9 April 2025

From the photographer’s point of view: from the photo archive of Vilius Jasinevičius

Vilius Jasinevičius was born on 26 February 1933 in Javolinė, Rokiškis district. In 1952–1955 he studied electrical engineering at Kaunas Polytechnic Institute. From 1970 to 1978, he worked as a professional photographer at the Museum of Folklore and the Institute of Monument Conservation. For thirteen years (1964–1977), he led the Kaunas Photo Club on a public basis, without receiving a salary. He published nine illustrated exhibition catalogues on behalf of the Kaunas Photo Club.

Together with others, he founded the Lithuanian Photographic Art Society in 1969. He was a member of its founding initiative group, and later became deputy chairperson of the organizing committee. For three years, he served as the chairperson of the Kaunas branch of the Photographic Art Society, founded in 1971, while also leading the photography club. From 1978 to 1996, he worked in Vilnius at the Photographic Art Society (later renamed the Lithuanian Photographers Association). He held the positions of Deputy Chairman, Executive Secretary of the Presidium of the Board, and Director of the Union Fund. Already in retirement, he worked as a photographer at the Martynbas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania (1997–2000).

V. Jasinevičius has been a member of the Lithuanian Union of Photographers since 1970. Honorary member since 1993.

About V. Jasinevičius’ photography

Vilius Jasinevičius is primarily a representative of documentary, reportage photography. The photographer’s gaze was mostly focused on everyday life, people, and their faces. The strongest creative impulse for V. Jasinevičius’ photography was given by the events of the National revival and the beginning of Independence. The processes of regaining the nation’s freedom and liberation strongly resonated with V. Jasinevičius’ own worldview, therefore, capturing the historical and political processes of that time in Lithuania, while simultaneously being an integral part of those processes, within them, became an ethical and at the same time social obligation for the photographer.Therefore, the photography cycles “Revival” (1987‒1990) and “January 1991 Events” (1991) should be considered the most outstanding photography cycles of V. Jasinevičius, without which the history of Lithuanian documentary-reportage photography, as well as the history of the crucial period for Lithuania, is inconceivable.

Exhibition idea and structure

At the beginning of 2025, V. Jasinevičius donated a collection of about 300 negative film strips to the National Library. It contains carefully captured several years of the life of the National Library, official events, and exhibition openings. This became an excuse to show some of the photographs from the collection, and at the same time to introduce a wider spectrum of V. Jasinevičius’ photography.

The exhibition consists of three segments. The first segment consists of V. Jasinevičius’s most characteristic photographs of the Soviet period (1966–1978). The second one would be represented by photographs from the Renaissance and Independence periods. It symbolically recounts the historical and political genesis, starting with the commemoration of the anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact organized by the Reform Movement Sąjūdis on 23 August 1988, in Vingis Park, the January events and subsequent events, the visit of Pope John Paul II... and ending with the 1995 rally near the Seimas, condemning the policies of the then rulers. Both of these segments of photographs in the exhibition are like comments on the photographer’s own life and historical testimonies at the same time.

Between these segments, the (most extensive) segment is inserted, which is directly related to the National Library. These are fragments of the life and activities of the National Library captured by V. Jasinevičius in 1997–2000.

The exhibition will be open to library visitors from 14 April 2025 to 9 June 2025 in the Education Lab-Laimė Lukošiūnienė Hall, (5^th floor).

Exhibition curator – Kęstutis Šapoka

Designers ‒ Akvilė Paukštytė, Jokūbas Zovė

Installation team – Algirdas Jakas, Žilvinas Baranauskas, Jokūbas Zovė

Partner – Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

Briefly about the exhibition

Date

14 April–9 June

Time

library working hours

Place

Education Lab-Laimė Lukošiūnienė Hall, 5th floor

Attendance

free

Partner

Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania

More information

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