03

Urtė Navalinskaitė

It is neither a historical, nor spy, nor detective nor even a novel. When reading "Vilnius Pilaf" I felt as if I was talking to my grandfather. After noticing that someone is listening to him at least partially, he would start telling stories. Since I did not know his friends he would tell me everything about them, sometimes would pause to enjoy the memory and then continue telling.

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F. Duban. "National Art School", 1837. D'Orsay Museum, Paris, France

Influence of Paris schools on Lithuanian art (Part I) 2015-10-29

Marius Vyšniauskas

The famous Lithuanian public figure Pranciškus Ksaveras Mykolas Bogušas (1746–1820) wrote in his "Travel journal" about the art criteria, "The French taste ... is characterized by gentleness, moderation, and elegance and a type of art that is difficult to find elsewhere." The series of articles will review the influence of Paris art schools on Lithuanian artists.

Writer Donaldas Kajokas. Photo by Zenonas Baltrušis

Conversation with writer Donaldas Kajokas - mode of life and being according to literary contexts 2015-10-26

Elvina Baužaitė

The Lithuanian National Prize laureate Donaldas Kajokas (1953) creates poetry, writes a wide range and variable volumes of prose texts of different genres and translates - his work areas are broad, the roads branch, but in the end everything is merged in literature. For the conversation with D. Kajokas, the author has chosen thoughts from his works - novel "Ežeras ir kiti jį lydintys asmenys" (Lake and other persons accompanying it, 2012) and collection of poems "Apie vandenis, medžius ir vėjus" (On the water, the trees and the winds, 2015). Thus, literature "asks" the writer...

The twenty-sixth autumn 2015-10-17

Jurga Tumasonytė

This year's festival "Druskininkai Poetic Fall" seemed calm and correct, with interesting texts and characters of the foreign guests a strong and very weak poetry, people that were seen so long time ago and it was either fun or unpleasant to see them again, and the autumnal chill. For the next year's festival, I would like to wish more "abnormality", that it, once again, would regain its old reputation.

P.Lincevičius. "A snowflake (sarcophagus for Vermeer)“, 2015

When time takes longer 2015-10-15

Neringa Krikščiūnaitė

Young man Petras Lincevičius, who was nominated for the best young artist at the Art Fair "ArtVilnius'15", looks like, as if he has descended from another century. His thoughts are never in a hurry, words flow slowly and works make the past moments and events contemporary.

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Edmundas Saladžius. Series "Christmas at a madhouse“

Interpretation of Edmundas Saladžius works 2015-10-12

Deima Žuklytė

E. Saladžius works, in fact, are the exemplary implementation of a true artistic mission. He observes life and world, notices the human vices as if using an X-ray, transfers them through a modernist consciousness and presents the results with real talent to the same humanity, so that we would stop for a moment in this global rush and think - what could we change?

Vision of the future in the present moments 2015-10-12

Vilija Virkutytė

It can be argued that Černiauskaitė and R. Šerelytė literary experiment has succeeded. The book surprisingly combines seemingly incompatible things - L. S. Černiauskaitė classic, romantic style, psychologism and R. Šerelytė sharp plot, futuristic motifs. Perhaps, because both authors depict errant, lying contemporary people, who are fragile and confused inside.

Algis Skačkauskas. Self portrait.

A look at Algis Skačkauskas drawings 2015-10-06

Deima Žuklytė

Visual stories of Algis Skačkauskas have outlived the artist himself. His expressive characters unconfined by strict lines can easily move in the viewer's consciousness and independently extend the story, which was started by the painter.

Head of the festival Birutė Letukaitė. Photo from the Aura archive

Choreographer Birutė Letukaitė, "Contemporary dancers must have personalities" 2015-10-05

Deimantė Dementavičiūtė-Stankuvienė

The Contemporary Dance Festival Aura, which will be celebrating its 25th anniversary will take place in Kaunas from the 7th of October to 11th. The head of the festival choreographer Birutė Letukaitė agreed to share her thoughts on the moods before the festival, special guests from abroad, contemporary dance genre and Lithuanian features in it.

H. Gascar. "Jonas Sobieskis apotheosis in a family circle“ (1691). Wawel Castle, Krakow, Poland.

Child iconography in Lithuania and the world (Part II) 2015-10-02

Marius Vyšniauskas

Children's image in painting had eventually changed, revealing public's attitude towards the world and "visible but silent" individuals nearby.

Scene from the performance "Woodman." Donatas Stankevičius photo.

Want me to tell you the tale of “Woodman”? 2015-09-29

Kristina Steiblytė

Unfortunately, we will have to wait for a personal, sensitive and really provocative play. On the other hand, as it was promised by the actors in the beginning of the play "Woodman" directed by Valters Sīlis at the National Kaunas Drama Theatre, an interesting story, a tale was actually told. Only, I doubt it can work as our scary folk stories, full of blood and death.

Jennifer B. Thoreson.  From the series "Testament"

The "loops" of aspirations 2015-09-18

Tomas Pabedinskas

It would be hard not to notice repetition at the International Festival of Photography "Kaunas Photo.” Not to reflect on it would mean losing the chance to notice a more general situation of contemporary photography in one example.

“Summer Scenery”, oil on canvas, 60 x 81 cm, 2015

Lina Morkūnaitė-Vilkelienė’s artistic language and play of spacetime 2015-09-16

Remigijus Venckus

Lina Morkūnaitė-Vilkelienė abstract painting tries to take us closer to another space, the one that might never come into existence, or the space that could not be “touched” by the usual human gaze. That is how Lina can extend time in one canvas, retracting it in another, distancing us from the real time, or presenting to us its decomposed fragments.

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Vytas Dekšnys. Dalia Survilaitė photo

Vytas Dekšnys, "According to the definition of Sigitas Geda I am not a poet" 2015-09-11

Jurga Tumasonytė

Recently, there was a discussion on Facebook, sparked by Rimvydas Stankevičius thoughts on the impossibility of complete and perfect translation of poetry and the significance of national poetry, which cannot be replaced by any other country's creation. On that occasion, Jurga Tumasonytė is talking to a great poet and translator Vytas Dekšnys about the peculiarities of writers, translations and creative work.

M. Kober. "Portrait of Vladislav Sigismund Vasa" and "Portrait of Anna Maria Vazaitė", 1596, Las Descalzas Reales monastery, Madrid, Spain

Child iconography in Lithuania and the world (Part I) 2015-09-10

Marius Vyšniauskas

Studying visual art catalogs, historians have focused on adult images as a way to reveal an atmosphere of specific period while not that much attention was paid to child portraits. So, in the first part of the article series we will look at children's iconography from ancient times to the seventeenth century in a context of Lithuania and the world, assessing to what extent portraits were affected by political and cultural factors.

Tautvyda Marcinkevičiūtė. Photo from kamane.lt archive

Tautvyda Marcinkevičiūtė, "Currently I am writing 'into the drawer'" 2015-09-09

Enrika Striogaitė

After I decided to interview Tautvyda Marcinkevičiūtė I realized that I do not have her phone number. First thought that I gave into was to go to Laisvės Alėja, which is known to be the office of the poet Gintaras Patackas (not so small: somewhere from the fountain to Vilnius street) and ask him. That is what I did. I found G. Patackas easily - at one of the cafes of Laisvės Alėja. He was not alone. Next to the massively-built spouse, as if some little bird, sat Tautvyda - fragile, petite, smiling.

Director Rolandas Atkočiūnas. Photo from NKDT archive

Director R. Atkočiūnas,''Talking seriously about serious things nowadays are even indecent.'' 2015-09-02

Jolanta Garnytė-Jadkauskienė

Journalists and reviewers who write on theatre topics know very well how important it is to find the right time to talk with the director overwhelmed by the premiere. This time, we meet the director of Dea Loher's "Clara's Relationships" - Rolandas Atkočiūnas, whose premiere we will see at the Kaunas Sate Drama Theatre on September 25, 26 and 27. We meet at a very peculiar time - after the closed preview of the performance, during the corrective rehearsals.

Painting created by Gintautas Vaičys during the plein air

Painterly diversity of the summer at the A. Samuolis plein air 2015-08-31

Gabrielė Kuizinaitė

The 22nd traditional plein air dedicated to the memory of painter Antanas Samuolis was held in Kaunas, in August. Painter Antanas Samuolis (1899–1942) - one of the most prominent Lithuanian painters of the first part of the 20th century, a member of painters group Ars, a person who brought colors, expression of forms and modernity into Lithuanian art.                   

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Poems - the world created in solitude 2015-08-28

Elvina Baužaitė

R. Rastauskas "Lonely flags" are flapping in the wind and every poem like "a fly // is flying towards the light / towards death" (p. 140) - will it reach the reader, become a meaning for him that he heard and felt? Will the timid, uncertain, palpable poetic speaking twitchy with syllables "mi-li-me-ter-si-ze / pa-per of me-mo-ry" (ibid) - author's hope, in order "from God's / creation // to creation / of art" (ibid) - come true - will be for you, the reader, to say.

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A still from Alantė Kavaitė film "The summer of Sangailė." Photo from acmefilm.lt

A few observations about The Summer of Sangailė 2015-08-26

Miglė Munderzbakaitė

The famous film "The Summer of Sangailė" from the director Alantė Kavaitė finally reached Lithuanian cinemas and a wider audience, on the 21st of August. The film is not without flaws, but it is worth seeing, not just because, as it is said, to support national film.

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V. Gelumbauskas photo

Writer J. Žilinskas about the proper planetary alignment 2015-08-21

Jurga Tumasonytė

The author of four fiction books Justinas Žilinskas could be presented as a professor at the International and European Law Institute or publicist, or a musician, a blogger, or science popularizer, a father of three, or... We would probably need a long paragraph to consistently describe and count all J. Žilinskas' works and achievements if not one mitigating circumstance - we are talking about literature and writing.

A. Vilpišauskas. "The fluttering of summer butterflies", 2011. A. Blinstrubaitė-Vasiliauskienė photo

Alfonsas Vilpišauskas and spiritual unity 2015-08-19

Kristina Budrytė-Genevičė

Even though the exposition organized at the Meno Parkas gallery in Kaunas focused more on Alfonsas Vilpišauskas works of the last decade and painter's works at the Titanikas halls in Vilnius were presented as a retrospective, both exhibitions are linked by the artist's search for "good painting", aspiration of the impossible in the fine arts and the confession of the expressive painting.

Rosanda Sorakaitė. Untitled, 2015. Author's photograph.

"Something like that" - between dream and mist 2015-08-18

Nerinka Krikščiūnaitė

In the works exhibited at "Something like that”, Rosanda Sorakaitė depicts the objects as if they had reached the human eye as soon as he woke up. Fog, whose source is unclear, is covering all the objects present in the environment. However, the contours and light emanating from above, captured on canvases is slowly emerging. Silence surrounds everything. Slowly, things become apparent.

Exposition fragment from the exhibition "Something like that" at the gallery Meno Parkas.

Rosanda Sorakaitė, "I am not seeking to portray only the reality, which can be seen" 2015-08-17

Dovilė Stirbytė

Although R. Sorakaitė started participating in exhibitions during the first years of her bachelor studies, she fully integrated into the ranks of professional artists after finishing her masters' degree. During 2014 she presented two solo exhibitions in Klaipėda and Jonava. The same year she was awarded a special prize at the international watercolor biennial "Baltic Bridges." Her works were recently shown in both selective exhibitions of the contemporary painting festival "Generations XY.Z?" and a week ago artist's exhibition "Something like that" was opened at the gallery Meno Parkas.

M. Palloni, Christ's coronation with the crown of thorns, 1678–1685. Pažaislis chapter. Author's photo.

Italian Baroque painting in Kaunas 2015-08-14

Marius Vyšniauskas

Kaunas Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Pažaislis ensemble with the decoration of its frescoes and stucco brings our city closer to distant Italy. This sanctuary was famous for its modernity throughout the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The article gives an overview of the artistic value of the sanctuary.

Author's photo

Kaunas interwar modernist architecture shone bright in the sky of cultural heritage 2015-08-12

Laura Rimkutė

In April of this year, Kaunas was ceremoniously awarded the European Heritage Label after assessment of the application submitted by municipality named "Kaunas of 1919 - 1940." Lithuania has a lot of valuable material cultural heritage but let us see why specifically Kaunas interwar modernist architecture deserves the recognition and what obligations this assessment brings.

Ivona Juric. "Two trails." Oil on canvas, 140x220, 2014

The international visual art exhibition in Kaunas 2015-08-10

Remigijus Venckus

International visual art residence is taking place in Kaunas for the second time. The residence is unified by the international artistic and cultural creators’ cities’ network "CreArt." Residence is administered by the public institution Artkomas and creative results are presented in Kaunas, at the History of Communications museum. Exhibition can be visited until the 15th of August. This article briefly discusses the results of the residence presented at the exhibition.

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Apocalypse ballads 2015-08-10

Vilija Virkutytė

R. Šerelytė "Cocoon ballads" intrigue the reader with a new genre in Lithuanian literature and an unusual topic. A chosen social sci-fi genre combines the topic of apocalypse and social criticism. "Cocoon ballads" will befit those, who are not afraid to look at themselves with new eyes.

D. Maleckienė piece from series "Photographic abstractions." 2010 - 2015, 50 x 40 cm.

The abstract photography of Rimgaudas and Dangirutė Maleckai 2015-08-06

Remigijus Venckus

By carefully examining the creative retrospective of Rimgaudas and Dangirutė Maleckai at the Kaunas M. and K. Petrauskai Lithuanian Music Museum I oddly meet the history of the 20th century visual art. In their photographs I see documentary and its bold, experimental fragmentation; I see images of reality that turned into abstraction and even double frames, distorting reality.

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Edwin Geist. Photo from brandeis.edu

In the face of the Holocaust trauma 2015-08-05

Ramūnas Čičelis

The life stories of German composer Edwin Geist and his Lithuanian-Jewish wife Lyda Geistienė are special and unique like everyone's who died in the Holocaust. However one aspect sets the Geist family apart from the other victims - it is the diary of E. Geist that certifies the greatness and altogether a fragility of human dignity.

John Demos. From the series "The shadows of silence." "Tinos." 1986

Greek traditions in photography exhibition “Shadows of Silence” 2015-08-04

Gabrielė Kuizinaitė

The photography exhibition of the well-known Greek photographer John Demos is open at Kaunas Photography Gallery. In the exhibition, the author has captured people met during his trips in Greece, their surroundings and the mood. The man and the Greek landscape or architectural elements form an indivisible whole of the black-white photos and create a symbolic metaphysical Greek human portrait.

Vytautas Magnus University Physics and Chemistry Faculty building (1932). Arch. M. Songaila. Building did not survive. Photo from galerija.ktu.lt

The builders of Modern Kaunas 2015-07-30

Marius Vyšniauskas

Kaunas - the provisional capital of the first Republic of Lithuania in the memoirs of contemporaries is full of picturesque epithets, for example, "little Paris", or "little Brussels." This paper will review the people who created the "New Kaunas" because of their work the interwar period architecture today is awarded the Western European Heritage Label. Since it is impossible to write about everyone, I will focus on a several biographies.

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Poet Giedrė Širvytė. Vytautas Tamoliūnas photo

Poet Giedrė Širvytė, "I would like to write only one book during my entire life" 2015-07-28

Enrika Striogaitė

People interested in the literature of Giedrė Širvytė generation know her well - they remember her strong poems that took everyone’s attention. It could be argued that G. Širvytė is one of the most talented poets of her generation, most probably forgotten by today's literary world, because after publishing her first poetry book two decades ago, Giedrė sort of disappeared.

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Kęstutis Grigaliūnas. "Curiosity killed a mouse I, II" (600 x 400)

Looking for the limits of art 2015-07-27

Deima Žuklytė

International art exhibition "(No)limit" is a continuation of the project that has been going on for six years and is now being presented at the Vilnius Pamėnkalnis and Šv. Jonas street galleries. Artists participating in the exhibition come from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine. They are exploring the limits of contemporary art and artist's ability to speak to the public about uncomfortable issues.

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Ernestas Noreika

Poet Ernestas Noreika, "The ones who write are getting bolder" 2015-07-17

Jurga Tumasonytė

We are talking with poet and rapper of the younger generation Ernestas Noreika-Beeta, who has published his first poetry collection "The Lake of Peacocks" in 2012. The interview is about the states that arise from being in different cultural and everyday spaces and the stance of a modern man, who creates poetry.

Linguistic restoration of being 2015-07-15

Elvina Baužaitė

The world we see in V. Braziūnas "Table Mountain" (Stalo kalnas, 2014, Vilnius: Lithuanian Writers' Association publishing house) is the place where male and female were based on different types of understanding, when the world and being where sacred and a human was able to meet another human without any cultural differences and in agreement view the images with the eyes of the soul.

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Laima Drazdauskaitė. „Hare cabbage“. 2014. Oil on canvas, 170 x 120. Author's photo

Painting: statistics and sensibility 2015-07-13

Kristina Budrytė-Genevičė

Main exhibition "Before / After / Now" of the contemporary painting festival "Generations XY.Z?" opened at the Kaunas Picture gallery on the 9th of July. Curator Aušra Barzdukaitė-Vaitkūnienė brought her colleagues together to the group exposition that represents the latest painting trends for a reason.

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Povilas Ramanauskas. "Homage to a Painting." Wood, plastic, lamps, cotton, linen, 125 x 105 x 14 cm. 2013

On Ash trees, thorns, time and death 2015-07-10

Dovilė Stirbytė

Visual art, which has long stopped representing (only) the area of mimesis, often appears as a framework or structure that does not picture anything; as a code, a citation, a link, a comment or something that is in between, (founding) claiming its own reality. Of course, artistic creation is only a small part of a machinery that manufactures alternative realities and a painting exhibition "The relevance of Reality" held in Lithuanian Artists' Association gallery Meno Parkas in Kaunas only partly reflects their diversity.

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Rita Griškonytė piece

Glass art experiences in Estonia 2015-07-09

Raimonda Simanaitienė

Naturally, various travels and new experiences and impressions coincide with the summer time. In July I was able to get thoroughly acquainted with the Estonian glass artists’ work and their exhibition activities. I can claim that this time, the most interesting discoveries of this field did not happen in Tallinn, at the Estonian Academy of Arts (which is famous, since the interwar period, with its strong artistic glass education) but in the province - towns of Olustvere and Järvakandi in the central part of Estonia.

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