Programme of the Lithuania in Krakow: cultural season 2015 project

5 U LT U R E 2 0 1 C F O N O S A SE A M M E P R O G R

Patronage Šarūnas Birutis, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania and Prof. Małgorzata Omilanowska, Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland

Coordinator

Main partners Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania

Partners

Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in the Republic of Poland

Texts by Virginija Cibarauskė Translation from Lithuanian to Polish: Małgorzata Litwinowicz to English: Olga Lempert Editor of English text: Medeinė Tribinevičius Graphic design and layout: Jokūbas Jacovskis · www.interse.lt Cover image: M. K. Čiurlionis. Sonata No. 6 (Sonata of the Stars). Allegro. 1908 (detail).

Courtesy of the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art. Kaunas Published by Lithuanian Culture Institute · www.lithuanianculture.lt Printed in Lithuania by Kopa · www.kopa.lt · Circulation: 3,500 © Lithuanian Culture Institute, 2015 isbn 978-609-8015-50-8 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.

Lithuania in Krakow SEASON OF CULTURE 2015

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Restoration of Independence we are happy to present the Lithuanian Season of Culture in Krakow, the city which more than any other place in Poland is connected with our country. For centuries Krakow has been the capital of Polish Kings and Lithuanian Grand Dukes. The Jagiellonian University became alma mater for generations of Lithuanian cultural elite starting with the patriarchs of the written Lithuanian language and those who fostered ideas of the modern Lithuania.

The versatile programme we bring to Krakow gives a unique opportunity to (re)discover the Lithuanian-Polish historical and cultural contexts and contemporary narratives. Historical expositions, modern and con­temporary art exhibitions, concerts, drama performances, literature evenings, panel discussions and lectures feature outstanding creators and thinkers of the past and of today from both Lithuania and Poland, including Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, Eugeniusz Morawski, Czesław Miłosz, Tomas Venclova, Krystian Lupa, Kristina Sabaliauskaitė, Lukas Geniušas are just the few to name.

I give my sincere greetings to all the participants. I would like to extend special thanks to the Polish partners for their essential contribution to the Lithuanian Season of Culture in Krakow. I hope that the citizens and visitors of Krakow will enjoy “Lithuania in Krakow” and the programme will offer a space for a meaningful dialogue between our cultures and peoples.

Šarūnas Birutis Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends!

I am delighted that this Autumn the Polish audience will again be able to experience the wonderful Lithuanian culture presented within the Lithuanian Season of Culture in Krakow by their most prominent representatives. The previous event of this nature and importance, Lithuanian Culture Days in Poland, organized to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Poland and Lithuania in 2006, attracted much attention. I have a deep conviction that through broader cultural cooperation we can get to know each other better, find common elements appearing in the culture of both countries, but also try to understand the differences and get rid of stereotypes.

Within the framework of the Lithuanian Culture Season in Krakow, its organizers — Lithuanian Culture Institute, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, the City of Krakow, the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Poland, and Honorary Consulates of the Republic of Lithuania in Poland — will present to the Poles the most interesting cultural events of recent years. With great pleasure, together with the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, I have given a honorary patronage over the Season.

Within three months, residents and numerous guests staying in Krakow will be able to, among others, get acquainted with painting and music of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, to recall the heritage of Lithuanian Jews, and also to meet with the most prominent Lithuanian writers and translators at the Conrad Festival and the International Book Fair. One also cannot fail to mention the opportunity to see the King Sigismund Augustus’ coat of arms tapestry from the collections of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania or communing with contemporary art and photography. The most important events of the Season include also the significant examples of the Polish-Lithuanian cultural cooperation, such as the play Heroes’ Square by the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre, directed by a Pole, Krystian Lupa, or a concert of Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in Krakow conducted by Lithuanian conductor Modestas Pitrėnas.

I am glad that the partners in the realization of this ambitious project include the best Polish cultural institutions. I am also convinced that the excellent artistic level of these projects, enthusiasm and consistency 4

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Lithuania in Krakow: Season of Culture 2015

with which their organizers worked, will become a strong impulse for better, closer cultural cooperation of artists, creators and inhabitants of Poland and Lithuania. This is very important especially now, when Poland and Lithuania celebrate the quarter-century of regaining freedom. I hope that in the near future we will also have the opportunity to present Polish culture in Lithuania on such a scale.

I would like to wish all the participants in the events organized within the framework of Lithuanian Season of Culture in Krakow a lot of excellent experiences and fun.

PROGRAMME

Exhibition YIVO in Vilnius. The Beginning of the Legend · · · 8 1 October – 8 November 2015 Chamber Music Concert Autumn Preludes · · · 10 14 October 2015

prof. Małgorzata Omil anowska Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland

Exhibition Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. Lithuanian Tale · · · 12 16 October 2015 – 31 January 2016 Exhibition Sigismund Augustus’s Armorial Tapestry from Vilnius · · · 14 16 October 2015 – 17 January 2016 Symphonic music concert Čiurlionis, Morawski, Barkauskas, Grieg · · · 16 16 and 17 October 2015 Lithuanian Literature at the Conrad Festival · · · 18 19 – 25 October 2015 Lithuania in Focus at the 19th International Book Fair in Krakow · · · 20 22 – 25 October 2015 Exhibition A Million Lines · · · 24 26 November 2015 – 31 January 2016 Exhibition Quiet Life. Modern Lithuanian Photography · · · 26 11 December 2015 – 31 January 2016 performance Thomas Bernhard’s Heroes’ Square · · · 28 13 December 2015

YIVO in Vilnius. The Beginning of the Legend

1 October – 8 November 2015 Exhibition opening: 30 September | 18.00 Galicia Jewish Museum (Żydowskie Muzeum Galicja) ul. Dajwór 18, 31-052 Krakow Organizers: Galicia Jewish Museum and Lithuanian Culture Institute Curators: Lara Lempertienė, Giedrė Jankevičiūtė

Unknown photographer. Property of Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum

Exhibition

YIVO vestibule, featuring a world map marked with YIVO branches

29 October | 18.00 Lecture: “Redemption of Memory: Preserving, Studying and Presenting the Documents of Eastern European Jewish Communities” Speaker: PhD Lara Lempertienė, Vilnius University; Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

www.litwawkrakowie.lt www.galiciajewishmuseum.org

Before WWII Vilnius was known as “the Jerusalem of the North” because it was a hub of Jewish culture and research. For example, the Talmud interpreter Elijah the Vilna Gaon was born in Vilnius and the literary classic Moshe Kulbak lived and worked in the city. For a long time there was a saying: “Look for money in Łódź, but for wisdom — Vilnius.”

For this reason Vilnius was the place where in 1925 the Jewish Research Institute YIVO was founded. YIVO organized studies in Jewish history, culture, and arts and over the years has built a community and influenced the intellectual lives of Jews across Central and Eastern Europe. During the organization’s lifespan some of the world’s greatest scholars have agreed to serve as honorary board members. In 1940 the Institute moved to New York where it continues its work to this day.

This exhibition, dedicated to YIVO’s work in Vilnius, is hosted by the Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow’s historically Jewish Kazimierz neighbourhood. The exhibition provides an introduction to Litvak culture and the Institute’s operations. Some of the materials are on display to the general public for the first time, including a letter from honorary YIVO board member Albert Einstein to fellow board member Shimon Dubnov (historian) and YIVO leaders.

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Chamber Music Concert

Autumn Preludes

14 October 2015 | 19.30

Organizers: Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic in Krakow, Lithuanian N ­ ational ­Philharmonic Society, Ludwig van Beethoven Association Perf ormers: Čiurlionis String Quartet, Petras Geniušas — piano Programme Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis Quartet in c minor i. Allegro moderato ii. Andante iii. Menuetto “Dainelė” (“Little song”), VL 199 Prelude Des-dur, Pastoral VL 187 Prelude a-moll op. 11 Prelude F-dur/a-moll VL 188 Prelude b-moll VL 269 Intermission Faustas Latėnas String Quartet No. 2, In Loving Memory Antonin Dvořák Piano Quintet No. 2 A-dur, op. 81 i. Allegro ma non tanto ii. Dumka: Andante con moto iii. Scherzo (Furiant): Molto vivace iv. Finale: Allegro www.litwawkrakowie.lt www.filharmonia.krakow.pl

Photo by Raimundas Adžgauskas

Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic in Krakow (Filharmonia im. Karola Szymanowskiego w Krakowie) ul. Zwierzyniecka 1, 31-103 Krakow

Petras Geniušas

The symphonic poems, fugues, preludes, and other works of the ­Lithuanian composer and painter Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis are classics of Lithuanian music. The artist sought to erase the border between music and visual art and as a result his compositions are exceptionally visual: the melodies have a graphic outline, the sounds — a colourful quality. Čiurlionis had a special connection to Warsaw; his professional path as a composer began there when, in 1897, he began studying at the Warsaw Music Institute.

The concert programme includes works inspired by Romanticism.

Works by Čiurlionis, contemporary Lithuanian composer and so-called “new Romantic” Faustas Latėnas, and Antonin Dvořák will be performed by charismatic pianist Petras Geniušas and the Čiurlionis String Quartet, renowned for their impeccable technique and heartfelt improvisations.

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Exhibition

16 October 2015 – 31 January 2016 Exhibition opening: 15 October | 18.00 International Cultural Centre Gallery (Galeria Międzynarodowego Centrum Kultury) Rynek Główny 25, 31-008 Krakow Organizers: International Cultural Centre and M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art Accompanying Programme 26 September | 11.00 17 October | 11.00 “Lithuanian Krakow” — a walking tour led by Dr. Kamil Pecela 24 October | 17.00 Discussion: “Vilnius: History and Memory” Participants: Jerzy Bahr, Barbara Toruńczyk, Tomas Venclova Moderator: Jacek Purchla More information about the programme: www.mck.krakow.pl

www.litwawkrakowie.lt www.ciurlionis.lt

Property of M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art. Kaunas

Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis Lithuanian Tale

Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. Raigardas. II from tryptych. 1907

Lithuanian artist and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875–1911) was one of Central and Eastern Europe’s most innovative modernists. He synthesized music and art to enrich early 20th century European painting with unique creations of visual art—painted ­sonatas, preludes and fugues. His sensual, mystical, and conceptual work ­contains notes of Symbolism, neoromanticism, and abstraction and can be ­compared to the works of such artists as Edvard Munch, Odilon Redon and Vassily Kandinsky.

The exhibition Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. Lithuanian Tale presents nearly 100 objects, including paintings, graphic art, sketchbooks, music records, and photographs of people and places important to the ­artist. Among these places is Warsaw, whose cultural atmosphere Čiurlionis absorbed by listening to his beloved Chopin and studying at the Warsaw School of Fine Art.

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Sigismund Augustus’s Armorial Tapestry from Vilnius

A SPECIAL SHOWING AT THE WAWEL ROYAL CASTLE

16 October 2015 – 17 January 2016 Exhibition opening: 16 October | 12.00 Wawel Royal Castle (Zamek Królewski na Wawelu) Wawel 5, 31-001 Krakow Organizers: Wawel Royal Castle and the National Museum — Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

Property of National Museum — Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

Exhibition

Sigismund Augustus’s Armorial Tapestry (detail), 1544–1548

29 October 2015 | 17.00 Lecture: “The Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania and its Collections” Speaker: Dalius Avižinis, Head of Records and Conservation, Collections Department

www.litwawkrakowie.lt www.wawel.krakow.pl www.valdovurumai.lt

The Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania sits in the heart of Vilnius. ­Having been destroyed in the early 19th century by the calamities of history, the palace was recently rebuilt; it has been open to the public since 2013 and houses a national museum.

Among the most prized exhibits is the tapestry decorating the Renaissance chamber, which once belonged to Sigismund Augustus, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. It likely hung in the Vilnius residence.

The piece, created by Flemish masters, features a coat of arms composed of the coats of arms of the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and of the Kingdom of Poland, symbolizing the close-knit relationship between the two nations. The story of the tapestry’s return to Lithuania is fascinating. It was purchased in 2009 at an auction house in Paris. It is thought the tapestry was brought to Paris by John Casimir Vasa, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Vasa’s belongings were sold off in 1673, several months after his death. The pride of the Palace of the Grand Dukes, this art piece, which symbolically unites the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland, is coming for a brief visit to Krakow where it will shine amongst the Wawel Castle’s rich collection of heraldic tapestries that belonged to Sigismund Augustus and other rulers.

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Symphonic music concert

16 October 2015 | 19.30 and 17 October | 18.00 Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic in Krakow (Filharmonia im. Karola Szymanowskiego w Krakowie) ul. Zwierzyniecka 1, 31-103 Krakow Organizers: Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic in Krakow and Lithuanian Culture Institute Performers: Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra, Modestas Pitrėnas — conductor; Lukas Geniušas — piano Programme Eugeniusz Morawski-Dąbrowa “Nevermore”. Symphonic poem after Edgar Allan Poe Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis “Miške” (“In the Woods”) Intermission Vytautas Barkauskas Konzertstück for symphony orchestra no. 2 Edvard Grieg Piano Concerto in a minor, op. 16

www.litwawkrakowie.lt www.filharmonia.krakow.pl www.ciurlionis.lt

Photo from personal archyve

Čiurlionis, Morawski, Barkauskas, Grieg

Modestas Pitrėnas

One of the most beautiful connections made between Lithuanian and Polish cultures is the inspiring friendship between the Lithuanian composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis and the Polish composer Eugeniusz Morawski. The crown jewel of this relationship was the creation of the symphonic poem “In the Woods”, written by Čiurlionis and dedicated to Morawski. The artists met at the Warsaw Music Institute, where Morawski introduced Čiurlionis to the cultural life of the city and supported him throughout his studies at Leipzig Conservatory. Both composers were inspired by Romanticism; their symphonic poems are emotional and monumental and hold a multidimensional world of spiritual experience.

At the Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic, listeners will hear two symphonic poems performed by the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra, known as Poland’s best: Čiurlionis’ dreamlike “In the Woods” and the Morawski’s “Nevermore”, inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s mystic poem The Raven. Works by the Norwegian Romantic Edvard Grieg and by Vytautas Barkauskas, one of the most well known contemporary Lithuanian composers, will also be performed. The concert will be conducted by Modestas Pitrėnas, winner of the 2003 Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors; also performing is Lukas Geniušas, one of the best of the next generation of European pianists, whose accolades include the XVI International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 2010 and the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2015.

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Photo by Rokas Darulis

Lithuanian Literature at the Conrad Festival

19–25 October 2015

20 October | Tuesday 15.00 Discussion: “Violence and Imagination” Participants: Leonidas Donskis and Tomas Venclova Moderator: Krzysztof Czyżewski 23 October | Friday 13.00 “The Vilnius Syndrome”. A meeting with Herkus Kunčius Moderator: Ziemowit Szczerek 14.00 “Silva. A Chronicle of Two Nations” A meeting with Kristina Sabaliauskaitė Moderator: Michał Nogaś

Photo by Algimantas Aleksandravičius

Photo by Algimantas Aleksandravičius

Organizers: Krakow Festival Office and Tygodnik Powszechny Foundation, Lithuanian Culture Institute Participating authors: Leonidas Donskis, Herkus Kunčius, ­Kristina Sabaliauskaitė, Alvydas Šlepikas, Tomas Venclova

Photo by Grzegorz Lepiarz

Palace under the Rams (Pałac pod Baranami) Rynek Główny 27, 31-010 Krakow

12.00 “Wolf Children”. A meeting with Alvydas Šlepikas Moderator: Justyna Nowicka

www.litwawkrakowie.lt www.conradfestival.pl

Photo by Vladas Braziūnas

25 October | Sunday

Kristina Sabaliauskaitė, Leonidas Donskis, Tomas Venclova, Herkus Kunčius and Alvydas Šlepikas 18

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Lithuania in Krakow: Season of Culture 2015 · Lithuanian Literature

Photo by Algimantas Aleksandravičius

Lithuania in Focus at the 19th International Book Fair in Krakow

22–25 October 2015

Organizers: Targi w Krakowie and Lithuanian Culture Institute budapeszt ab seminar room 22 October | Thursday 10.00 Creative workshop for children with artist Ieva Babilaitė 12.00 Creative workshop for children with artist Sigutė Chlebinskaitė 15.00 Programme for professionals: a meeting between Polish publishers and translators of Lithuanian literature 23 October | Friday 10.00 Creative workshop for children with artist Sigutė Chlebinskaitė 12.00 Creative workshop for children with artist Ieva Babilaitė 14.00 Discussion: “On the Things We Do Not Want to Remember” Participants: Leonidas Donskis, Šarūnas Liekis, Konstanty Gebert Moderator: Leonidas Donskis Discussion in English with Polish translation 17:00 Discussion: “Czesław Miłosz or Česlovas Milošas? The poet’s Polish and Lithuanian biography” Participants: Mindaugas Kvietkauskas, Agnieszka Kosińska Moderator: Rasa Rimickaitė, Lithuanian Cultural Attaché in Poland

www.litwawkrakowie.lt www.ksiazka.krakow.pl

Photo by Jokūbas Jacovskis

International Exhibition and Convention Centre EXPO Krakow (Międzynarodowe Centrum Targowo-Kongresowe EXPO Kraków) ul. Galicyjska 9, 31-586 Krakow

Kęstutis Kasparavičius, Ieva Babilaitė and Sigutė Chlebinskaitė

Photo by Liudas Masys. Courtesy of Šeimininkė magazine

24 October | Saturday 11:00 Meet and greet with Kęstutis Kasparavičius, presenting the book Mała Zima and creative workshop for children “White Elephant of Luck”.

Event co-organized with Ezop Publishing House. Participants: author, Małgorzata Gierałtowska. Moderator: Barbara Gawryluk 13:30 Discussion: “Vilnius’ Identity: New narratives. Herkus Kunčius’ Litwin w Wilnie, Kristina Sabaliauskaitė’s Silva rerum, Tomas Venclova’s Opisać Wilno”. Participants: Herkus Kunčius, Kristina Sabaliauskaitė, Tomas Venclova. Moderator: Paweł Huelle 15:00 Discussion: “New Ukraine — New Eastern Europe?”. A conversation between Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine on Eastern Europe’s neighbourly relations. Participants: Bogumiła Berdychowska, Adam Pomorski, Taras Voznyak. Moderator: Leonidas Donskis 17:00 Herkus Kunčius and Piotr Kępiński: “A Conversation Between a Lithuanian and a Pole”. Event co-organized with the publishing house College of Eastern Europe. Moderator: Laurynas Vaičiūnas 20

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Lithuania in Krakow: Season of Culture 2015 · Lithuanian Literature

Kęstutis Kasparavičius. Flying Books

lithuanian booth d38 Meetings with authors and signing sessions 23 October | Friday 15.30 Meeting with Leonidas Donskis 24 October | Saturday 13.30 14.00 15.00 15.30 18.00

Meeting with Kęstutis Kasparavičius Meeting with Alvydas Šlepikas Meeting with Tomas Venclova Meeting with Kristina Sabaliauskaitė Meeting with Herkus Kunčius

Autumn in Krakow will be dedicated to Lithuanian literature. The Krakow Book Fair, where Lithuania is the guest of honour, and the Conrad Festival will feature meetings with Lithuania’s most relevant authors, presentations of the newest books, and intriguing discussions.

The primary topic of the books and discussions presented this year is memory and its effect on the formation of the individual and the nation.

Professor Leonidas Donskis will present the Polish translation of his study Power, Imagination and Memory (Władza, wyobraźnia i pamięć), and will dedicate his discussion on memory to the things we do not wish to remember and the reasons why we do not want to remember them. Alvydas Šlepikas will meet with readers to speak about the somewhat forgotten fates of Eastern Prussia’s “wolf children”, as revealed in his novel My Name is Marytė (Mano vardas — Marytė).

While in Krakow Lithuanian authors will also meet to discuss the identity of one of the most enduring characters in their books—the city of Vilnius.

Kristina Sabaliauskaitė’s novel Silva rerum, freshly translated into Polish, brings 17th century Vilnius back to life; Herkus Kunčius’ novel A Lithuanian in Vilnius (Litwin w Wilnie) registers the transformations of both the nation’s capital and the Lithuanian individual in Soviet and post-Soviet times; poet Professor Tomas Venclova’s collection of historical essays, Describing Vilnius (Opisać Wilno), unpacks the history of the city, from the time of its foundation to the end of the 20th century, as reconstructed through individual memory. Venclova and Donskis will also co-present a book of conversations, The Search for Optimism in a Pessimistic Age (O poszukiwaniu optymizmu w epoce pesymizmu), dedicated to the relations between Eastern European states. Donskis’ conversation with Polish and Ukrainian intellectuals will attempt to prognosticate the way the birth of a new political nation in Ukraine will change the political landscape of Europe.

The book A Conversation Between a Lithuanian and a Pole (Rozmowa Litwina z Polakiem), by Herkus Kunčius and Piotr Kępiński, is more than a dialogue between two writers of the same generation. Rather, to quote Adam Michnik, it is a dialogue between two countries. The close connection between the two states will also be discussed in relation to Czesław Miłosz’s Lithuanian and Polish biographies.

For the little ones, the Krakow Book Fair will feature the presentation of the book Little Winter (Mała Zima) by Kęstutis Kasparavičius, as well as workshops with book illustrators Ieva Babilaitė and Sigutė Chlebinskaitė.

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Lithuania in Krakow: Season of Culture 2015 · Lithuanian Literature

Exhibition

A Million Lines

PART OF THE XII BALTIC TRIENNIAL

Bunkier Sztuki Gallery of Contemporary Art (Galeria Sztuki Wspołczesnej Bunkier Sztuki) Plac Szczepański 3 a, 31-011 Krakow Organizers: Bunkier Sztuki Gallery of Contemporary Art and Contemporary Art Centre (Vilnius) Curators: Virginija Januškevičiūtė, Aneta Rostkowska The exhibition will show work by around 20 contributors, among them David Bernstein, Magda Buczek, Valentina Desideri, Kipras Dubauskas, Michal Gayer, gerlach en koop, Antanas Gerlikas, Styrmir Örn Guðmundsson, Laura Kaminskaitė, Žilvinas Landzbergas, Ieva Misevičiūtė, Robertas Narkus, Post Brothers, Bianka Rolando, Viktorija Rybakova, and others.

www.litwawkrakowie.lt www.cac.lt www.xiibaltictriennial.cc www.bunkier.art.pl

Photo by Andrej Vasilenko

26 November 2015 – 31 January 2016 Exhibition opening: 25 November | 18.00

Kipras Dubauskas. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ is not _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . 2015 Installation, in collaboration with Marija Puipaitė and Vytautas Gečas

Organised by Bunkier Sztuki Gallery of Contemporary Art (Krakow) and the Contemporary Art Centre (Vilnius), A Million Lines is one of several exhibitions that comprise the XII Baltic Triennial, occurring over the span of two years and in several countries (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland). The guiding principle of the Baltic Triennial comes from an idea described in an interview with artist David Bernstein: “what is an artwork today can be something else tomorrow”. In the Krakow exhibition this journey towards “something else”— a vast field of yet unknown ­possibilities — is explored with the help of a single conceptual hinge: the idea of the imaginary.

For participating artists from Lithuania, Poland, the Netherlands, the USA, and other countries, the key notion of an artwork as a perception of a multifaceted field of possibilities has much to do with the realm of the imaginary. This is also the main subject of inquiry of Lithuanian philosopher Kristupas Sabolius, whose book will be published in Polish and English for the occasion.

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Exhibition

Quiet Life.

Modern Lithuanian Photography

11 December 2015 – 31 January 2016 Exhibition opening: 10 December | 18.00 Manngha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology (Muzeum Sztuki i Techniki Japońskiej Manggha) ul. M. Konopnickiej 26, 30-302 Krakow Organizers: Kaunas Photography Gallery / Lithuanian Photographers’ Association (Kaunas department), Manngha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, Lithuanian Culture Institute curator: Wojciech Nowicki Photographers in the exhibition include: Romualdas Rakauskas, Antanas Sutkus, Vytautas Stanionis, Marius Baranauskas, Vytautas V. Stanionis, Ilja Fišeris, Chanonas Levinas, Judelis Kacenbergas, Bronius Kazlauskas, Indrė Šerpytytė, Milda Drazdauskaitė, Algimantas Kunčius, Algirdas Šeškus, Gintaras Zinkevičius, Rimaldas Vikšraitis, Vitas Luckus, Gytis Skudžinskas

www.litwawkrakowie.lt www.kaunasgallery.lt www.manggha.pl

Algirdas Šeškus. Green Bridge 136

In the eyes of the world Lithuanian photography is often identified with the work of the Lithuanian photography school of the 1970s and 1980s: humanist, black and white, encoding ethnic symbols and glorifying mundanity.

The exhibition Quiet Life. Modern Lithuanian Photography suggests a new approach and offers an entirely different panorama of daily life in Lithuania, both in Soviet times and after the reestablishment of independence. It is an alternative and previously unseen view, uniting legitimized classics with a marginalized archive of social landscapes.

Professional, documentary, and artistic photography, including excerpts from photography books, albums, and magazines, as well as archival material provides insight into the context of various periods of history and reveals the boring, nearly disgusting, officially non-existent daily life of Lithuanian people, framing the slow passing of time. It is a different, yet no less true, face of both Lithuania and its photography. Quiet Life fills a gap in international knowledge and shows the best side of Lithuanian photography — ambitious, rapacious, and moving against the tide.

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Lithuania in Krakow: Season of Culture 2015

perf ormance

Thomas Bernhard’s Heroes’ Square DIRECTED BY KRYSTIAN LUPA

Studio S3 TVP ul. Nowohucka 44, 31-580 Krakow A co-production between the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre and the Boska Komedia Festival Organizers: Łaźnia Nowa Theater, Krakow Festival Office and Lithuanian National Drama Theatre Director, set and light designer: Krystian Lupa Costume designer: Piotr Skiba Composer: Bogumił Misala Creative Associate: Łukasz Twarkowski Cast: Neringa Bulotaitė, Eglė Gabrėnaitė, Doloresa Kazragytė, Viktorija Kuodytė, Valentinas Masalskis, Eglė Mikulionytė, Vytautas Rumšas, Arūnas Sakalauskas, Rasa Samuolytė, Arūnas Smailys, Toma Vaškevičiūtė

www.litwawkrakowie.lt www.teatras.lt www.boskakomedia.pl

Photo by Dmitrij Matvejev

13 December 2015

Anna — Viktorija Kuodytė, Olga — Eglė Mikulionytė, Professor Schuster — Valentinas Masalskis

The Lithuanian National Drama Theatre, based in Vilnius, is an inviting space that serves as a meeting point for artists from different countries.

This season’s most impressive encounter is the Polish-Lithuanian theatre collaboration staging Heroes’ Square (Heldenplatz, 1988), a drama written by post-war European literary genius Thomas Bernhard and directed by renowned theatre director, playwright, and set designer Krystian Lupa.

In this production he explores several themes including the limitations of humanity, death, and the loss of homeland. The cast features some of the best-known Lithuanian actors of various generations.

Although the semantic axis of the play is an analysis of a dehumanized society, the action is very lively due to the considered direction and expressive acting. The broad emotional scale ranges from despair to euphoria to cathartic laughter. Critics say that Lupa’s interpretation is a creative provocation and a true celebration of theatre.

Heroes’ Square will be performed at the Boska Komedia (Divine Comedy) international theatre festival in Krakow.

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Lithuania in Krakow: Season of Culture 2015

Organizers of the events Lithuania

Special thanks to Rasa Rimickaitė, Cultural Attaché of Lithuania in the Republic of Poland Prof. Jan Widacki, Honorary Consul of Lithuania in Krakow Benedykt Dubski, Honorary Consul of Lithuania in Poznan Thanks to all the curators and consultants who made valuable contributions to the programme. Our special thanks also go to artists and institutions that provided material from their collections.

MEDIA Partners Poland

Sponsors

www.facebook.com/litwawkrakowie www.litwawkrakowie.lt

KLEPARZ Dworzec Glówny Kraków ul. Lubicz

7 SEASON OF CULTURE VENUES

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Rynek Glówny

3

STARE MIASTO

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Zamek Królewski na Wawelu

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Galicia Jewish Museum · · · 8 ul. Dajwór 18

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Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic in Krakow · · · 10, 16 ul. Zwierzyniecka 1

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International Cultural Centre · · · 12 Rynek Główny 25

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Wawel Royal Castle · · · 14 Wawel 5

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Palace under the Rams · · · 18 Rynek Główny 27

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EXPO Krakow · · · 20 ul. Galicyjska 9 ~ 7 km East of the city centre

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Bunkier Sztuki Gallery of Contemporary Art · · · 24 Plac Szczepański 3 a

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Manngha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology · · · 26 ul. M. Konopnickiej 26

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Studio S3 TVP · · · 28 ul. Nowohucka 44 ~ 6 km East of the city centre

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K RA K Ó W KAZIMIERZ

100 m