{"id":97803,"date":"2021-11-18T15:18:29","date_gmt":"2021-11-18T13:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kaunas2022.eu\/?p=97803"},"modified":"2022-02-09T11:49:17","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T11:49:17","slug":"kaunas-as-an-international-meeting-point-the-star-studded-program-of-the-european-capital-of-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kaunas2022.eu\/en\/2021\/11\/18\/kaunas-as-an-international-meeting-point-the-star-studded-program-of-the-european-capital-of-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaunas as an International Meeting Point: The Star-studded Program of the European Capital of Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

The international ties between Kaunas and the world intensified right after announcing the city would become the European Capital of Culture in 2022. No wonder it will be the year of numerous dream-come-true moments for art producers, directors and cultural operators \u2013 as well as the year of discovering Kaunas, the contemporary capital, for quality-seeking culture lovers from all over the continent and beyond.
\nEven though the programme of Kaunas 2022 is prepared by thousands of local artists and residents and is firstly and foremostly dedicated to them, it\u2019s the globally renowned names that create and emphasise the value of the ambitious long-running project.
\nFor some of the world\u2019s finest artists, the title of European Capital of Culture will become the reason to visit the homeland of their ancestors. The visits of others will become the final touch of years of collaborations and partnerships. One thing is for sure \u2013 everyone will want to be in Kaunas, the epicentre of European culture, in 2022. Everyone from the international theatre superstar Robert Wilson to the performance art prodigy Marina Abramovi\u0107.
\nTo Heal From What we do not Remember <\/strong>
\nBy far, the best-known contemporary art name in the exhibition map of Kaunas 2022 is William Kentridge (b. 1955, SA), whose work will, for the first time in history, be shown in Kaunas, the place where the roots of his family are. The artist, an honest and painfully candid humanist whose exhibitions are demanded by the best galleries in the world, grew up in Johannesburg, a city full of contrasts between stunning nature and industrial landscape. His works are saturated with difficult topics, including human rights, racial and financial inequality, revolutions and inconvenient t\u00eate-\u00e0-t\u00eates between upstanding ideas and shameful everyday life.<\/p>\n

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William Kentridge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The curator of the exhibition That Which We Do Not Remember <\/em>at the M. K. \u010ciurlionis National Museum is Virginija Vitkien\u0117, head of Kaunas 2022. She recalls that back in 2016, when she first started inviting Kentridge to Kaunas, she knew well that he had a moral right to refuse to come to a country from which his grandfathers and great-grandfathers fled in the 19th century \u2013 and this helped them to avoid the tragic events of the WW2. \u2018I hoped him agreeing to participate would help the much-needed process of reclaiming our memory and helping us to heal from what we do not remember,\u2019 V. Vitkien\u0117 says, adding that the artist accepted the invitation with his signature energy. Together with his signature pieces, such as Refusal of Time<\/em>, Drawing Lessons<\/em> and Drawings for Projections<\/em>, Kentridge created a series of bird drawings especially for Kaunas and an installation You Who Never Arrived<\/em> in the auditorium of the museum.<\/p>\n

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“The Refusal of Time”, Photo by: Niels Fabaek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018I wish the spectators experience the exhibition as a conscious effort to remember as if it was the only honest way to live and coexist. I invite everyone to reflect both global and personal memory gaps with the artist,\u2019 says the curator. The exhibition That Which We Do Not Remember<\/em> will run from January 22 to November 30.
\nInternational Winds of Theatre<\/strong>
\n\u201cNational Kaunas Drama Theatre is one of the greatest partners of Kaunas 2022, carrying a huge load of our programme and organising truly impressive premieres with the most famous European and Lithuanian directors. This perfectly illustrates the fact that Kaunas is becoming one big European stage,\u201d noted the head of Kaunas 2022 programme Ana Ko\u010degarova\u2013Maj at the end of the summer during the launch of the 102nd season of the theatre. She did not exaggerate, as the \u200b\u200bsolid, long-matured creative collaborations with artists from Germany, Canada, Hungary, Norway, Luxembourg, the United States, Georgia, and Latvia will finally become eight impressive premieres digging into universal topics.
\nOne of the most significant events in the history of Lithuania\u2019s oldest theatre and one of the biggest mysteries so far is Dorian<\/em>, a performance directed by the American theatre magician Robert Wilson. He has already cast two Lithuanian actors for what was supposed to be a solo performance. Dorian\u2019s<\/em> premiere will take place in Autumn 2022.<\/p>\n

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Dorian. Photo by: John Deakin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Finally, in Kaunas!<\/strong>
\n\u2018Finally\u2019 was most definitely the first word spoken by the team of Meno Parkas gallery after finally securing the most ambitious event in its history, as well as the term used to illustrate the expression by the spectators of Kaunas 2022 program announcement.
\n2022 will present a unique opportunity to see Memory of Being<\/em>, a solo exhibition by Marina Abramovi\u0107, one of the world\u2019s most renowned artists. This and the artist\u2019s visit on April 1 will be one of the programme\u2019s most significant events.<\/p>\n

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Marina Abramovic, Photo by: Marco Anelli<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The exhibition is based on Abramovi\u0107\u2019s series The Cleaner<\/em>, which began at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm in 2017. The show provides a detailed presentation of the essential stages of Marina’s work since the 1960s. It will feature video documentations of her interviews and most famous works, as well as the artist\u2019s best-known video installations.
\nThis impressive project was made possible through the partnership of Meno Parkas with the Centre for Contemporary Art Znaki Czasu in Toru\u0144, the Marina Abramovi\u0107 Institute, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade and the Moderna Museet in Stockholm.
\nIt\u2019s pretty symbolic that the art of Yoko Ono will be visiting Kaunas, the native city of her friend George Maciunas. The Learning Garden of Freedom i<\/em>s a retrospective exhibition of the nonconformist artist\u2019s work and is the result of a collaboration between the artist\u2019s Studio One in New York and the Kaunas Picture Gallery located not far from George Maciunas\u2019 childhood home. The exhibition in Kaunas is presented by Contemporary Art Centre (curator: Jonas Hendricks (US)).In Autumn 2022, the exhibition will feature numerous works by Yoko Ono spanning different creative periods and practices: from conceptual art and experimental film to spatial installations, objects, word pieces, and performance art.
\nAlso, the famous installation Exit It<\/em> by Yoko Ono will be exhibited in the building of the Bank of Lithuania from January to September.<\/p>\n

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Yoko Ono, Photo by: Bjarke Orsted<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Global Music Programme With Lithuanian Touches<\/strong>
\nThe title of Kaunas 2022 has proved to be a great tool to invite the globally renowned Lithuanian artists to come back to their homeland with exceptional performances.
\nMirga Gra\u017einyt\u0117-Tyla, often recognised as the best female conductor in the world and leader of the finest orchestras around the globe, is one of such names. On September 2, Gra\u017einyt\u0117-Tyla will conduct the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, the Kaunas State Choir, Katowice City Vocal Ensemble and Aidija Chamber Choir at the Pa\u017eaislis Monastery, considered a Baroque pearl. In addition to Maurice Ravel\u2019s Piano Concerto in G major, the concert will culminate in a truly singular event: the world premiere performance of the Ninth Symphony by Mieczys\u0142aw Weinberg, one of Poland\u2019s most intriguing 20th-century composers.
\nOn October 9, an exclusive concert by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Great Britain) will be held at the historic Kaunas Sports Hall.\u00a0 Together with the Kaunas State Choir, the orchestra will perform Ludwig van Beethoven\u2019s Choral Fantasy, Op. 80, the predecessor to the famous Ode to Joy, the anthem of the European Union, presenting audiences with the gift of joyful emotion.
\nThere\u2019s more! On October 30, Requiem, the Grammy-winning composition by one of the world\u2019s most famous contemporary composers, Andrew Lloyd Webber, will be performed for the first time in Lithuania \u2014 of course, the event will be held at the region\u2019s biggest \u017dalgirio arena.
\nThe work will be presented by the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra and an array of world-famous performers and soloists, including the Kaunas State Choir, the Dagil\u0117lis Boys and the Youth Choir, soprano Lina Dambrauskait\u0117, tenor Edgaras Montvidas, and conducted by Constantine Orbelian.<\/p>\n

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Mirga Gra\u017einyte-Tyla, Photo by: Frans Jansen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Coming Home<\/strong>
\nMemory Office, one of the critical branches of the Kaunas 2022 programme, is focused on rediscovering the multicultural face of Kaunas. In 2022, it will reach its peak at the World Litvak Forum, where Litvaks scattered throughout the world to return, even if only briefly, to their ancestral land and gather together. Over several days, this event will feature a rich cultural programme and discussions with renowned artists, academics, and representatives of the artistic world.
\nThe final touch of the forum will be the premiere of Kaunas Cantat<\/em>a, specially composed by Philip Miller (South Africa), an artist with roots in Lithuania. He collaborates with artist Jenny Kagan (Great Britain), whose parents once fell in love in the Kaunas Ghetto, and local musicians. The work is an inclusive musical experience, calling listeners to immerse themselves in the city\u2019s past. Kagan will also present a solo exhibition in Kaunas, focusing on her family\u2019s history.
\nIt\u2019s important to stress that each branch of Kaunas 2022 has its own superstars, some of whom are still on their way to international fame \u2013 and, what is even more significant is Kaunas and Kaunas District as one big European stage, will most definitely become their trampoline.<\/p>\n

In 2022, culture will be inescapable<\/strong>. From cosy rendezvous under verdant trees to massive spine-tingling events, from installations to world-class performances, from theatrical tours to design workshops. Kaunas 2022 encompasses over 1000<\/strong> events! More than 40<\/strong> festivals, 60<\/strong> exhibitions, 250<\/strong> performing arts events (of which more than 50 are premieres), and over 250<\/strong> concerts are planned to take place in 2022. All this is delivered by Kaunas 2022\u2019s team of 500<\/strong> people, alongside 80<\/strong> local and 150<\/strong> foreign partners. 141<\/strong> cities in Lithuania and the world, 2<\/strong>,000<\/strong> artists, 80<\/strong> communities, and 1,000<\/strong> great volunteers.<\/p>\n

Fulll programme<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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