Kulturos baraiEurozineKulturos barai2013-01-08Summary for Kulturos barai 12/2012About theology, philosophy, city and other creations that do not love us
Conversation with philosopher, poet Steven Schroeder and writer and minister David Breeden conducted by Almantas Samalavicius
"When I look out of my kitchen window, I see a cathedral named Rockfeller across the street from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business (designed in part to mirror the cathedral) and across from the Milton Friedman Institute [...] So every morning over coffee I am reminded of the power of business and of economics as a discipline. Economists are the scholastic theologians of our day..." says Schroeder. "Wealth is and always has been the chief religion of human beings. Wealth is the most timeless truth from that perspective. The prophets, poets, artists who propose other truths will even have an uphill slog" -- concludes David Breeden, who however acknowledges that his position as universalist minister gives him more opportunities to reach people that one of academic or poet.Goals of bio-regional economics: Land: Freedom and happiness
Green economist professor Molly Scott Cato talks to Almantas Samalavicius
"I see my role as imagining ideal futures: since human culture is plastic belief in the possibility of something different is the vital first stage in making it possible. Human beings have lived for thousand of years in balance with nature and meeting their needs from the local land. It is the industrial market system that has destroyed this balanced relationship. So which is more fanciful: believing in the magic of the market or the possibility of local resilient economies", - asks Cato.Egle Wittig-Marcinkeviciute
Symbolic cleaning-up: why even "wolves of the revolution" are against it
With a post-script to Arvydas Juozaitis. Community that refuses to clean itself up, starts to count time in a wrong direction. It is possible that some day some writer equaling Bertold Brecht in talent will write a didactic volume (Lehrstück) titled "The Ascent and Fall of a Beautiful State Lithuania" -- a moralizing satire informing other societies that have traumatic experience not to follow the Lithuanian example -- a state that had enough power to stand against the empire but failed to confront its own past.Movement is the only form
Theatre critic Ruta Mazeikiene interviews choreographer Birute Letukaite
This year Kaunas dance teatre Aura celebrates its jubillee -- thirty years of existence. The theatre was born in 1982 when Letukaite's dance group had its first concert in Kaunas city. Its anniversary program provides an overview of its activities.Kestutis Sapoka
How to catch the soul of the mob?
Three exhibitions in National Art Gallery: exhibition "Crowds" overviewing Lithuanian art from the XIXth century until present, exhibition Photos of Ilya Fisheris of 1946-1953, provide a different images of the crowd and its relation to social processes, meanwhile international exhibition "About Passers-by and Neibhors" shows artists intervention into social life during 1970-1990.Kestutis Sapoka
All this is no dream
An exhibition dedicated to Jonas and Adolfas Mekas in Vilnius JMVMC. A review of the exhibitions that symbolically ends the year in Jonas Mekas visual arts centre -- one is made up to commemorate 90th anniversary of Jonas Mekas and another -- to show the life and works of his brother Adolfas (1925-2011).Monika Meilutyte
How many steps from Vilnius to Avignon
Varena is a small town. When you get out of the train its about two kilometres walk alog its main raod to reach its outskirts. A festival is arranged here? It sounds like utopija, yet it is true and the teatre festival is becoming more and more important, however, what identity it contains.Edita Degutiene
Idealist that truly cares for society
Phenomenon of Antanas Mockus. Perhaps Columbian Lithuanian Antanas Mockus should not go back to politics -- as far he proved aleady that he is an inspiring example to mayors worldwide and politicians in general all over the world. To this very day he is considered an idealist who proved that it is possible to change society if politician acts with a true care for his or her society and one can do more than traditional politics choosing this way.Maria Teresa Gimenez Barbat
Erotic capital
This year a translation was Publisher in Spain -- a new book by professor of London School of Economics Caterine Hakim, titled Erotic Capital. The Secret of Success (Debate, 2012) -- the author openly defends the value of female sexuality in their young days. She especially stresses its economic value. Hakim, however, disvalues human relations. I don't believe that to use men's needs is a good idea. Though sociologist is right when she claims that men had always to pay for sex: either with money, or marriage, respects, longitudinal relations, providing everything children need, however what she advocates could harm essential differences between priorities of happy couples, their family life and social welfare.Bela Nove
The orphans of '56 - 56 years after
Testimonies of Minor Hungarian Refugees. In late 1956 and early 1957, after the second Soviet invasion, some two hundred-thousand refugees fled Hungary, including an estimated 20,000 teenagers, who left without parents or adult escort. These minors, as members of a "wartime generation" born mostly in the period 1939-1944, had had to experience many kinds of misery, losses and violence from their early childhood. Among them there could be equally found children adopted or brought up in state orphanages, a great number of industrial apprentices, and peasant children from the poorest families or Budapest grammar school pupils with an intellectual, and -- before 1945 -- a middle or upper class family background. In the autumn of 1956 many of them took an enthusiastic part in the revolutionary demonstrations and the street fights against the Soviet tanks as well as against the communist state security forces. Their fate, after having escaped to the West, followed many different paths. Continued from issue 11.Odeta Zukauskiene
Footprints of Litvaks in Paris: A new glimpse at Soutine's art
As far as anniversary of Chaime Soutine (1893-1943) is approaching, Musee de l'Orangerie organized his exhibition titled Chaime Soutine: Harmony of Chaos that is accompanied by several publications about his creative journey that started in Litvak-Lithuania. The author also overviews the book of Xavier Girard Soutine (2012).Almantas Samalavicius
Stones of Isaan. Footprints of Khmer culture in northeastern Siam
The author provides his insights and impressions about khmer architectural heritage in Isaan -- a part of Thailand that is, perhaps fortunately, least affected by the devastating industry of global tourism that is destroying authenticity of cultures and offering local cultures for sale. Remnants of khmer legacy visible in Prasat Mueng Tam, Prasat Phanom Rung and Prasat Phimai -- are witnesses of Cambodian architectural genius in this part of Siamese kingdom.Astrida Petraityte
January 1923, French are still in Klaipeda's region...
We should not forgety the anniversary to be commmorated on January 15 -- when ninety years ago Lithuanian Republic organized an uprising in Klaipeda region. There are no more secrets about the action and we know that it was started by Lithuanian government supported by a few local people who aimed to liberate the region from French protection of Versailles Treaty.