Capturing a unique heritage

VILNIUS - The process of art has many faces and can be a creation involving multiple pathways for different occasions; the goal is always to appeal to people’s senses and emotions, to move something inside of people and make them consider. Communication is the keyword in the field of aesthetics and the philosophy of art, and communication makes people interpret art through discourse and individual understanding. The question of what art is can be reflected on in countless ways, but most importantly art should stimulate your thoughts and feelings and give inspiration for your own creations. Art tells stories of human creativity and helps describe how societies develop.

If you are a culturally and historically interested person and happen to find yourself in Vilnius one of these days, you should do yourself a favor and pay a visit to the Museum of Applied Arts. The Museum of Applied Arts is a branch of the National Museum of Lithuania, and it is situated in the famous Old Arsenal of the ancient Vilnius Castle Complex. The museum currently runs an exclusive exhibition entitled ‘Baltic Art,’ offering an extraordinary and, up until now, never seen experience to visitors.

This comprehensive exhibition is part of the ‘Project of the Millennium of Lithuania,’ and is under the patronage of Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius. It carries an overall aim to commemorate and revive Baltic art, history and culture, in this process encouraging new artists to find fresh inspiration and creativity in their own works. The project focuses on the early beginnings of Baltic culture and art, while also explaining how other European influences have been affecting artistic development in the Baltic region. It is obviously difficult to give a thorough and nationwide coverage of what ‘Baltic art’ is, but this project tries to give an overall and yet detailed representation. It is a major program involving partner museums from Latvia, Poland and Germany, and with fantastic effort and goodwill the project has now been brought to life in Vilnius.

The exhibition was initiated and realized by fiery souls from the Vilnius Academy of Arts, and what they have in mind is a serious proposition: over 700 samples of artwork and handicraft, some of it dating back almost two millennia, is put on display in 300 square meters within the Old Arsenal. Jewelry, pins, brooches, archeological findings of decorated pitchers, tiles and architectural details, early coats of arms, heraldic symbols, paintings portraying the Grand Dukes of the medieval Lithuanian-Polish heyday, installations of the artifacts and belongings of the nobility, and more. Also, there is a large collection of findings of amber in one of the rooms; the tradition of amber in the Baltic region is long and unique and dates back to the Stone Age.

Today, amber is unmistakably linked to Baltic national culture and identity, making the exhibition even more interesting and relevant. Very special is the section presenting samples of jewelry worn by the nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 13th -15th centuries. In this darkened subdivision of the museum, you will experience a unique presentation worth a king’s ransom of ancient jewelry, combined with modern visuals of touch-screen information about the exhibition, and a cinema-sized screen displaying young Lithuanian girls singing folk songs and dancing around an enormous midsummer bonfire, demonstrating national costume and folklore. 

It’s an amazing design and something you have to see for yourself to understand fully. On the second floor of the building you’ll find works of art from western European 18th and 19th century artists. You’ll see huge floor-to-ceiling woolen embroideries depicting historical and political events, a comprehensive collection of oil paintings with mainly biblical motives, Victorian era joinery and much more. Most impressive is undoubtedly the painting “The Union of Lublin,” by Polish artist Jan Matejko. This enormous painting vividly and dramatically illustrates the characters and noble rulers negotiating the treaty that, in 1569, created a single Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth. 

To make all of this complete, there is a final section offering an overwhelming compilation of literature by writers of Lithuanian and Baltic history and culture, plus numerous pieces of souvenirs for the curious buyer. All in all, this peculiar exhibition of both Baltic and international samples of art is an absolute must-see if you’re in Vilnius and planning to visit a museum. You will literally be walking through thousands of years of history, and it’s an awe-inspiring feeling to study this precious and priceless collection.