UR
Brussels ∧ Ghent ∧ Strasbourg July – December 2013 Lithuanian Presidency Union
C U
of the Council of the European
C U LT U R E – this play of letters is an incredibly simple and clever idea, which manifests for me first of all the role of culture in our lives: culture has a unique quality of being all-embracing, pervasive and engaging, inspiring, and life-changing. It also delightfully mirrors the role culture plays in Lithuania and the role of Lithuania in culture. Culture in Lithuania and Lithuania in culture is the main theme of our cultural programme to celebrate Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The first Presidency, therefore for us even more challenging and exciting. Our desire is to use this opportunity to highlight the richness of Lithuanian culture and its influence in Europe and the rest of the world, to present at least a small fraction of our talented artists. Some of them are well established internationally and influence ‘the weather’ on the stage of the art world, others are young and upcoming, drawing the attention of peers through their innovative and inspiring ideas with their work heard and shown at the best international venues and galleries. What is important is that they exist in the broad spectrum of world culture as refreshing and challenging collaborative partners. 2 | 3
Brussels ⋅ Ghent ⋅ Strasbourg culture programme
The C U LT U R E programme reveals a good mixture of features which we usually connect with Lithuanian culture: its playful, sometimes quirky, intellectually charged nature, its leaning towards the lyrical, poetic and metaphoric, its preoccupation with history and memory, ritual and non-pragmatic ways of doing things. From the symbolism of the beginning of the 20th century starting with the work of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, a composer and visual artist of equal stature through to Jonas Mekas with his reflections on the dramatic turns of the 20th century and a search for what has been lost forever; from poetry readings to poetic documentaries and auteur films; from classical virtuosos and opera divas to mesmerizing concert installations and thought-provoking theatre performances, you will find it all in this programme for your attention and delight. This vibrant programme is also the best proof of our European and international experiences of the last 20 years, the cultural connections between artists and cultural organizations, the involvement of the Lithuanian representations abroad and our network of cultural attachés, as well as all our hardworking partners and supporters who put this fantastic programme together. We could not be more proud of what we have achieved during this period and are excited by the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The most important asset Europe has is culture. And Europe is able to deliver culture of true quality. And this programme is one more proof of that.
Šarūnas Birutis Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania
The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is an important historical event for Lithuania. For the first time we will be taking a considerable amount of responsibility for the future of Europe. We are ready to be an honest broker, and help find joint solutions that are in the best interests of all EU members. Lithuania’s presidency of the EU Council logo is a symbol of joint activities for the benefit of Europe – the L ithuanian tricolour flag uniting common European values. We will have to work hard to return trust in the European financial markets and to strengthen the EU’s economy. Together with the EU’s partners, we will strive for a competitive and innovative common market that creates new jobs, is open to innovation, and attentive to the citizens of Europe. We will pursue an open EU that will become an example and centre of attention for our closest partners and neighbours. We are also happy that over this half-year we will be better under stood and become more recognizable members of the EU family. Lithuania’s diplomatic representations will contribute to this by organizing various events to present Lithuania’s cultural, artistic and economic achievements. 4 | 5
Brussels ⋅ Ghent ⋅ Strasbourg culture programme
I’m sure that you will find the resonance of Lithuanian culture in Belgium a pleasant surprise. This half-year, artists from Lithuania should be sought there where experts in art and culture will be: the Festival of Flanders, the Klara Music Festival, the Flagey Arts Centre, and the BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts. We present a diverse picture of Lithuanian culture: the pride of Lithuania – opera singer Violeta Urmana and the Ąžuoliukas Boys’ and Youth Choir, active for 54 years, an exhibition of works by Jonas Mekas, godfather of American avant-garde cinema, and a composition by the young composer Justė Janulytė, our documentary cinema and contemporary Lithuanian theatre, which has been recognized worldwide. These different artistic performances, analyzing the topics shared by the citizens of Europe, serve as an example of creativity which sometimes proves vital when dealing with key issues. Enjoy discovering the diverse culture of Lithuania.
Linas Linkevičius Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania
We are pleased to …
… present a programme of cultural events to mark Lithuania’s six months as Chair of the Council of the European Union. The programme brings together the most highly regarded Lithuanian artists and performers, and has been given the inclusive title of C U LT U R E. This title describes an ephemeral phenomenon, which remains alive for only as long as people are open to knowledge and new ideas. At the same time, it is the most universal of media, which allows us to understand different worlds better, and to find similarities between them. An artist is the one who is able to open up and join the different cultures of different countries. Born and bred in a particular environment, artists outgrow both their time and their place. Their work recognises no political borders or natural divisions: no walls, no seas, no gulfs. That is why, when we look at the geographical range and the wide recognition of the composers, directors and artists we have selected, we no longer call them only Lithuanian. Each one of them represents both the Lithuanian and the multiple European cultural identity. In putting together this cultural programme, our aim was not to offer surprises. We want people to be moved by a branch of already well6 | 7
Brussels ⋅ Ghent ⋅ Strasbourg culture programme
known, but slightly different, European art, which has been born out of the rich cultural and political conjunctures and contradictions between the East and the West. Brought together by their friendship with George Maciunas, two prominent figures, Jonas Mekas, the godfather of American avantgarde cinema, and Vytautas Landsbergis, the first head of state of the reestablished Republic of Lithuania, who was also one of the initiators of Fluxus performances in Lithuania, will meet on the same stage. Their conversation about friends, their homeland, politics and art, led by Paul Dujardin, the director of the BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts, is expected to be fascinating. This meeting between two fellow-countrymen will reveal the ever-changing world of Jonas Mekas, and will help us to understand the programme of films and the exhibition ‘Jonas Mekas / The Fluxus Wall’. Fluxus is part not only of art history, but also of history of Lithuania: though playful and apparently devoid of any more problematic meaning, it became a source of inspiration to politicians and the society, as it strived for freedom in the late ’80s – freedom that was never understood only in terms of political independence and liberties, but also as an essential characteristic of human life. The fruitful collaboration between cultural institutions in Lithuania and Belgium has turned into an exceptional line-up of exhibitions and concerts. The Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, along with the BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts and the KlaraFestival, presents Violeta Urmana and the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Modestas Pitrėnas, in a gala concert. The National M. K. Čiurlionis Art Museum and the Art Museum of Ghent stretch the horizons of the 180 pieces of art and photography by Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, who blended Symbolism, Romanticism, Sezession and Abstractionism. This is a unique possibility to see a large and complete collection of Čiurlionis’ work and to listen to his music, performed by the pianist Petras Geniušas and the Čiurlionis String Quartet, outside Lithuania. Autumn in Brussels will be enriched by two Lithuanian directors who are much-loved by theatre and film buffs, and by regular visitors to every major film and theatre festival in Europe. They are the Avignon favourite Oskaras Koršunovas, who is bringing his whole theatre company to Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Stanisław Filibert Fleury. Portrait of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, Vilnius, 1908
Brussels, and Šarūnas Bartas, whose films are premièred in Cannes, Venice and Berlin. Just before Christmas, the crystal-clear voices of the boys and youth of the Ąžuoliukas choir will ring out alongside that of Asta Krikščiūnaitė and Nora Petročenko. And the last minutes of the Lithuanian season of culture in Belgium will be counted down by the magic Sandglasses by Justė Janulytė, a favourite project at the festivals of contemporary music in Europe. Even as you hurry down the hallways of various EU institutions, you will be welcomed by Lithuanian installations, exhibitions of book design and paintings, and the spinning ‘Gardens of Europe’, which symbolise a perfect world, open to harmony and culture. We sincerely hope that the efforts of the Lithuanian artists and our team will give you pleasure, encourage you to learn more about the culture of our country, and broaden your cultural map of Europe, by extending of the borders of your knowledge, to include new names and build ever stronger cultural bridges. Be open to C U LT U R E and enjoy it! 8 | 9
Brussels ⋅ Ghent ⋅ Strasbourg culture programme
music
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Gala Concert K l ara F e s t i v a l 2 0 1 3 Co-production between the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society, the Flanders Festival Brussels and Bozar Music 12 September 2013 | 8:00 pm Bozar Centre for Fine Arts, Henry Le Boeuf Hall Rue Ravenstein / Ravensteinstraat 23, 1000 Brussels Tickets: 02 507 82 00 Violeta Urmana, soprano Modestas Pitrėnas, conductor Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra P ro g ramm e Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, symphonic poem Miške / In the Forest Richard Wagner, song cycle Wesendonck-Lieder, Der Männer Sippe (Die Walküre), Liebestod (Tristan und Isolde) Richard Strauss, symphonic poem Tod und Verklärung, op. 24 This concert will be broadcast by Klara radio.klara.be www.cultureguide.lt | www.bozar.be | www.klarafestival.be www.violetaurmana.com | www.filharmonija.lt
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Photo by Christine Schneider
Violeta Urmana
Be prepared for some of the best sounds Lithuania has to offer, including a symphonic poem by Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, the founder of professional music in Lithuania. Violeta Urmana is a real opera diva. In fact, nowadays she is only a guest in her homeland, as she spends most of her time rehearsing and performing major roles in the great opera theatres of Europe and the world. She started out as a mezzo-soprano, but later turned to dramatic soprano roles, and with equal success. While she has performed the leading roles in productions of many famous operas, her lifelong passion is Wagner, and her regal beauty makes her particularly suitable for the majestic parts. She will be accompanied at the Gala by the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, one of the oldest and most famous orchestras in Lithuania, which has toured throughout the world. The conductor Modestas Pitrėnas is another star of Lithuanian music. Although his main position is currently as chief conductor and music director with the Latvian National Opera in Riga, he is loved by Lithuanians not only for his impressive concerts, which have won him praise and many prizes, but also for his natural charm and charisma. 10 | 11
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Cinematic Inclusions. Time, People, and Places Presented by Meno avilys in collaboration with Le Styx 19 & 20 September 2013 | 7:00 pm Le Styx Cinema Rue de l’Arbre Bénit / Gewijde-Boomstraat 72, 1050 Brussels Info: 02 512 21 02 P ro g ramm e Robertas Verba, The Old Man and the Land, 1965 Almantas Grikevičius, Time Passes through the City, 1966 Robertas Verba, The Dreams of the Centenarians, 1969 Henrikas Šablevičius, A Trip across Misty Meadows, 1973 Arūnas Matelis, Ten Minutes Before the Flight of Icarus, 1991 Audrius Stonys, Earth of the Blind, 1992 Algimantas Maceina, The Black Box, 1994 Language: Lithuanian with English subtitles www.cultureguide.lt | www.cnc-cinema.be | www.menoavilys.org
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Film still from Time Passes through the City by Almantas Grikevičius, 1966
Documentaries can inform, explain or even mislead. However, they can also tell us about our reality in a very poetic and creative way. Ideologised information and especially tendentious diatribes create something of an aversion in Lithuanian documentary film, since these qualities were thrust forcibly on television and cinema in the spirit of Socialist Realism and the mandatory love for the ‘Great Homeland’ that were so ubiquitous in public life in the Soviet Union. So filmmakers started a quest for different means of expression. Thematically, many turned to ‘little things’, social marginalia, aspects of the daily, inner life of a person, instead of major events or phenomena. Stylistically, this is reflected in drawn-out shots, the drastic reduction of spoken lines, and even giving up narrative altogether. The seven films you will see were made between 1965 and 1994, at times of major social change and historic events, but they seem to develop the same trend. Some of the films are Lithuanian classics, and some, especially the newer ones, have also won international acclaim.
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V ISU A L A R T S
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M. K. Čiurlionis. Dreaming of Lithuania Co-production between the National M. K. Čiurlionis Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent 21 September – 15 December 2013 Museum of Fine Arts Fernand Scribedreef 1, Citadelpark, 9000 Ghent Info: 09 240 07 00 www.cultureguide.lt | www.mskgent.be | www.gentfestival.be www.ciurlionis.lt
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. Fantasy (The Demon). 1909
The words that are usually used to describe Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis sound like vain platitudes: a genius, a Renaissance man, a star, a hero. But in his case, they are mostly true. Born in 1875, in his short life of 36 years, Čiurlionis left the most prominent mark on the nascent Lithuanian culture, and established the country firmly on the cultural map of Europe. His paintings capture the most beautiful, ethereal and romantic sights you have ever seen. The exhibition is intended to present his growth and expression as an artist. He was a genuine romantic, but his work, although at first mythological and symbolic, gradually became more and more abstract. You will hear more about this from Osvaldas Daugelis, the director of the National M. K. Čiurlionis Museum, and from Vytautas Landsbergis, who is best known as a politician, the first head of state of Lithuania after 1990, and currently a Member of the European Parliament, but who is also a prominent researcher into Čiurlionis’ work and a performer of his music. Wait, music? Wasn’t he a painter? Well, we told you he was a genius. He also had a beautiful wife, to whom he wrote charming and interesting letters. 14 | 15
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Čiurlionis. Sound and Colour G h E N T F ESTIV A L O F F L A N D E R S 2 0 1 3 Co-production between the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society and the Ghent Festival of Flanders 23 September 2013 | 2:00 pm Museum of Fine Arts Fernand Scribedreef 1, Citadelpark, 9000 Ghent Info: 09 240 07 00 Petras Geniušas, piano Čiurlionis String Quartet: Jonas Tankevičius, 1st violin; Darius Dikšaitis, 2nd violin; Gediminas Dačinskas, viola; Saulius Lipčius, cello Taurus Quartet: Wietse Beels, 1st violin; Wibert Aerts, 2nd violin; Wincent Hepp, viola; Martijn Wink, cello P ro g ramm e Mažoji sonata / Little Sonata Lakštingala / Cycle The Nightingale Penki preliudai / Five Preludes Fuga b-moll vl 345 / Fugue in B flat minor Styginių kvartetas c-moll / String quartet in C minor www.cultureguide.lt | www.mskgent.be | www.gentfestival.be www.petrasgeniusas.com | www.ciurlionisquartet.com Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Photo by Raimundas Adžgauskas
Petras Geniušas
Čiurlionis was a musician even before he became a painter. In fact, his formal education was in music, not art. However, he is famous for his incredible synthesis of the two forms. Many of his works even have the same titles: a painting and a musical opus are given the same names. You can experience this synthesis brought to you by the best performers of his music, while surrounded by his paintings. The Čiurlionis String Quartet has been with us for 45 years, even though its members have changed several times. It has appeared at many famous festivals and concert halls, and its repertoire has always included a special emphasis on works by Lithuanian composers, and, of course, its namesake. Petras Geniušas is a distinguished concert pianist, he has played in many important concert halls, won significant national and international awards, and taken part in fruitful collaborations. He is also loved by his listeners for his flexibility and charisma, and his lively combination of intellectuality and emotionality. Besides being a superb performer of classical music, he eagerly participates in projects that require him to play jazz, accompany theatre performances or cabaret, and even collaborate with pop stars. 16 | 17
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L ITE R ATU R E
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Agnė Žagrakalytė’s Per Tave II | Par ta faute II | Door jou II Tran s po e s i e Poetry evening 26 September 2013 Passa Porta – International House of Literature in Brussels Rue Antoine Dansaert / Antoine Dansaertstraat 46, 1000 Brussels Info: 02 226 04 54 26 September – 3 October 2013 Metro, buses and trams of STIB Anspach Gallery Boulevard Anspach / Anspachlaan 30-36, 1000 Brussels www.cultureguide.lt | www.transpoesie.eu | www.passaporta.be www.meslivresnumeriques.be | www.stib.be
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Photo by Edgaras Platelis
Agnė Žagrakalytė
Agnė Žagrakalytė is one of the most interesting younger Lithuanian poets. She has published two volumes of poetry, but she has already been translated into several languages, and, thanks to her fun-loving, outgoing personality, she has become an established participant in various poetry events and festivals. Žagrakalytė currently lives with her family in Brussels, so it is only fitting that her poems should be chosen to decorate the public transport of the city as part of the Transpoesie festival. Her poems, along with works by other poets from all over Europe, will appear in Brussels trains and buses, in Lithuanian, Dutch and French, to make the daily routine of the city’s residents and guests more inspiring and entertaining. Žagrakalytė will also be one of the poets to appear at an event in person, which is definitely something to look forward to, as she has an effervescent personality and a great sense of humour!
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CI N E M A
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Jonas Mekas Retrospective A GE D ’ O R F ESTIV A L Presented by Cinematek and Bozar Cinema 16–30 October 2013 Cinematek / La Cinémathèque royale de Belgique Rue Baron Horta / Baron Hortastraat 9, 1000 Brussels Tickets: 02 551 19 19 Opening night in the presence of Jonas Mekas P ro g ramm e The Brig, 1964 Walden (Diaries, Notes and Sketches), 1969 Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania, 1972 Lost Lost Lost, 1976 As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty, 2000 Lithuania and the Collapse of the USSR, 2008 Sleepless Nights Stories, 2011 Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man, 2012 60’s Quartet 16 mm short films www.cultureguide.lt | www.cinematek.be | www.bozar.be www.jonasmekasfilms.com
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Film stills from Jonas Mekas’ film
John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bed-In, Montreal, Queen Elizabeth Hotel, May 26, 1969
‘It’s my nature now, to record. To try to keep everything I’m passing through, to keep at least bits of it. I have lost too much, so now I have these bits that I have passed through,’ says Jonas Mekas in Lost Lost Lost, one of his films that is being shown in this programme. It might be too much to say that this characterises all his work, but ‘recording’ and ‘memory’ are definitely some of the most important features of it. He chronicled everything: his own family and friends, some of whom were famous artists, his trip back to Lithuania after a 20-year absence, the development of American avant-garde film, and the collapse of the Soviet Union. But most of his films are difficult to classify as documentaries. They all have artistic qualities, which are often taken to the extreme. ‘What you see is my imaginary world, which is not imaginary at all, but real,’ he says in another film. The programme features highlights from dozens of his films, including a collection of short films.
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Jonas Mekas | The Fluxus Wall F o c u s on L i t h u an i a Curator of the exhibition: Liutauras Pšibilskis Co-production between Bozar, Jonas Mekas Visual Arts Center and the National Gallery of Art in Vilnius 18 October 2013 – 26 January 2014 Bozar Centre for Fine Arts Rue Ravenstein / Ravensteinstraat 23, 1000 Brussels Info: 02 507 82 00
Conversation between Jonas Mekas and Vytautas Landsbergis Moderator: Paul Dujardin 17 October, 2013 Bozar Centre for Fine Arts www.cultureguide.lt | www.bozar.be | www.mekas.lt www.ndg.lt | www.jonasmekasfilms.com www.liutauras.com
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Photo by Arūnas Baltėnas
Jonas Mekas
Jonas Mekas (born in 1922) belongs to the group of 20th-century Lithuanians who have become more famous than their own country. Like Mekas himself, these people came out of Displaced Persons camps in Western Europe at the end of the war which tore Europe in half. The Mekas brothers (Jonas and Adolfas), after long adventures in Western Europe, ended up in New York, and, having already developed an interest in cinema, they purchased their first camera. It became not so much a career for them as a life, for both, but for Jonas especially. The exhibition aims to present that life in a few thematically different spaces, including friendships with important artists, a lifelong love and nostalgia for the lost homeland, and being the ‘midwife’ of American avant-garde cinema. It consists of video installations, object art, photographs, and the indescribable items of the Fluxus movement, with which Mekas is also associated, as a close friend of George Maciunas. And on top of all that, the opening of the exhibition features a public discussion between Vytautas Landsbergis and none other than Mekas himself!
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TH E ATR E
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okt | Vilnius City Theatre Hamlet F o c u s on L i t h u an i a Directed by Oskaras Koršunovas Presented by Bozar Theatre 15 & 16 November 2013 | 7:30 pm | Pre-performance talk 6:45 pm Bozar Centre for Fine Arts Rue Ravenstein / Ravensteinstraat 23, 1000 Brussels Tickets: 02 507 82 00 Set designers: Oskaras Koršunovas, Agnė Kuzmickaitė Costume designer: Agnė Kuzmickaitė Composer: Antanas Jasenka Lighting designer: Eugenijus Sabaliauskas Sound designer: Vilius Vilutis Cast: Bernardo, Rosencrantz, Gravedigger: Tomas Žaibus; Horatio, Norwegian captain, Fortinbras: Julius Žalakevičius; King Claudius, Ghost: Dainius Gavenonis; Laertes: Darius Gumauskas; Ophelia: Rasa Samuolytė; Marcellus, Guildenstern, Gravedigger: Giedrius Savickas; Polonius: Vaidotas Martinaitis; Queen Gertrude: Nelė Savičenko; Prince Hamlet: Darius Meškauskas www.cultureguide.lt | wwww.bozar.be | www.okt.lt
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Photo by Dmitrijus Matvejevas
Prince Hamlet: Darius Meškauskas, Horatio: Julius Žalakevičius
Oskaras Koršunovas is a legend of Lithuanian theatre: he belongs to the generation of directors who suddenly appeared on the stage and radicalized everything, with their daring deconstructions and interpretations which have made theatre one of the areas that independent Lithuania is most proud of. Koršunovas was acknowledged as a rising star while he was still a student, but he won true fame with the OKT, the theatre which he established, which at first set out to put on productions based on contemporary plays, instead of classics, as was still being done in other theatres. His theatre was a huge success with audiences, and it soon began travelling and performing widely to international acclaim, most prominently at the Avignon Theatre Festival. Hamlet is often considered the most mature work by both the director and his actors. It is a very original interpretation. ‘Our Elsinore is a make-up room, which slowly turns into the Kingdom of Denmark,’ says Koršunovas.
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CI N E M A
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Šarūnas Bartas Retrospective Presented by Cinematek and Flagey 15–30 November 2013 Flagey, Studio 5 film club Place Sainte-Croix / Heilig Kruisplein, 1050 Brussels Tickets: 02 641 10 20 P ro g ramm e In the Memory of a Day Gone By, 1990 Three Days, 1991 The Corridor, 1995 Few of Us, 1996 The House, 1997 Freedom, 2000 Seven Invisible Men, 2005 Eastern Drift, 2010 www.cultureguide.lt | www.flagey.be | www.cinematek.be www.kinema.lt
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Photo by Jurga Dikčiuvienė
Šarūnas Bartas
Šarūnas Bartas (born in 1964) is the most respected and acclaimed filmmaker in Lithuania, who deals with the experience of the new identities of those living in former Soviet territory. This is natural, as he launched his career as an experimental filmmaker with his first professional film In the Memory of a Day Gone By (1990) in the period of political and cultural shifts just after Lithuania declared its independence. Bartas’ obvious artistic talent and his entrepreneurial skills have made him an inspirational figure for a generation of local filmmakers, many of whom were influenced by his style, including an emphasis on non-narrative, non-verbal storytelling, long takes, ambient hypnotic sound, and the involvement of amateur actors. In all his works, Bartas reflects and reveals small joys and passions, inner conflicts, and man’s fears and longing for freedom in the presence of social, economic and political stasis and shifts. This style was first apparent in his 1991 film Three Days, and it was further developed in his later work.
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Ąžuoliukas Boys’ and Youth Choir THE V O ICE F ESTIV A L Co-production between the Ąžuoliukas Boys’ and Youth Choir, the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie and Flagey 15 December 2013 | 3:00 pm Flagey, Studio 4 Place Sainte-Croix / Heilig Kruisplein, 1050 Brussels Tickets: 02 641 10 20 Ąžuoliukas Boys’ and Youth Choir Asta Krikščiūnaitė, soprano Nora Petročenko, mezzo-soprano Vytautas Miškinis, artistic director and chief conductor of Ąžuoliukas Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie Student Orchestra of the Royal Conservatories of Brussels and Mons www.cultureguide.lt | www.flagey.be | www.azuoliukas.lt www.orcw.be
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Photo by Evaldas Ivanauskas
Ąžuoliukas Boys’ and Youth Choir at the 10th Bistrampolis Festival, May 2012
Ąžuoliukas (meaning ‘little oak tree’) is probably the most famous choir in Lithuania. It is also one of the oldest. Founded in 1959 by the famous choirmaster Herman Perelstein, it has grown to become an important part of the Lithuanian music scene, and a true epitome of boyhood in Vilnius. Nowadays, its members, who usually join at the age of six or seven, often stay on well into manhood, and bring their sons along to sing with them. The present choirmaster, Vytautas Miškinis, came to sing with Ąžuoliukas at the age of seven, and, having fallen in love with both the music and the atmosphere, he has never left it. In spite of the young age of many of its members, the choir has a varied and complex repertoire, from Mozart, Handel and Webber, to Dvořák, Shostakovich and contemporary Lithuanian composers, such as Balsys and Kutavičius. It is loved by audiences for its versatility and its willingness to participate in all sorts of projects; but at the same time it performs very professionally.
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Sandglasses by Justė Janulytė CL O SI N G EVE N T Presented by Vilnius Festivals and Flagey 18 December 2013 | 8:15 pm Flagey, Studio 4 Place Sainte-Croix / Heilig Kruisplein, 1050 Brussels Tickets: 02 641 10 20 Idea and music: Justė Janulytė Video installation: Luca Scarzella Video assistant: Michele Innocente Live electronics: Michele Tadini, Antonello Raggi Scenography: Jūratė Paulėkaitė Light design: Eugenijus Sabaliauskas, Vilius Vilutis Cellists of the Gaida ensemble: Povilas Jacunskas, Edmundas Kulikauskas, Onutė Švabauskaitė, Rūta Tamutytė www.cultureguide.lt | www.flagey.be | www.janulyte.info www.vilniusfestivals.lt
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Photo by Philippe Stirnweiss
Sandglasses
Four cellists sit on the stage. In one hour, they will go through their entire register, but at different tempos, thus creating a polytemporal canon. Furthermore, each cello is recorded and then layered by electronic means, thus making every instrument the source of its own canon. The sound of four cellos is transformed into an orchestra of 400. And each player is shrouded in invisible tulle, on which light projections appear. Sometimes they swirl in small flakes like snow, and sometimes they turn to stone. This is the experience of Sandglasses, created by Justė Janulytė, a young Lithuanian composer, along with her international team of video and electronic music artists, most notably the Italian Luca Scarzella, and performed by soloists of the Gaida ensemble. As the title suggests, the inspiration for the project was hourglasses, which can be of different durations and different capacities, like the tempos of the cellos, but which also have multiple symbolic and poetic associations that the composer sets out to explore in her music.
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I N T E R D ISCI P L I N A R Y A R T S
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Lithuania in Europe. Europe in Lithuania E v e n t s a t t h e EU i n s t i t u t i on s 20 June – 12 July 2013 European Parliament Chamber in Strasbourg 1, avenue du Président Robert Schuman, CS 91024 67070 Strasbourg Cedex, France 7–10 October 2013 European Committee of the Regions Rue Belliard / Belliardstraat 99-101, 1040 Brussels 14–18 October 2013 European Parliament Chamber in Brussels Altiero Spinelli Building, Zone G, 2nd floor balcony Rue Wiertz / Wiertzstraat 60, 1047 Brussels www.eu2013.lt | www.cultureguide.lt
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Photo by Lina Žižliauskaitė
Lithuania in Europe. Europe in Lithuania
Do you really believe that you have nothing in common with Lithuania, a small country somewhere in the northeast corner of Europe? Well, wrong! When nations live alongside each other, squeezed together as tightly as they are in Europe, it’s impossible not to have anything in common! This exhibition is intended to show just that. The best Lithuanian artists, jewellers and designers have drawn on their deep knowledge of history and their sense of humour, to come up with a whole list of connections that join Lithuania with almost any European country. Try playing a game: see if you can guess which object represents what. Funny letters of the alphabet? Stained glass? A newspaper? And when you’re tired, naturally, you can find all the correct answers beside the objects themselves. You’ll learn something new, that’s for sure; but we promise that you’ll also be entertained by the exhibition.
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Brussels ⋅ Ghent ⋅ Strasbourg culture programme
I N T E R D ISCI P L I N A R Y A R T S
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Lithuania in the Mail Parcel E v e n t s a t t h e EU i n s t i t u t i on s and N A T O 1–7 July 2013 Nato Headquarters in Brussels Avenue du Bourget / Bourgetlaan, 1110 Brussels 10 July – 20 August 2013 European Economic and Social Committee, Hall, 4th floor Rue Belliard / Belliardstraat 99, 1040 Brussels 2–6 December 2013 European Parliament Chamber in Brussels Altiero Spinelli Building, Distribution Centre, 2nd floor Rue Wiertz / Wiertzstraat 60, 1047 Brussels www.eu2013.lt | www.cultureguide.lt
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Illustration by Expobalta
Lithuania in the Mail Parcel
You’ve got mail! We want to show you our country, and not just tell you about it. So we asked Unesco what they find most beautiful and valuable about it. There are ten objects in Lithuania on its registers of the natural and cultural heritage. We put these items in boxes, and mailed them to Brussels for you to see. But seriously, this could be the most ingenious exhibition you have ever seen. The ten boxes contain anything from recordings of music and videos of dance to historical instruments for land measurement and everyone’s favourite childhood game. You never know what’s inside, until you open it. And, more importantly, it’s very likely that you’ve never heard of these things. Learn something new, enjoy the interactive boxes. Who knows, maybe you’ll like the Curonian Spit so much you’ll spend your next holiday there? Or come for the Song and Dance Festival, and see Vilnius’ Old Town? It’s all in the mail, all you have to do is open the box.
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Brussels ⋅ Ghent ⋅ Strasbourg culture programme
V ISU A L A R T S ∤ SCU L P T U R E ∤ D E SI G N
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Gardens of Europe E v e n t s a t t h e EU i n s t i t u t i on s 3 July – 31 December 2013 Headquarters of the Council of the European Union Justus Lipsius Building Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 175, 1048 Brussels www.eu2013.lt | www.cultureguide.lt | www.ekspobalta.com
Detail of Sodas created by Roma Gudaitienė. Gardens contain mytho logical references to ‘the tree of life’
Photos by Arturas Valiauga
Garden is a symbol for the structure of the universe
Sodai, which means ‘gardens’ in Lithuanian, are traditional decorations for the home, three-dimensional constructions made of straw strung on thread, and usually hung around or underneath a source of light, in order to make pretty effects with shadows on the walls. Ethnologists believe that they contain mythological references to ‘the tree of life’ or similar pan-European symbols for the structure of the universe, serving as symbolic means to see the cosmos imposed on chaos. The Council of the European Union, we believe, also does this, hopefully in a less symbolic and more practical way, so it seems to be a suitable theme with which to decorate one of its buildings. Presented in variations throughout the different spaces of the building, from light fixtures in the shape of ‘gardens’ to actual straws, and providing a certain rural cosiness in the middle of the bustling city, the theme serves as a background for the presentation of great examples of contemporary and modern Lithuanian painting, graphic art, sculpture and design.
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V ISU A L A R T S
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The Lithuanian Landscapes of Being E v e n t s a t t h e EU i n s t i t u t i on s Presented by the Translation Directorate of DGA 3, the Language Library and the Lithuanian Language Unit 19 September – 30 November 2013 Vernisage 19 September 2013 | 12:00 pm General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union LEX Building, Language Library, 7th floor Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 145, 1040 Brussels Rimas Bičiūnas, Audrius Gražys, Linas Liandzbergis, Vilmantas Marcinkevičius and Laisvydė Šalčiūtė www.eu2013.lt | consilium.europa.eu | www.cultureguide.lt www.l.salciute.com | www.artgrazys.com | www.vilmantas.com
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Laisvydė Šalčiūtė. Sunset. 2006
Laisvydė Šalčiūtė is the quintessential wild woman of Lithuanian art: a mixer of techniques, unclassifiable under any heading, but extremely, and occasionally even shockingly, feminine and feminist. Then there’s Linas Liandzbergis, unemotional, logical and rational, with paintings that recall bright posters in primary colours. And Rimas Bičiūnas, who likes painting women, birds and flowers in all colours and shades. Vilmantas Marcinkevičius, a very socially conscious artist, has painted portraits of famous Europeans, including the Danish Royal Family. Along with Audrius Gražys, whose work is so multi-layered and poetic that it has been compared to the radiating energy of Hindi Mandalas, he initiated a project to take art out of galleries and into public spaces. These five are brought to you under the title ‘The Lithuanian Landscapes of Being’, in an exhibition intended to present the variety and contradictions of Lithuanian painting.
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Brussels ⋅ Ghent ⋅ Strasbourg culture programme
V ISU A L A R T S ∤ D E SI G N
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The Most Beautiful Lithuanian Books 2012 E v e n t s a t t h e EU i n s t i t u t i on s Presented by the Translation Directorate of DGA 3, the Language Library and the Lithuanian Language Unit 19 September – 30 November 2013 Vernisage 19 September 2013 | 12:00 pm General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union LEX Building, Language Library, 7th floor Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat 145, 1040 Brussels www.eu2013.lt | consilium.europa.eu | www.cultureguide.lt
Lithuanian Books at Waterstones Brussels 1 July – 31 December 2013 Kick-off event 1 July 2013 | 6:30 pm The English Bookshop Boulevard Adolphe Max / Adolphe Maxlaan 71-75, 1000 Brussels www.waterstones.com
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
The Most Beautiful Lithuanian Books 2012
How many times have you been told not to judge a book by its cover? Well, we’ve got a competition where we do just that … But then again, fine feathers make fine birds. So take a look at what we’ve picked from just one year: fiction, textbooks, books for children and art books that have won the Most Beautiful Book of the Year award or an honourable mention. The competition has been going for 20 years, it is an important highlight of the Vilnius International Book Fair, and it draws attention to the almost invisible work of book designers and illustrators. The books that you will see fall into six categories, according to the content and function of the book, so the designers not only show their creativity and imagination, but are also expected to comply with certain requirements and uses. The judges of the competition also stress the importance of successful collaboration between the designer and the author, publisher, printer, and anyone else involved in the production of the book.
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Brussels ⋅ Ghent ⋅ Strasbourg culture programme
July 2013
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12 Lithuania in Europe. Europe in Lithuania
European Parliament Chamber in Strasbourg
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13 Lithuania in the Mail Parcel
Nato Headquarters in Brussels
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16 Lithuanian books | Waterstones
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14 Gardens of Europe
Headquarters of the Council of the European Union 10–31
13 Lithuania in the Mail Parcel
European Economic and Social Committee
August
1–20
13 Lithuania in the Mail Parcel
European Economic and Social Committee
1–31
14 Gardens of Europe
Headquarters of the Council of the European Union
1–31
16 Lithuanian books | Waterstones
September
1–30
14 Gardens of Europe
Headquarters of the Council of the European Union
16 Lithuanian books | Waterstones
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Gala Concert | Bozar
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Cinematic Inclusions. Time, People, and Places
Le Styx Cinema 19–30
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The Lithuanian Landscapes of Being
General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union 19–30
16 The Most Beautiful Lithuanian Books 2012
General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
21–30
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M. K. Čiurlionis. Dreaming of Lithuania
Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent
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Čiurlionis. Sound and Colour
Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent
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Agnė Žagrakalytė at Transpoesie
Passa Porta – International House of Literature 26–30
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Agnė Žagrakalytė at Transpoesie
Metro, buses and trams of STIB, Anspach Gallery
October
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Agnė Žagrakalytė at Transpoesie
Metro, buses and trams of STIB, Anspach Gallery
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14 Gardens of Europe
Headquarters of the Council of the European Union
1–31
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The Lithuanian Landscapes of Being
General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union
1–31
16 The Most Beautiful Lithuanian Books 2012
General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union
1–31
16 Lithuanian books | Waterstones
1–31
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M. K. Čiurlionis. Dreaming of Lithuania
Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent
7–10
12 Lithuania in Europe. Europe in Lithuania
European Committee of the Regions 14–18
12 Lithuania in Europe. Europe in Lithuania
European Parliament Chamber in Brussels 16–30
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Jonas Mekas Retrospective | Cinematek
18–31
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Jonas Mekas / The Fluxus Wall | Bozar
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Brussels ⋅ Ghent ⋅ Strasbourg culture Programme
November
1–30
14 Gardens of Europe
Headquarters of the Council of the European Union
1–30
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The Lithuanian Landscapes of Being
General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union
1–30
16 The Most Beautiful Lithuanian Books 2012
General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union
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16 Lithuanian books | Waterstones
1–30
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M. K. Čiurlionis. Dreaming of Lithuania
Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent 1–30
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Jonas Mekas / The Fluxus Wall | Bozar
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okt / Vilnius City Theatre Hamlet | Bozar
15–30
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Šarūnas Bartas Retrospective | Flagey
December
1–15
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M. K. Čiurlionis. Dreaming of Lithuania
Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent
1–31
14 Gardens of Europe
Headquarters of the Council of the European Union
1–31
16 Lithuanian books | Waterstones
1–31
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2–6
13 Lithuania in the Mail Parcel
Jonas Mekas / The Fluxus Wall | Bozar
European Parliament Chamber in Brussels
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10 Ąžuoliukas Boys’ and Youth Choir | Flagey
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Sandglasses by Justė Janulytė | Flagey
F or f u l l pro g ramm e and u pda t e s www.cultureguide.lt | www.lrkm.lt | www.koperator.lt | www.eu2013.lt Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
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Hor i zon ta l ly 1. Poetry festival in Brussels 2. The ‘godfather’ of American avant-garde cinema 3. The title of the play directed by Oskaras Koršunovas 4. The EU institution building housing ‘The Gardens of Europe’ 5. The partner institution of ‘Focus on Lithuania’ programme 6. The film director of Freedom V e r t i c a l ly 7. The first name of Lithuanian opera diva 8. The title of audio-visual performance by Justė Janulytė 9. The venue of Ąžuoliukas Boys’ and Youth Choir concert 10. The first name of Čiurlionis 11. The presenter of Jonas Mekas Retrospective 12. The latest film by Šarūnas Bartas The title of Lithuanian culture programme: 44 | 45
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The circle representing the logo of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union is a symbol of unity, representing that Lithuania will be an honest mediator seeking to harmonise differing positions. The logo refers to the united European Union, the countries of which want to and can work together, foster European values, and can overcome all the challenges that arise. The colours of the logo symbolise Lithuania’s close relations with the Baltic and the Nordic regions, while the blue bow of the EU flag represents the universally shared values and activities. The garland of the Lithuanian national flag’s colours – yellow, green, and red – completes the logo circle. This link symbolises the responsibility for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union that is trusted to Lithuania in the second half of 2013.
Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania
Programme v Brussels, Ghent, Strasbourg is developed and implemented by the Cultural Group of the Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the European Union – Vida Gražienė, Gabija Žukauskienė and Ramunė Jankauskienė in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, the International Cultural Programme Centre and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. Thanks to all the curators and consultants who made valuable contributions to the cultural programme. Our special thanks also go to artists and institutions that provided material from their collections. special thanks to: Arūnas Gelūnas, Ambassador of Lithuania to the UNESCO Remigijus Motuzas, First Deputy Chancellor of the Government Raimundas Karoblis, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the EU Ričardas Šlepavičius, Deputy Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the EU Osvaldas Daugelis, Director of the National M. K. Čiurlionis Art Museum Rūta Prusevičienė, Director General of the National Philharmonic Society of Lithuania Saulė Mažeikaitė, former Director of International Culture Program Centre partners and co-producers:
Author and translator: Gabrielė Gailiūtė Editor of English text: Joseph Everatt Content editor: Rūta Statulevičiūtė-Kaučikienė Graphic design and layout: Jokūbas Jacovskis Cover image: Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. Fugue from the diptych Preliude and Fugue. 1908 (detail). Courtesy of the National M. K. Čiurlionis Art Museum Published by the International Cultural Programme Centre, Lithuania | www.koperator.lt Initiated and supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania Printed in Lithuania by © International Cultural Programme Centre, 2013 All rights reserved. The reproduction of this programme, even in part, in any form or medium is prohibited without the written consent of the copyright holder. ISBN 978-609-8015-35-5 Circulation: 3,500