On September 22, 2021, KAUNAS PHOTO festival held a tour on wheels of the 18th festival’s outdoor exhibitions to celebrate the World Car-Free Day. Four photography exhibitions installed under the open sky were visited during a 1h 30min and 12 km low difficulty tour. The excursions were conducted by the festival’s art director Mindaugas Kavaliauskas. Visited exhibitions: Alain Schroeder (Belgium) “Grandma Divers” (KAUNAS PHOTO STAR 2021 Finalist); Adas Vasiliauskas (Lithuania) “Portraits of Quarantine”; Francesco Amorosino (Italy) “The third phase (Paola)”; Marna Clarke (USA) “Growing Old” (KAUNAS PHOTO STAR 2021 Winner).

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KAUNAS PHOTO is the longest running annual international photo art festival in Lithuania and the Baltic States. The festival founded by Mindaugas Kavaliauskas in 2004 is organized by the public institution “Šviesos raštas”. The artistic program of this year’s festival is curated by a joint team: Mindaugas Kavaliauskas, Kristina Juraitė, Donatas Stankevičius, Fred Boucher and Karolina Krinickaitė.

KAUNAS PHOTO is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture as one of the strategic international art events in Lithuania.

On September 12, 2021, KAUNAS PHOTO festival held an artist talk and meeting with Jonas Kulikauskas, a USA-based artist of Lithuanian origins. Kulikauskas presented his contemporary photography project “I Often Forget” layered with themes of the Holocaust, Soviet desecration, nationalism, and diaspora, that he was developing in Lithuania at the time. Son of Lithuanian refugees, Jonas Kulikauskas had fastened a World War 2 era lens to a newly constructed 8×10” camera loaded with black and white film, to capture life today in what used to be the Vilnius Ghetto. The event took place at the Kaunas Choral Synagogue.

Photos by Karolina Krinickaite.

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KAUNAS PHOTO is the longest running annual international photo art festival in Lithuania and the Baltic States. The festival founded by Mindaugas Kavaliauskas in 2004 is organized by the public institution “Šviesos raštas”. The artistic program of this year’s festival is curated by a joint team: Mindaugas Kavaliauskas, Kristina Juraitė, Donatas Stankevičius, Fred Boucher and Karolina Krinickaitė.

KAUNAS PHOTO is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture as one of the strategic international art events in Lithuania.

On September 12, 2021, KAUNAS PHOTO festival held an artist talk and meeting with Grzegorz Jarmocewicz—Polish photographer born near Lithuanian border. The event was held at the Kaunas Cultural Centre of Various Nations where Jarmocewicz’s series “On both sides of the border. Why do I fall in love with Lithuania?” were being exhibited as a part of the 18th KAUNAS PHOTO festival’s programme.

Photos by Karolina Krinickaite.

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KAUNAS PHOTO is the longest running annual international photo art festival in Lithuania and the Baltic States. The festival founded by Mindaugas Kavaliauskas in 2004 is organized by the public institution “Šviesos raštas”. The artistic program of this year’s festival is curated by a joint team: Mindaugas Kavaliauskas, Kristina Juraitė, Donatas Stankevičius, Fred Boucher and Karolina Krinickaitė.

KAUNAS PHOTO is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture as one of the strategic international art events in Lithuania.

On September 10, 2021, the opening of the 18th KAUNAS PHOTO festival’s outdoor exhibition “Portrait of Early Generation Z” by Elena Krukonytė (Lithuania) took place at the Draugystės park in presence of the author. The opening followed by the artist talk “The relationship with time, the environment, and self through photography” by Elena Krukonytė at the Kaunas Municipal Vincas Kudirka Public Library’s Park Branch.

Photos by Karolina Krinickaitė.

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KAUNAS PHOTO is the longest running annual international photo art festival in Lithuania and the Baltic States. The festival founded by Mindaugas Kavaliauskas in 2004 is organized by the public institution “Šviesos raštas”. KAUNAS PHOTO is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture as one of the strategic international art events in Lithuania.

On September 8, 2021, the opening of the 18th KAUNAS PHOTO festival’s outdoor exhibition “Portraits of Quarantine” by Adas Vasiliauskas (Lithuania) took place at the Square near A. Juozapavičiaus Ave. 57 in presence of the author. The opening followed by the artist talk “Backstage of the Portraits of Quarantine and other stories” by Adas Vasiliauskas at the nearby photo studio “No Name Studio”.

Photos by Karolina Krinickaitė.

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KAUNAS PHOTO is the longest running annual international photo art festival in Lithuania and the Baltic States. The festival founded by Mindaugas Kavaliauskas in 2004 is organized by the public institution “Šviesos raštas”. KAUNAS PHOTO is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture as one of the strategic international art events in Lithuania.

The KAUNAS PHOTO festival commemorates the European Mobility Week and invites to celebrate the International Car-Free Day on 22 September with a guided tour on wheels around the festival’s outdoor exhibitions. The organisers encourage everyone to leave their cars, grab a bicycle or electric scooter and arrive alone, with family or friends by the Kaunas Castle, where the free and open to all tour will start at 17:30. The 1,5 hour 12-kilometre low-difficulty route will visit four open-air photography exhibitions. The tour will be held by the festival’s art director Mindaugas Kavaliauskas.

In 2021, European Mobility Week theme is “Safe and Healthy with Sustainable Mobility”. It pays tribute to the hardships felt by Europe – and the world – throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. European Mobility Week culminates on 22 September with the traditional World Car-Free Day. It is not the first time that the organisers of the KAUNAS PHOTO festival have joined the campaign, encouraging people to visit exhibitions using means of transport alternative to the car.

The Tour On Wheels will visit four open-air photography exhibitions of the 18th KAUNAS PHOTO festival. At each stop, the festival art director Mindaugas Kavaliauskas will present the work of the photographers featured there.

This year’s tour will star near the Kaunas Castle (in front of A. Jakšto St. 18) with the presentation of “Grandma Divers” by Alain Schroeder (Belgium, KAUNAS PHOTO STAR 2021 Finalist). Then the tour will follow the cycling path along the Nemunas riverbank to Žemieji Šančiai, where two exhibitions will be presented at the Square near A. Juozapavičiaus pr. 57: “Portraits of Quarantine” by Adas Vasiliauskas (Lithuania) and “The third phase (Paola)” by Francesco Amorosino (Italy). Then the tour will come back to the town centre and will finish at the Vienybės Square with the exhibition of the Winner of KAUNAS PHOTO STAR 2021—“Growing Old” by Marna Clarke (USA).

The outdoor exhibitions of the 18th KAUNAS PHOTO festival are shown at three more locations: “Portrait of Early Generation Z” by Elena Krukonytė (Lithuania) at Draugystės Park (Kovo 11-osios St., next to the bus stop “Draugystės park”), “2031” by Uta Genilke (Germany) at Kalniečiai Park (next to Savanorių Ave.) and “RENDEZ-VOUS” by Caroline Minjolle (Switzerland) at Chechnya Square.

The outdoor exhibitions will be open until October 31. KAUNAS PHOTO 2021 exhibitions’ programme and map of  can be found here.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Lithuanian.

Nušurmuliavus intensyvioms festivalio atidarymo dienoms, šią savaitę KAUNAS PHOTO programoje – lietuviški akcentai. Trečiadienį ir penktadienį bus atidarytos dvi naujos parodos po atviru dangumi – Ado Vasiliausko  „Karantino portretai“ ir Elenos Krukonytės „Ankstyvosios Z kartos portretas“, o sekmadienį vyks susitikimai su šiuo metu Lietuvoje reziduojančiu lietuvių kilmės JAV menininku Jonu Kulikausku ir lenkų fotomenininku Grzegorzu Jarmocewicz, sukūrusiu seriją apie lietuvius „Abipus sienos. Kodėl aš įsimylėjau Lietuvą?“, kuri yra rodoma šiųmetinėje festivalio programoje Kauno įvairių tautų kultūrų centre. Renginiai yra nemokami ir atviri visiems.

Kaip ir ankstesniais metais, festivalis KAUNAS PHOTO tradiciškai su lauko paroda keliaus į Žemųjų Šančių mikrorajoną, kur rugsėjo 8 d., trečiadienį, 18.30 val. skvere prie A. Juozapavičiaus pr. 57 bus pristatyta fotografijų serija „Karantino portretai“. Parodos atidaryme dalyvaus iš Vilniaus atvykęs jos autorius, fotografas Adas Vasiliauskas, pirmojo karantino metu 2020 metais sukūręs ir per visą pasaulį nuskambėjęs su šia dronu fotografuota žmonių, pozuojančius savo namų languose bei balkonuose, portretų serija. Po parodos atidarymo vakaras prasitęs netoliese esančioje fotostudijoje „No Name Studio“ (A. Juozapavičiaus pr. 31G), kur nuo 19 val. A. Vasiliauskas papasakos serijos „Karantino portretai“ užkulisius bei pristatys kitus savo projektus.

Rugsėjo 10 d. 17 val. Draugystės parko prieigose (Kovo 11-osios g., prie stotelės „Draugystės parkas“) vilnietė fotografė Elena Krukonytė pristatys ten atidaromą lauko parodą „Ankstyvosios Z kartos portretas“. Šį projektą sukurti autorę įkvėpė jos pačios pamąstymai apie santykį su laiku. Keldama būties klausimą – kodėl aš esu tokia, kokia esu? – ji bando rasti atsakymus, žvelgdama į bendraamžius, kuriuos įamžino jų pačių pasirinktoje vietoje, atskleidžiančioje, kas prisidėjo prie asmenybės formavimo. Nuo 18 val. Kauno Vinco Kudirkos viešosios bibliotekos Parko padalinyje (P. Lukšio g. 60) vyks E. Krukonytės kūrybos pristatymas „Žmogaus santykis su laiku, aplinka ir savimi per fotografiją“, kurio metu autorė plačiau papasakos apie savo kūrybą.

Rugsėjo 12 d., sekmadienį, festivalis KAUNAS PHOTO pakvies į du dienos metu vyksiančius renginius. 12.30 val. Kauno įvairių tautų kultūrų centre, ten pat rodomų fotografijų iš serijos „Abipus sienos. Kodėl aš įsimylėjau Lietuvą?“ apsuptyje, vyks susitikimas su šios serijos autoriumi, netoli Lietuvos sienos gimusiu lenkų fotomenininku Grzegorzu Jarmocewicz.

14 val. Kauno choralinėje sinagogoje (E. Ožeškienės g. 13) vyks susitikimas su lietuvių kilmės JAV fotomenininku Jonu Kulikausku. Menininkas pristatys šiuo metu Lietuvoje vystomą šiuolaikinės fotografijos projektą „Aš Dažnai Pamirštu“, apimantį holokausto, sovietų išniekinimo, nacionalizmo ir diasporos temas. Pritvirtinęs II-ojo pasaulinio karo laikų objektyvą prie naujai pagaminto 8×10 colių fotoaparato, įkrauto juodai baltomis plokštėmis, J.Kulikauskas fotografuoja dabartinį gyvenimą buvusiame Vilniaus gete.

18-ojo festivalio KAUNAS PHOTO parodų programą galima rasti čia, o nuolat pildomą renginių kalendorių – čia. Taip pat festivalio naujienas galima sekti socialiniuse tinkluose „Facebook“ ir „Instagram“: @Kaunas.Photo.

KAUNAS PHOTO – ilgiausiai be pertraukų rengiamas kasmetis tarptautinis fotomeno festivalis Lietuvoje ir Baltijos šalyse. 2004 m. Mindaugo Kavaliausko įkurtą festivalį organizuoja viešoji įstaiga „Šviesos raštas“. Festivalį KAUNAS PHOTO, kaip vieną iš strateginių tarptautinių meno renginių Lietuvoje, finansuoja Lietuvos kultūros taryba.

festival.KaunasPhoto.com

The two-day long opening events of the 18th international photo art festival KAUNAS PHOTO culminated on the evening of September 3 with the announcement of the Winner of the festival’s competition. KAUNAS PHOTO STAR 2021 Award was granted to the eighty-one-year-old photographer Marna Clarke from USA and her work entitled “Growing Old”. The series will be on display in Kaunas as an outdoor exhibition at Vienybės Square until the end of October.

On September 2 and 3, the festival KAUNAS PHOTO opened exhibitions in nine indoor venues and five open-air public spaces in the city. The evening programme featured projections of works submitted to the festival’s open call on the theme of “Age”, a screening of the photographs from the series “Do Not Forget, You Are Not In Lithuania” by Martha Thomas (USA), accompanied by the readings of her aunt’s Daina Klimauskaitė’s memoirs of the youth spent in deportation in Siberia. The memoirs were read by the Lithuanian theatre and cinema actress Olita Dautartaitė, in presence of Daina Klimauskaitė herself and the author Martha Thomas, who is currently visiting Lithuania.

The Finalists of the KAUNAS PHOTO STAR competition greeted the audience via remote video conference, and after the screening of their series, the founder and art director of the festival Mindaugas Kavaliauskas, and the head of the Kaunas Photography Gallery, who is also a member of the the international and local KAUNAS PHOTO STAR jury panel, Gintaras Česonis, announced the Winner of the KAUNAS PHOTO STAR 2021 Award—Marna Clarke (USA) with her series of photographs “Getting Old”.

“On my 70th birthday, I woke from a dream in which I had rounded a corner and seen the end. This disturbing dream moved me to begin photographing the two of us, chronicling our time of growing old,” says the photographer about her work submitted to the KAUNAS PHOTO STAR competition on the theme “Age”, and hopes that her photographs will help others to come to terms with the inevitable future and to feel more comfortable in their own old age.

A total of eight series of the Finalists were shortlisted to compete for the main prize of the KAUNAS PHOTO STAR 2021 competition: “The Animal Within” by Fábio Cunha (Portugal), “Grandma Divers” by Alain Schroeder (Belgium), “Cut It Short” by Michal Solarski & Tomasz Liboska (United Kingdom / Poland), “The Suspended Youth” by Rosa Mariniello (Italy), “±100” by Magdalena Stengel (Germany), “Belles Mômes” by Clelia Rochat (Belgium), “Do Not Forget, You Are Not In Lithuania” by Martha Thomas (USA) and the wining series “Growing Old” by Marna Clarke (USA) with, who will receive a 2500 EUR cash prize. The works of all Finalists are integrated into the festival programme and are shown in the galleries and cultural venues of Kaunas as well as in the city’s open-air spaces.

The exhibitions of the 18th KAUNAS PHOTO festival can be found here, and the continuously updated events calendar here.

KAUNAS PHOTO is the longest running annual international photo art festival in Lithuania and the Baltic States. The festival founded by Mindaugas Kavaliauskas in 2004 is organized by the public institution “Šviesos raštas”. KAUNAS PHOTO is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture as one of the strategic international art events in Lithuania.

festival.kaunasphoto.com

In 2021, the 18th international photo art festival KAUNAS PHOTO will hold its opening tours on September 2 and 3 with the exhibition openings of fourteen artists from different countries. Both opening days will conclude with an evening programme starting at 20:00 in the BLC “Otto Hall”, featuring a presentation by Chirag Jindal (New Zealand), an artist and topographer working at the intersection of documentary journalism and contemporary cartography, and on 3 September, photography projections of the festival’s competition KAUNAS PHOTO STAR Finalists’ series and a virtual meeting of the Finalists with the audience. The Winner of the KAUNAS PHOTO STAR 2021 Award will be announced at the end of the evening event on 3 September and will receive a cash prize of EUR 2500. The evening programme will be accompanied by musical improvisations of Patris Židelevičius with cello and digital sounds, and pianist Kęstutis Paulaitis. The exact programme of the festival’s opening days can be found at the end of this announcement. The audience is welcome to join at any part of the opening tour. The opening events of KAUNAS PHOTO festival are open to all and free of charge.

The programme of the 18th KAUNAS PHOTO festival will focus on the threshold of adulthood, becoming an adult, the pros and cons, stories and feelings of being young, teenager, parent, mid-aged, retired, with or without grandchildren, hobby, job, retirement savings meeting the sunset of life. The exhibitions and events of the festival will be related to general or specific issues of life choices, crisis, joys, traditions, stereotypes, taboos, social norms and the impact of big data society on age groups. The open call to the festival, which received over a hundred proposals, showed that a critical mass of photographers is exploring an aging society, its joys and challenges.

Although traditionally the winner of the festival’s competition KAUNAS PHOTO STAR is announced at the Kaunas Photography Gallery, this year, due to the renovation of Vilnius Street, the gallery was closed, therefore, the works of the finalists of the KAUNAS PHOTO STAR 2021 competition are integrated into the festival’s programme and are shown in the outdoor spaces as well as in the galleries, cultural and art venues of Kaunas.

KAUNAS PHOTO 2021 programme in Kaunas will showcase nine photography exhibitions in indoor venues throughout September. Continuing the tradition of open-air exhibitions started in 2014, this year the festival will present seven outdoor exhibitions, placed in Chechnya Square, Kalniečių and Draugystės parks, A. Juozapavičiaus, V. Putvinskio streets, near Kaunas Castle, Vienybės Square. The festival’s outdoor exhibitions will be on display until the end of October.

The artistic program of this year’s festival is curated by a joint team: Mindaugas Kavaliauskas, Kristina Juraitė, Donatas Stankevičius, Fred Boucher and Karolina Krinickaitė. The festival’s programme will be updated and announced in separate press releases, on the festival’s website and “Facebook” page.

The programme of the opening days of the 18th KAUNAS PHOTO festival:

September 2, Thursday

Exhibition openings:

16:00 Martha Thomas (USA) “Do Not Forget, You Are Not In Lithuania”, Younes Mohammad (Iraq) “Open Wounds” at Kaunas City Museum Folk Music Branch (L. Zamenhofo St. 12): With the presence of the author Martha Thomas (USA).

16:30 Clelia Rochat (Belgium) “Belles Mômes” at Maironis Lithuanian Literature Museum (Rotušės Sq. 13);

17:00 Cristian Geelen (The Netherlands) “Memories of a man once there…” at Kaunas City Museum Kaunas Castle (Pilies St. 17);

17:15 Alain Schroeder (Belgium) “Grandma Divers” near Kaunas Castle (A. Jakšto St.);

17:30 Grzegorz Jarmocewicz (Poland) “On both sides of the border. Why do I fall in love with Lithuania.” at Kaunas Cultural Centre of Various Nations (Šv. Gertrūdos St. 58);

17:45 Magdalena Stengel (Germany) “±100” at Kaunas Municipal Vincas Kudirka Public Library – Department of Youth, Art and Music (A. Mapu St. 18).

KAUNAS PHOTO NIGHT I

From 20:00 at BLC “Otto Hall” (K. Donelaičio St. 60, A-Block, 1st floor):

– Photography projections featuring the series submitted to the KAUNAS PHOTO Open Call on the theme “Age”;

– “Into The Underworld”. Artist talk and meeting with Chirag Jindal (New Zealand), artist and surveyor who works at the intersection of documentary journalism and contemporary cartography;

– Music by Patris Židelevičius—improvisations that combine the sound of classical instruments like the cello, field recordings and digital sounds.

September 3, Friday

Exhibition openings:

16:00 Caroline Minjolle (Switzerland) “RENDEZ-VOUS” at Chechnya Square (P. Lukšio St.);

16:30 Michal Solarski & Tomasz Liboska (United Kingdom / Poland) “Cut It Short” at Kaunas Municipal Vincas Kudirka Public Library – Park Branch (P. Lukšio St. 60):;

17:00 Uta Genilke (Germany) “2031” at Kalniečiai park (next to Savanorių Ave.):;

18:00 Rosa Mariniello (Italy) “The Suspended Youth” at KTU III rūmai (Laisvės Ave.);

18:30 Francesco Amorosino (Italy) “The third phase (Paola)” at Žaliakalnis Funicular (V.Putvinskio St. 22);

18.45 Fábio Cunha (Portugal) “The Animal Within” at VMU Multifunctional Center for Studies and Research (V. Putvinskio St. 23);

19.00 Marna Clarke (USA) “Growing Old” at Vienybės Square (next to the stairs leading to the garden of Vytautas the Great War Museum).

KAUNAS PHOTO NIGHT II

From 20:00 at BLC “Otto Hall” (K. Donelaičio St. 60, A-Block, 1st floor):

– Projection of the photographs from the series “Do Not Forget, You Are Not In Lithuania” by Martha Thomas (USA) accompanied by the readings of Daina Klimauskaitė’s memoir of a youth in Siberia. The memoirs will be read by Olita Dautartaitė, Lithuanian theatre and film actress, poetry reader.

– Virtual meeting with the festival’s competition KAUNAS PHOTO STAR 2021 Finalists;

– Photography projections of the KAUNAS PHOTO STAR 2020 Finalists’ series;

– Announcement of the Winner of KAUNAS PHOTO STAR 2021 Award;

– Music by composer, improvising piano virtuoso Kęstutis Paulaitis.

KAUNAS PHOTO is the longest running annual international photo art festival in Lithuania and the Baltic States. The festival founded by Mindaugas Kavaliauskas in 2004 is organized by the public institution “Šviesos raštas”. KAUNAS PHOTO is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture as one of the strategic international art events in Lithuania.

Informational sponsor: LRT.

Partners: Kaunas Photography Gallery, Kaunas City Museum, Kaunas Municipal Vincas Kudirka Public Library, Kaunas Cultural Centre of Various Nations, Maironis Lithuanian Literature Museum, Vytautas Magnus University, KTU Photo Studio, Diaphane, Białystok Interphoto, BLC – Business Leaders Centre.

www.KaunasPhoto.com