On Friday, June 13, 2025, at 5:00 PM, the 64th annual exhibition of Šiauliai artists, titled "Šiauliai Art", organized by the Šiauliai branch of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association (LDS), will open at the Šiauliai Art Gallery.
The exhibition will run until July 6.
TO REMAIN IN TRADITION AND TO BE RELEVANT
The visual arts scene in the city and region of Šiauliai is in constant motion. It is a multidirectional process. Established traditions and outgoing artists are being replaced by new directions and young, ambitious creators. Active, innovative artistic centers are emerging, such as the independent project space Garažas or the art space within the Šiaulių kraštas editorial office.
The visual arts life in Šiauliai and its region is an ongoing, dynamic process. Prevailing traditions and creative tendencies give way to new ones; artists who are leaving the stage are replaced by young, ambitious talents searching for new opportunities. Innovative artistic hubs are forming: the independent art space Garažas, and collectives of artists at Šiaulių kraštas editorial office, among others.
Artists are offering workshops in their studios for those interested in exploring the secrets of creation. Thematic art education is organized by various institutions and public organizations. Almost every year, new members apply to join the Lithuanian Artists’ Association’s Šiauliai Branch. The Šiauliai Art School and the Saulius Sondeckis Gymnasium of Arts nurture the city’s emerging bohemian youth. This diverse activity helps to compensate for the closure of the university's Faculty of Arts, replacing its artistic context with new traditions. The visual art scene is also enriched by young artists returning from abroad. Each of their contributions is vital to the city’s cultural life. The Šiauliai Branch of the Lithuanian Artists’ Association is now led by an active and talented media artist, Tomas Andrijauskas—an important sign of change to come. A new artistic synergy is emerging, one that increasingly reveals fresh perspectives in visual art and promising paths for continuity.
Once a year, this ongoing process pauses as all participants in the art field are invited to collective reflection, personal assessment, and a communal moment of checking in with one another.
This pause is the annual Šiauliai City and Region Visual Art Exhibition, now in its 64th edition. First and foremost, it is a celebratory summer event, a time for encounters and the anticipation of the unexpected.
The festive spirit is born from tradition. This exhibition is rich with familiar artists, recognizable iconographic motifs, harmonious color palettes, and sculptural forms. From Antanas Šeronas’ impressionistic shimmering brushwork to the almost forgotten, chamber-like verticals of polished wood by Petras Rakštikas. For 64 years, this annual exhibition has brought together the city’s community and its artists, juxtaposing, overlapping, and generating tension between a multitude of diverse artworks. Some are metaphysically detached from current affairs, such as Žaneta Jasaitytė’s graphic color analytics or the underground surrealism of Gabija Korsakaitė. Others grapple with the tragedies of the present—raining down a brutal storm of rockets, as seen in Arūnas Uogintas’ monumental graphic works and dramatic reed sculptures.
Fascinated by Elon Musk’s fascist-like gesture, Egidijus Godliauskas captures the spirit of a turbulent era in painterly abstraction. Jonas Vaitkevičius’ sheep, stacked in a pyramid, evoke the mindless conformity of mass society, while Kazimieras Bimba’s Altar powerfully expresses the dialectic between the abyss of death and the hope of resurrection. These are works immersed in contemporary states of being. Yet some remain watchful and alert—like Dainius Trumpis’ sharp steel composition disguised by minimalist color, or Bronius Rudys’ installations echoing the rhythm of gravestones.
This year’s exhibition features a wide range of graphic works, intriguing debuts, and an abundance of dreamy brushstrokes in painting. However, it also feels the absence of many faces of the city’s artistic past—artists who are no longer with us. Their unforgettable iconography lives on only in memory. After all, this exhibition has now been held for 64 years. That is indeed a long and rich history of the city’s visual arts, lives, and destinies.
– Art critic Virginijus Kinčinaitis
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Dear visitors, by attending the exhibition openings, you acknowledge and agree that the events may be filmed or photographed, and the images may be published on the Šiauliai Art Gallery website, in the media, or on social media platforms.
