2010-06-24
Exhibition of Lithuanian contemporary art has been opened in the European Central Bank
On 23 June, Wednesday, late afternoon, Lithuanian contemporary art exhibition was opened in the premises of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt am Maine. The exhibition displays about 70 works of art created by 21 artists belonging to different generations (paintings, photographs, artistic installations and video films). The exhibition will run until 17 August.
The opening of the exhibition was participated by a number of authors from Lithuania whose works of art were put on the exhibition. They were greeted by the President of the ECB Jean Claude Trichet, Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania Reinoldijus Sarkinas and the Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania in Germany Mindaugas Butkus.
In the catalogue illustrating the works of art staged in the exhibition, the President of the ECB writes: ”This year marks the 16th event in our series of exhibitions entitled "Contemporary art from the Member States of the European Union", which began in 1997. This time, our art exhibition is dedicated to the works of Lithuanian artists.” The President of the ECB thanked the artists for their works of art lent for the exhibition, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Bank of Lithuania, the National Gallery of the Lithuanian Art Museum, and the ECB Art Committee for their valuable cooperation in all the preparatory stages of the exhibition.
“This exhibition creates a unique opportunity to introduce to European audience Lithuania’s contemporary art and its creators, who are highly praised in prestigious galleries - not only in our country, but also abroad. I consider this exhibition in Frankfurt am Main to be a valuable acknowledgement of our artists. This is also a great opportunity to exhibit the fine arts collection of the Bank of Lithuania. Among the sixty works of art presented at the exhibition six paintings come from our collection,” - writes Reinoldijus Sarkinas in the exhibition catalogue.
The collection of arts of the Bank of Lithuania consists of over 130 works of art. It features paintings, pieces of graphic art and sculptures. The Bank of Lithuania started to assemble its art collection in the interwar period of 1922-40. The building of the Bank of Lithuania built in 1928 in Kaunas - the then provisional capital of Lithuania - was decorated with remarkable works of art both on the exterior and the interior. These works are preserved to date - many of them are recognized as cultural valuables protected by the state.
New works of art, including those exposed at the exhibitions held by the Bank of Lithuania, constantly replenish the Bank’s art collection. The Bank of Lithuania has organised unique exhibition series devoted to the theme of money: Money in Painting, Money in Fine Graphics, Money in Caricatures and Money in Photographs. Artists working with different techniques have demonstrated distinctive approaches to this specific object of depiction. Money became inimitable means of artistic expression which enabled the authors to reveal their standpoints, convey their sensations, ideas and original reflections.
The link between art and the Bank of Lithuania is reinforced not only by constantly renewing the art collection and organising various art exhibitions. It also covers publications on art as well as collector (commemorative) coins issued by the Bank of Lithuania, in the production of which we collaborate with most distinguished artists of the country.
The Bank of Lithuania will continue to devote much attention to art and foster fruitful dialogue with the art community.
A few years ago, a number of Lithuanian artists participated in the events commemorating the ten-year anniversary of the ECB and the European System of Central Banks. The Bank of Lithuania also paid its contribution to the arranging of those events.