2025-02-13
For the very first time, Lietuvos bankas provides the public with the opportunity to see the most valuable pieces from its art collection. The exhibition “Unveiled: The Art Collection of Lietuvos bankas” hosted by the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania will be displayed until 18 May.
“We aim to shed light on a lesser-known side of the activities of Lietuvos bankas: its contribution to fostering culture and art. The art collection amassed by Lietuvos bankas is little known, let alone seen,” claims Gediminas Šimkus, Chair of the Board of Lietuvos bankas.
He points out that the art collection of Lietuvos bankas dates back nearly 100 years. The building of the collection follows the tradition upheld by many European central banks: the works of art are obtained to decorate a bank’s meeting rooms, office and other spaces, and create an aesthetic environment.
“We do not have the opportunity to transform the premises of Lietuvos bankas into an open gallery, so I invite you to visit this exceptional exhibition, where culture and the history of the bank merge together,” says Šimkus.
The exhibition displays the best works of interwar and contemporary Lithuanian artists, such as Petras Rimša, Antanas Žmuidzinavičius, Justinas Vienožinskis, Augustinas Savickas, Jonas Švažas, Adomas Galdikas, Juozas Mikėnas, Dalia Kasčiūnaitė and others. The history of some of the works goes back to the construction of Lietuvos bankas’ building in Kaunas in the 1920s. The Lithuanian art elite of the time also contributed to the decoration of the building; their works were purchased from survey and solo exhibitions.
After the re-establishment of Lithuania’s independence, Lietuvos bankas acquired around 100 paintings, graphic prints, pieces of sculpture, textile, ceramics, and assemblages.
The present-day art collection of Lietuvos bankas totals nearly 200 works, making it the largest among the Baltic central banks. The best specimen from the collection are presented in exhibitions, such as international exhibitions organised by the European Central Bank.
The exhibition is organised by the Money Museum of Lietuvos bankas and the Museum of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. The exhibition is curated by the art critic Dr Viktoras Liutkus and coordinated by Asta Ravaitytė-Kučinskienė. Povilas Vincentas Jankūnas is the architect of the exhibition. LRT is the media partner for the exhibition.