THE LITHUANIAN SEASON IN FRANCE 2024: A GENERATOR OF NEW AND STRENGTHENED LINKS BETWEEN LITHUANIA AND FRANCE
Today is the closing day of the Lithuanian season in France. The season will close with a concert by drummer, percussionist, composer and visual artist Vladimir Tarasov at the Palays de Tokyo Museum of Modern Art in Paris, as well as the international imagination forum “After the End”, curated by philosopher Kristupas Sabolius. It brings together researchers from Ukraine, Brazil, France, Algeria and other countries, as well as historian Marija Drėmaitė and artists and curators Nomeda and Gediminas Urbonas.
“We are closing a Season that has been a great generator of new and strengthened old ties between Lithuania and France. When I opened the Season in France, I said that this is the first time in the history of independent Lithuania that we are presenting ourselves on such a scale in another country. So now I can say that it has paid off – we have received feedback from the artists, creators and the public that the French audience is interested in us historically, culturally, geopolitically, socio-culturally; they were impressed with the content, depth and the non-superficiality of the programme, and those who want to continue the cooperation are making new plans,” said the Commissioner of the Season Virginija Vitkienė.
After the end of the Lithuanian season in France, collaborative projects between the National Museum of Lithuania and various French art institutions are already underway; the MO Museum and the Pompidou National Centre for Art and Culture will hold a joint exhibition in 2028; and an exhibition of works by Lithuanian artists created during the Kaunas Biennial, the Lyon Biennial, and the Biennale du Chroniques is already planned for next year.
According to Julija Reklaitė, Head of the Lithuanian Culture Institute, the Season has shown more diversity and broadened mutual understanding, and the meetings with French cultural professionals have been about energy, new ideas, and the dynamism of our scene.
“The legacy of the season is a number of long-term projects, especially in memory institutions. I am pleased that work on memory and identity will continue. It will be important to continue research, to fund deeper knowledge of both countries. I will be very happy to see more art from Lithuania on the radar of French curators, to be included in group exhibitions, planned programmes, performing arts or film festivals, not for special occasions, but for the broader and deeper knowledge that the Season has provided. France was often unfamiliar territory for Lithuanian artists, as it is a very culturally rich and challenging “market”, and many of them tested how to work with institutions and how our work is received by the public. Equally important is the reflection of each project, because showing each work in a new context encourages the authors to look at their work in a new way, offers new directions, new acquaintances, and this is extremely important,” said Reklaitė.
The Lithuanian season in France, which opened on 12 September with the slogan “Se voir en l’autre” and an invitation to see the other in oneself, ran until 12 December.
The season in France saw a total of nearly 300 exhibitions by Lithuanian artists and creators, the participation of over 500 artists, performers and other cultural actors, and more than 130 bilateral cultural partnerships. Events took place in more than 80 French cities and towns.
The Lithuanian Season in France was implemented by the Lithuanian Culture Institute and the French Institute in Paris.