Kulturos barai
Eurozine
Kulturos barai
2009-02-20
Summary for Kulturos barai 2/2009
European Histories. Under this new headline set to anticipate the twenty second Meeting of European cultural journals in Vilnius, Kulturos barai will present reflections on the post-war and post-1989 development in Europe and its collective and cultural memories.
Karl Schlögel
Places and strata of memory. Approaches to Eastern Europe
The idea of 1989 as an annus mirabilis in which everything changed is too crude, writes Karl Schlögel. Rather, it was the result of a long incubation period that took a very different course in each Eastern Bloc country. In a benchmark essay for next year's twentieth anniversary celebrations, Schlögel stresses the entanglements and ambiguities of postwar history and asks whether it is too soon to start talking of a "common European history".
Almantas Samalavicius
Commodity-turned public spaces
The focused is here on the so-called "public spaces" in Vilnius. Samalavicius examines half a dozen squares in the vicinity of the Old Quarters and the city's central area and concludes that they are devoid of any traces of character: some are totally neglected, devastated and turned into wastelands, some used as short-cuts, some are semi-privatized by the adjoining real estate gamblers. There is a danger that places originally designed for public use will very soon become new building sites.
Algimantas Grazulis
The problems of protection of Lithuanian manor-house heritage, their regeneration and integration into life of society
Based on a paper presented at Plunge seminar, "Manor-House Heritage in Lithuania and Poland. The Role of Society: Problems and Challenges".
Vygantas Vareikis
The occupation of Klaipeda region: Documents against myths
The patriotic struggle "to get Klaipeda back" was very strong, many sauliai (national guards) of Lithuania Proper agreed to take part in the perilous march. Thus the idealistic patriotic upheaval "to reopen the window to the wide world" and successful march to Klaipeda entered the historical consciousness of the nation. The reunification of Klaipeda region had a huge impact on the Lithuanian citizen after the loss of the Vilnius region to Poland.
Stasys Eidrigevicius
From Ann Arbor to Miami
Impressions from Art Basel.
Kestutis Sapoka
The Vilnius' Speech
The deceitful ease of Ricardas Bartkevicius painting. The exceptionality of Bartkevicius is expressed in this discussion about his paintings within the Kaunas Ars tradition. He learned under the influence of this tradition, while also "Vilniusite" elements surface. This is of utmost interest -- his language is close to the Kaunas painting tradition, while his speech is "Vilniusite".
Daiva Sabaseviciene
"The Ouzel" -- the beginning of new feeling
Review of the play directed by Jonas Vaitkus "The Ouzel" at the Russian Drama Theatre.
Vlada Kalpokaite
Virus "Cezaris": Finnish symptoms
An overview of the plays "No Return" and "Caligula", directed by Lithuanian director Cezaris Grauzinis at the Finnish theatre "Virus" and staged in Vilnius.
Kestutis Sapoka
The common code or irony of fate
Vilnius -- European Capital of Culture 2009 presents two interesting and provoking exhibitions of art that urge one to rethink some stereotypes of contemporary art. "The Common Code" is a result of cooperation between five continents, ten curators of biennials and a large group of artists, as well as discussions. According to curator Simon Rees, the project attempts to become a "double agent." Some aspects of this institutional game are discussed in the article. Another exhibition close to this project is "Artscape" -- two Finnish artists, Eemil Karila and Aurora Reinhart, and the Lithuanian artist Jurga Barilaite -- are exhibiting in Vartai Gallery.
Ramute Rachleviciute
A modest goal that lead to a revolution in painting
About a group of five painters: Raimundas Slizys, Bronius Grazys, Mindaugas Skudutis, Henrikas Natalevicius and Romanas Vilkauskas, who never wrote manifestos but gave the impetus for change in painting during the Soviet era.
Ramune Marcinkeviciute
About political correctness, sex as fetish and flights without drugs
Impressions from the theatre festival "Divine Comedy" in Krakow (Poland). "I am more and more convinced that Polish theatre has a peculiar mixture of conservative and radical features. I do not insist that each Polish artist thinks about it, but traditions in this country are understood as a genetic fund of national theatre. I do not want to say that each and every play is interesting, devoid of banality, well structured and performed, but signs of disabling are less numerous in Polish theatre than in the Lithuanian one, and the intellectual milieu of theatre is more powerful there", notes the critic.
Almantas Samalavicius
In Malaysia, following in the footsteps of Somerset Maugham (2)
The second part of the travelogue is based on the author's trip to the Malaysian part of Borneo. The names of places sound the same but they are no longer as they were when Somerset Maugham traveled in the region. The author discusses the breath-taking beauty of nature, encounters with friendly people and paradoxes of the tourism industry that can change the whole globe.
From the letters of diplomat Stasys Lozoraitis, written between 1940-1941
Stasys Lozoraitis Senior (1898-1983) was one of the most outstanding diplomats of modern Lithuania. His diplomatic biography is split into two parts -- one covers the time until the state catastrophe of 1940, the second the period after. The letters were written to his colleagues and friends after Lithuania lost its independence. Prepared for publishing by Rimantas Morkvenas.
Edvardas Gudavicius
The other side of Juozas Jurginis
Through the examples of the activities of historian medievalist Juozas Jurginis during the Soviet era, the author demonstrates what it means to provide an education even under surveillance and censorship.
Vincentas Lukosevicius
About "Lithuanianizing" Lithuania and the Union of Lithuanian Business
The second part of the article about the association that existed from 1930-1940. This is the first attempt to cover the history of the activities of this important organization. It raised ambitions of Lithuanian society not to be satisfied with agriculture alone, but also turn to trade in order to strengthen the foundations of Lithuanian city culture.
Andrius Martinkus
Levas Karsavinas and the evolution of Russia's ideas in the philosophy of Eurasia
During the most atrocious historical moments, when geopolitical stereotypes no longer exist, when the ancient regime and la belle epoque is a matter of the past, nations try to understand why they find themselves in such a bewildering atmosphere. The Russian intelligentsia tried to reflect on the fate of its nation after the revolution. The philosophy of Eurasia was one of the answers to this historical challenge. Levas Karsavinas, cultural historian and émigré professor at Kaunas University, was one of the people who contemplated these issues in his correspondence with Eurasians.
Nothing can replace books (8)
An overview of new books from Alma Littera.
Krescencija Surkute
Lighthearted interpellation
Ironical essay on Lithuania's cultural and political life.