Building Memories in Vilnius

Sixty years of Europe's most problematic and contested history are explored with a focus on architecture, monuments, community and geo-political perspectives in Poland, former-DDR and Israel with reference to its foundation. This is what the Building Memory exhibition -on show at the Contemporary Art Centre (CAC) in Vilnius until February 14, 2010- is doing through the works of four of Europe's most renowned artists: Mirosław Bałka from Poland, Yael Bartana from Israel, Deimantas Narkevičius from Lithuania and Marcel Odenbach from Germany.
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A new season for opera and ballet in Vilnius

Forty-two great productions and more than 200 performances are included in this year’s season at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, which is often considered the pride of the country. In its repertoire, it demonstrates quality, excellent technique, dedication and high-class professionalism of performances, which is the result of several centuries of continuous hard work and aspirations to achieve such standards. From September 25, 2009 to May 23, 2010 do not miss the opportunity to attend one of its excellent performances.
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Victorian fashion cult in Vilnius

An authentic collection of women's and men's clothing of the Victorian times (1837-1901) is on display, for the first time ever in Lithuania, at Vilnius' Radvila Palace until January 31, 2010. The display comprises about 50 garments and numerous accessories from England, France, Italy, Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is representative of different styles, beginning with Romanticism up to Art Nouveau. It is part of the Paris-based vast collection of Russian-born stage and costume designer Alexandre Vassiliev.
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New City Sounds

Held in Vilnius every year since 1991, Gaida is the biggest and most renowned festival of contemporary music in Lithuania and one of the most important forums of new music in Central and Eastern Europe. In the last ten years the festival has become a prestigious event not only for music lovers from Vilnius and Lithuania but also for foreign audiences attending the festival concerts in increasingly large numbers. This year, the festival’s 19th edition takes place from 24 to 31 of October in some of Vilnius’ most prestigious venues.
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Listen to Vilnius’ Urban Stories

If you are wondering which is the top contemporary art event in the Lithuanian capital this year, search no more. It is definitely the X Baltic Triennial of International Art, organized by the Contemporary Art Centre (CAC) in Vilnius and running until November 22, as part of the cultural calendar of the European Capital of Culture 2009. Titled Urban Stories, this contemporary art project covers peripheral parts -suburbs and sleeping districts- of the city of Vilnius, where European artists create a different map of daily life, enriching the traditional image of the old city with the touch of modern reality.
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Eastern promises, western expectations

Right after the Fall of the Berlin Wall came down, Eastern Europe became a very sexy destination, but the glamour started fading away as the iron curtain started sinking into history. The International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts (IETM) focuses on this fact and organizes its Autumn Plenary Meeting in Vilnius with the theme Eastern Promises. The meeting takes place from 8 to 11 of October at the Menų spaustuvė (Arts Printing House) and various other venues in the Lithuanian capital (European Capital of Culture this year) and includes a very interesting artistic program of 25 theatre and dance performances you must not miss.
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Whose Hamlet is this?

When it premiered last year in Stavanger, Norway, it made a sensation all over Europe. After making its trip around Europe’s most acclaimed theatre festivals, finally Oskaras Koršunovas’ Hamlet comes back home to go onstage for six shows only from September 4 to December 30, at the Teatro Arena of the Lithuanian capital. If you are in Vilnius when it performs, try not to miss the opportunity to see one of the most discussed Shakespeare interpretations of the decade.
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Remembering the Baltic Way

A small photography exhibition at the first floor lobby of the Latvian Foreign Ministry in Riga, awakens memories that have left a deep mark in the Baltic people’s hearts and minds and have shaped their fate. The Baltic Way that Moved the World tells the story of millions of men, women and children who held hands twenty years ago and joined three nations together in a peaceful protest against a powerful empire. That 600 km human chain was an unprecedented demonstration of their will to be free. Twenty years later, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are remembering and reminding the world with a series of events that run until November.
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Design to win the Cold War

It seems incredible that the battle to win people's hearts and minds during the cold war that divided Europe and much of the rest of the world during the years following the Second World War could be symbolised by an American kitchen! The National Art Gallery of the Lithuanian Art Museum autumn exhibition Cold War Modern: Design 1945-70 explains how this was made possible as it examines contemporary design, architecture, film and popular culture on both sides of the Iron Curtain during the Cold War era. You can visit it in Vilnius from October 2 to December 7, 2009.
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Big in Japan

When you’re big in Japan, imagine how big you must look in Vilnius! The first major exhibition of Japanese contemporary art in Lithuania is a fact and the Contemporary Art Centre (CAC) is very proud to present it to the art-loving public. The Big in Japan exhibition runs through August 16 and features works by four distinguished Japanese artists: Yayoi Kusama, Hiraki Sawa, Go Watanabe and the artistic duo Paramodel. Parallel to the show, CAC is also presenting the 11th edition of the European Eyes on Japan/Japan Today photography exhibition.
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Christopher Summer Festival comeback

What particular genre or type of music does the Christopher Summer Festival most represent? This is a question that neither the festival‘s artistic director Donatas Katkus nor the loyal audiences, who have been enjoying this summer musical fiesta for 15 years, could answer. Because the Christopher Summer Festival loves all kinds of music, from classical to jazz, and from ethnic to folk. This year, the festival runs from June 28 to August 30 and its 41 concerts take place in various venues in Vilnius and another five Lithuanian cities.
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