“A WORLD WITHOUT ČIURLIONIS. Valkyrie/Vilks/Motulė” – Exhibition Opening
On September 22 at 18:00, on the occasion of M. K. Čiurlionis’ birthday, we invite you to the opening of an exhibition at the Čiurlionis House in Vilnius, dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the composer and painter’s sister, Valerija Čiurlionytė-Karužienė.
Čiurlionis’ works of art form part of Lithuania’s cultural golden treasury, and following the worldwide commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the artist and composer’s birth, we can see that Čiurlionis’ work is becoming an important spiritual phenomenon for the entire cultural world. Today, it is difficult even to imagine what the world might look like without Čiurlionis’ work. However, between 1914 and 1953, the paintings of the great Lithuanian genius could have been lost on at least four occasions. Remarkably, all four times, the artist’s sister Valerija played a very important role in saving Čiurlionis’ artistic legacy.
The exhibition – a gift for Čiurlionis’ birthday – lifts the veil on half a century of Lithuanian history filled with wars, occupations and political dramas. Amid these turbulent times, Valerija Čiurlionytė-Karužienė, called Valkyrie by her eldest brother, signing her letters as Vilks, and referred to as Motulė in the final years of her life, devoted herself selflessly and sacrificially to accomplishing extraordinary feats, regardless of the circumstances, so that today we can admire the work of M. K. Čiurlionis.
The exhibition was created by film director and poet Romas Lileikis, with Giedrius Laurušas as the exhibition designer. Special thanks go to Valerija Čiurlionytė’s grandson Kąstis Zakis, who allowed the use of historical documents that have never before been publicly exhibited, as well as family materials preserved in his personal archive.
During the opening, visitors will have the opportunity to meet the exhibition’s creators, learn about the behind-the-scenes process of creating the exhibition and its visual concept, and hear about the historical circumstances that could have resulted in the loss of Čiurlionis’ work.
The opening will also feature a new adaptation of M. K. Čiurlionis’ symphonic poem “In the Forest” for violin and piano, presented by the violinist and composer Mihkel Kerem (United Kingdom / Estonia), who prepared the adaptation, and pianist Rokas Zubovas.
Exhibition creator Romas Lileikis summarises:
“Amid the whirlwinds of history, Čiurlionis’ works could have disappeared. They had to be protected, sometimes even through drastic, decisive actions. Anything could have led to their destruction: negligence, foreign aggression, fear born under the grip of ideologies. Courage, strength and determination were needed to preserve his brother’s legacy and restore the Čiurlionis family home.”
Admission is free.
