News

During the presidency of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Lithuania aims at presenting its culture and art to the international community. An exhibition of Lithuanian artists called “Invisible Bridges of Cultures. Africa and Lithuania” will be arranged in Geneva, where the main session of ECOSOC is to be held in July. To Lithuanian lovers of art this exhibition was presented on 26 June at the “Vartai” gallery.

The exhibition includes works of twelve artists: Jonas Gasiūnas, Marius Zavadskis, Laisvydė Šalčiūtė, Eglė Gineitytė, Ray Bartkus, Vidmantas Ilčiukas, Audrius Navickas, Eglė Ridikaitė, Kęstutis Grigaliūnas, Eglė Kuckaitė, Saulius Vaitiekūnas, and Eglė Vertelkaitė. The exhibition consists of paintings, graphics, photography, sculptures and installations.

The language of art is universal and understood without translators. This exhibition aims at depolarising different cultures of Africa and Lithuania.

For Lithuanian artists Africa is a source of inspiration, unfailing and often still unknown treasures of nature and culture. The artists search for common cultural archetypes and parallels and discover links between Lithuania and Africa. Owing to them our country becomes more familiar and understandable to the visitors of the exhibition.

Author of the installation “Tricolour puzzle” Audrius Navickas plays with the colours of Lithuanian tricolour flag. The colours are included in the national flags in many African countries and that raises unexpected questions about the values, which those colours embody for the countries, as well as historical reasons that determined their choice.

Eglė Ridikaitė looks through gigantic binoculars and observes the outlines of Lithuania and the African continent, and she sees obvious similarity between them. Meanwhile, sculptor Saulius Vaitiekūnas plays games with the motifs of African masks.

It is expected that the exhibition will comprehensively acquaint the international community with Lithuanian fine arts and raise ignite bigger interest in our country.

The exhibition will be held at the headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva on July 2-19. It will be complemented by a photography exposition “Lithuania Today and Tomorrow”“, which presents Lithuania and which is held by the Public Institution House of Europe  together with agency “Baltic Photography Line”.

The exhibition called “Invisible Bridges of Cultures. Africa and Lithuania” is arranged on the initiative of Lithuanian Foreign Ministry. The organizer of the exhibition is the “Vartai” gallery and curator is the art critic Laima Kreivytė.

ECOSOC is the main forum for the discussions of UN on international economic and social issues. The Council is responsible for promoting higher standards of living, labour market, economic and social progress. It solves international economic, social and health problems, supports cooperation in the areas of education and culture and encourages universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as formulates recommendations covering those issues addressed to Member States and the system of the United Nations.