"8 Lithuanian photographers" - Exhibition at Tbilisi Photography & Multimedia Museum

 

The exhibition brings together up to 1 300 works by 8 classics of Lithuanian photography - Antanas Sutkus, Vitas Luckus, Aleksandras Macijauskas, Romualdas Rakauskas, Algimantas Kunčius, Romualdas Požerskis, Virgilijus Šonta and Rimaldas Vikšraitis. This is a modern replica of an exhibition of 9 Lithuanian Photographers held in Moscow in 1969. This exhibition is associated with the evaluation and recognition of the "Lithuanian School of Photography" as a phenomenon of contemporary photography.

 

The Soviet regime's use of all fields of art, including photography as an ideological propaganda tool, brought the development of visual arts under strict dogma and control during the 70 years of the Soviet regime. The obligation to create a politically correct image has significantly affected the development of photography in all the countries under Soviet occupation. The phenomenon of the Lithuanian School of Photography lies in the fact that in the 60s and 70s, a group of Lithuanian photographers was able to bypass the clichés of propaganda photography and adapt the foreign, unacceptable content or visual forms to lay the foundation for the creation of the highest quality photography d’auteur, which was in full harmony with the basic principles and motives of Western humanistic photography.

 

If the world's photography classic, Edward Steichen, saw photography as an opportunity to "explain one person to another," renowned Lithuanian photography researcher Vinkas Kisarauskas paraphrased Steichen: "In the photographs of Lithuanian photographers, one sees oneself in other people."

 

Even in the Soviet period, the focus of Lithuanian photographers was on the eternal themes and motifs that allowed the authors to create a visual metaphor of human life. These were: childhood, youth, old age, love, beauty, and transience.

 

“8 Lithuanian Photographers” is not only a visual saga of the richest photographic traditions but also a brilliant example of national self-awareness, reminding us once again that fighting the worst enemy makes sense even in the most unequal circumstances when national dignity and freedom are at stake. The phenomenon of the Lithuanian School of Photography is a brilliant visual example of the victory of freedom of creativity and the humanistic ideas over the strict bans and censorship, the clichés of the Soviet occupation regime! The historical exhibition "8 Lithuanian photographers" is an evident demonstration of this triumph.

 

This is the first large-scale exhibition revealing the Lithuanian School of Photography phenomenon in Georgia that will be followed by more exhibitions that will grow up to the season of Lithuanian photography in Georgia.

 

The multimedia installation is accompanied by the newest editions of Lithuanian books and catalogs.

 

Artists are as follows:
Antanas Sutkus, Vitas Luckus, Aleksandras Macijauskas, Romualdas Rakauskas, Algimantas Kunčius, Romualdas Požerskis, Virgilijus Šonta and Rimaldas Vikšraitis.

 

Author of music specially created for the exhibition: Lisa Reeves

 

Exhibition Curator: Gintaras Česonis

 

Exhibition organizer: Kaunas Photography Gallery & Tbilisi Photo Festival

 

Entry is free of charge.