Vilnius: A Baltic Capital Where Baroque Heritage Meets a Thriving Contemporary Art Scene
The capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, boasts a UNESCO-recognized Baroque old town alongside a lively contemporary art scene. Its past encompasses an 11th-century Baltic settlement, a period of Soviet rule, and the restoration of independence in 1991. Notable cultural sites include the National Gallery of Art (established in 1980, renovated from 2004 to 2009 by Gediminas Baravykas, Audrius Bučas, Darius Čaplinksas, and Gintaras Kuginis), MO Museum (initiated by Danguolė and Viktoras Butkus, with design by Daniel Libeskind), and other venues like SODAS 2123, Rooster Gallery, Rupert, Noewe Foundation, and Medūza. The Open Gallery showcases vibrant street art. The Republic of Užupis was proclaimed on April 1, 1997, and Trakai Castle dates back to the 14th-15th centuries. The MO Museum's exhibition "We Don't Do This" is on display until September 8.
Key facts
- Vilnius has a UNESCO-listed Baroque old town.
- The National Gallery of Art was renovated 2004-2009.
- MO Museum holds 6,000 Lithuanian works from the 1960s onward.
- MO Museum was designed by Daniel Libeskind.
- SODAS 2123 includes about 50 artist studios.
- Rooster Gallery was founded in 2008.
- Noewe Foundation will open a museum in 2025.
- The Open Gallery features over 50 murals.
Entities
Artists
- Viktoras Vizgirda
- Ludomir Sleńdziński
- Stasys Ušinskas
- Daniel Libeskind
- Kamila Krasauskaita
- Ona Lozuraityte-Išorei
- Petrus Išora-Lozoraičius
- Ernest Zacharevich
- Michael Sauka
- Claude Blo
- Adam Bernard Mickiewicz
- Günter Grass
- Herta Müller
- Jean-Paul Sartre
- Frank Zappa
- Saulius Paukštys
- Hajji Seraya Khan Shapshal
- Felix Maleckis
- Witold the Great
- Sigismund II Augustus
- Sigismund III Vasa
- Ladislas IV Vasa
- Costantino Tencalla
- Giovanni Cini
- Bernardino de Gianotis
- Gediminas Baravykas
- Audrius Bučas
- Darius Čaplinksas
- Gintaras Kuginis
- Danutė Gambickaitė
- Kotryna Žukauskaitė
- Lina Rukevičiūte
- Vytautas Michelkevičius
- Ona Lozuraitytė
- Petras Išora
- Darius Žakaitis
- Vilius Kavaliauskas
- Ugnė Bužinskaitė
- Niccolò Lucarelli
Institutions
- UNESCO
- National Gallery of Art (Lithuania)
- MO Museum
- SODAS 2123
- Lithuanian Interdisciplinary Artists' Association
- Rooster Gallery
- Art Brussels
- Art Dubai
- YIA Paris
- ENTER
- CODE
- TAF
- Rupert
- Noewe Foundation
- International Council of Museums (ICOM)
- World Art Foundations
- Medūza
- Open Gallery
- Accademia di Belle Arti (Vilnius)
- University of Vilnius
- Artribune
Locations
- Vilnius
- Lithuania
- Trakai
- Lake Galvė
- Trakai Castle
- Republic of Užupis
- Vilnia River
- Neris River
- Kaunas
- Poland
- Russia
- Germany
- Soviet Union
- Crimea
- Mesopotamia
- Copenhagen
- Denmark
- Montmartre
- Paris
- France
- China
- Tibet