Vilnius – the cultural melting pot | Contemporary Lynx - print and online magazine on art & visual culture

700 years ago, Vilnius was mentioned for the first time in historical written sources. Its history, social structure, population of the city, architecture and urban planning have been marked by its proximity to the Baltic Sea and the geographic, climatic, and political conditions, including successive wars and occupations. The year-long celebration of the anniversary is accompanied by events both in Lithuania and in the neighbouring countries, including partner institutions. One suggestion for exploring one’s knowledge of this forest-drenched capital is the exhibition “Wilno, Vilnius, Vilne 1918–1948. One City – Many Stories“, which is on display at the National Museum in Kraków until the 3rd of September 2023. It shows how artists of the then multi-ethnic and multi-cultural Vilnius perceived their city. Before our eyes, the exhibition unfolds a narrative about the cultural melting pot that was jointly shaped by Lithuanian, Polish, Jewish and Belarusian artists, among others.

The exhibition presents the works of Vilnius artists which are stored in Polish and Lithuanian cultural heritage institutions: Jan Bułhak, Vladas Drėma, Antanas Gudaitis, Hadassa Gurewicz-Grodzka, Jerzy Hoppen, Józef Horyd, Bronisław Jamontt, Vytautas Kairiūkštis, Joanna Karpińska, Bencion Michtom, Juozas Mikėnas, Hanna Milewska, Algirdas Petrulis, Zbigniew Pronaszko, Michał Rouba, Ferdynand Ruszczyc, Ludomir Sleńdziński, Władysław Strzemiński, Adomas Varnas, Moї Ver (Moshé Raviv-Vorobeichic), Andrzej Wróblewski.

"Wilno, Vilnius, Vilne 1918-1948: One City - Many Stories" exhibition, National Museum in Cracow, photo by Gregory Michenaud — “Wilno, Vilnius, Vilne 1918-1948: One City – Many Stories” exhibition, National Museum in Cracow, photo by Gregory Michenaud

Bronisław Jamontt (1886-1957), Landscape - sketch for a tapestry, tempera on paper, 1923, Lithuanian National Museum of Art — Bronisław Jamontt (1886-1957), Landscape – sketch for a tapestry, tempera on paper, 1923, Lithuanian National Museum of Art

“Wilno, Vilnius, Vilne 1918-1948: One City – Many Stories” exhibition, National Museum in Cracow, photo by Gregory Michenaud
“Wilno, Vilnius, Vilne 1918-1948: One City – Many Stories” exhibition, National Museum in Cracow, photo by Gregory Michenaud
“Wilno, Vilnius, Vilne 1918-1948: One City – Many Stories” exhibition, National Museum in Cracow, photo by Gregory Michenaud
“Wilno, Vilnius, Vilne 1918-1948: One City – Many Stories” exhibition, National Museum in Cracow, photo by Gregory Michenaud

Leon Kosmulski, Landscape with figures (diploma work), olej on canvas, 1936, Museum of Vilnius Academy of Arts

Adomas Varnas (1879-1979), Autumn Clearing. St. Jacob's Church in Vilnius, olej on canvas, 1919, M.K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art. — Adomas Varnas (1879-1979), Autumn Clearing. St. Jacob’s Church in Vilnius, olej on canvas, 1919, M.K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art.

Janina Dłuska, Design of the title card of the magazine "Bluszcz", watercolour, gouache, until 1931, The National Museum in Krakow — Janina Dłuska, Design of the title card of the magazine “Bluszcz”, watercolour, gouache, until 1931, The National Museum in Krakow

Vytautas Kairiūkštis , Suprematist compositio, oil on canvas, Lithuanian National Museum of Art.
Ludomir Sleńdziński , Papergirl (Girl with newspapers), oil on canvas, 1929, Silesian Museum in Katowice
Petras Rimša, Poster: “Vaduokime Vilnių! Naikinkime siurbelę – Varšuvos parazitą! Lietuvos šaulių sąjungos rinkliava 1924 m.”, print, paper, 1924, M.K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art

Vilnius – the cultural melting pot One City – Many Stories

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