KAUNAS PHOTO festival to open the “Beach Season”

International KAUNAS PHOTO festival kicks off it’s 14th edition on the 1st of June. The theme of the festival this year is “Water”. The reception of the introductory exhibition “Beach Season” will take place at the M. Žilinskas Art Gallery, M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art on Thursday, 6pm. The exhibition will continue until the 3rd of September.

„Beach Season“ presents work by eleven international artists: Massimo Vitali’s (Italy) beach landscapes, Kirill Golovchenko’s (Ukraine/Germany) “Out of the Blue”, Tadas Černiauskas‘ (Lithuania) “Comfort Zone”, Turi Calafato’s (Italy) “A Day at the Beach. Summer in Sicily”, Céline Diais’ (France) “See the Sea”, Marton Kallai’s (Hungary) “Solotvyno – A Dream about Salt”, Krzysztof Racoñ’s (Poland) “Zakrzowek”, Berta Tilmantaitė’s (Lithuania) “Surfing India”, Emily Wabitsch’s (Germany- Bangladesh) “From Cox’s with Love”, Jashim Salam’s (Bangladesh) “Life beyond the Ship Graveyard” and François Marmion’s (France- UK) “Bloody Holiday”.

The exhibition will consist of three parts. Large format prints and creative installations will reveal diverse scenarios inspired by subjects of water and beach. Exhibition curator Mindaugas Kavaliauskas says that the architecture of the gallery perfectly conveys the change of mood throughout the exhibition’s three parts: the light one, the transitory and the dark one. The first display presents the beach as we know it: with white sand, blue sea, cheerful holiday-makers. Monumental human landscapes by the Italian master Massimo Vitali, Kirill Golovchenko’s witty beach encounters and conceptual series of Tadas Černiauskas open up colourful holiday moments as one enters the exhibition.

The second space explores the sociology of summer. Here belongs Turi Calafato’s rituals of Sicilian beaches and sun induced laziness. Céline Diais travels through urban beaches in France and observes how our need for leisure transforms cities. Marton Kallai’s series about Ukrainian salt mining town resorts combines joy and leisure with the anticipated environmental disaster. Krzysztof Racoñ tells a story about the artificial Zakrzowek lake, a popular spot with local Polish youth despite it being forbidden to swim in. Due to steep shores and uneven bottom Zakrzowek is known as a dangerous location attracting accidents and suicides.

The third section brings us back to the seaside resorts and shows us the frequently unseen aspects. Berta Tilmantaitė’s series portrays surfers in India and introduces us to the theme of work. These surfers help local fishermen with their daily toil. Emily Wabitsch photographs the beach in Bangladesh that attracts thousands of newlyweds each year. Right next to it Jashim Salam’s series shows us men in Bangladesh dismantling disused boats with their bare hands for a living. The final exhibit is François Marmion’s photographic exploration of the Kos island divided into tourist and refugee zones. Here we observe the Western privilege in the setting of the picturesque resort.

The main events and exhibitions of the 14th KAUNAS PHOTO festival will take place in Kaunas in the first week of September and will continue until mid October.

KAUNAS PHOTO is the longest- running annual photography festival in Lithuania and the Baltic States. It is organised by the NGO „Šviesos raštas“ since 2004. KAUNAS PHOTO is one of the most important annual art events in the country. KAUNAS PHOTO is a member of Festival Of Light organisation.

Main sponsors: Lithuanian Culture Cuncil, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, Kaunas city council.

Patron of the festival is President Valdas Adamkus.