Title Image

Visions

Visions

The exhibition "Visions," curated by Valentyn Odnoviun and the Šiauliai Museum of Photography, explores the evolution of Lithuanian photography throughout the twentieth century, highlighting avant-garde, modern, experimental, and conceptual styles. It begins with Povilas Karpavičius, who, during the interwar period, transformed reality into artistic phenomena through photomontage and surrealist compositions, linking early photo enthusiasts with emerging photographers of the 1960s and 1970s. The Lithuanian School of Photography members, influenced by Karpavičius, include Vitalijus Butyrinas, Aleksandras Macijauskas, and Vitas Luckus. Butyrinas’s work evolved from reportage-like montages to poetic and surreal imagery. Macijauskas’s dynamic series, like “At the Veterinary Clinic," used wide-angle lenses for impactful scenes. Luckus, a pioneer in performative photography, incorporated the "mind concept" in works like "Mimai," altering colours and arrangements. The 1980s saw Virgilijus Šonta's "School is My Home" series addressing forbidden subjects and societal norms. Algirdas Šeškus challenged conventional photography, inspiring innovative approaches. Violeta Bubelytė created conceptual performances on camera, while Alfonsas Budvytis, Remigijus Pacėsa, and Vytautas Balčytis transitioned from documentary to "defective" photographs, evoking decay and a slowed perception of time. Arūnas Kulikauskas and Giedrius Liagas from the Kaunas "Predators Group" used found photography and toning to reflect on everyday objects and cityscapes. The exhibition, featuring works from the Šiauliai Museum of Photography, the Lithuanian Photographers Association, and the Lithuanian National Museum of Art, showcases Lithuanian photography’s diverse and intricate development, emphasising individual innovations and the relentless pursuit of originality and self-expression.

Artists

Povilas Karpavičius, Vitalijus Butyrinas, Aleksandras Macijauskas, Vitas Luckus, Virgilijus Šonta, Violeta Bubelytė, Algirdas Šeškus, Alfonsas Budvytis, Remigijus Pačėsa, Vytautas Balčytis, Arūnas Kulikauskas, Giedrius Liagas

Curtors

Valentyn Odnoviun

Visual artist, curator, and photography theorist based in Vilnius, Lithuania. He holds Master's degrees in Photography and Media Arts as well as in Art History and Theory from the Vilnius Academy of Arts. In addition to his artistic and academic pursuits, he lectures at the Vilnius Academy of Arts. Currently, Odnoviun is working on a dissertation at the Lithuanian Culture Research Institute, focusing on intersections within the context of Eastern European photographic culture in the second half of the 20th century.

Vilija Ulinskytė-Balzienė

Museologist, historian of photography, curator of numerous photography exhibitions and various museum projects. Since 2000, she has been the head of the Šiauliai Museum of Photography, which is the only specialised museum of photographic history, art and technology in Lithuania, an important centre for the preservation and dissemination of the Lithuanian visual art heritage.

Authors of the photos

Povilas Karpavicius, Vitalijus Butyrinas, Vitas Luckus, Violeta Bubelyte

Exhibition Availability

Podlaskie Museum in Bialystok, Town Hall, 10 Kościuszki Square; open 27.09 – 03.11..2024; until 30.09.2024 Tues-Sun, 10.00 – 18.00; from 01.10 to 27.10 Tue-Sun, 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.