Exhibitions archive
Illustration exhibition "Telling the City"
16 November 2023 – 11 January 2024
The idea for Telling the City came from Vilnius celebrating its 700th anniversary this year. It got us thinking about how the city is reflected in children’s literature. A retrospective look revealed that it is not a common subject in Lithuanian children’s literature, even less so in illustration. Historically, nature was considered a safer environment for children to grow up in. It was seen as more welcoming, able to provide shelter, peace and knowledge. Cities, in contrast, were mostly portrayed as hectic, even dangerous places. So with this exhibition we wanted to bring the city to the fore and highlight its importance in children’s book illustration. We were also keen to look at urban spaces from various angles. What does the city represent to artists from different countries? How does a communal city becomes one’s own? What makes it a beautiful and safe space for a child to live in?
Telling the City showcases the work of 20 acclaimed illustrators from 4 Baltic countries. Each artist invites the audience to look at the city more closely, to experience its artistic urban character, to read its stories – true or imagined.
Illustrations for this exhibition have been produced by the following artists: Ieva Babilaitė, Inga Dagilė, Simona Jurčiukonytė, Aušra Kiudulaitė and Martynas Pavilonis from Lithuania; Aleksejs Naumovs, Gundega Muzikante, Līva Ozola, Anita Paegle and Anna Vaivare from Latvia; Kärt Einasto, Ragne Hoog, Marja-Liisa Plats, Ulla Saar and Reda Tomingas from Estonia; Maciek Blaźniak, Katarzyna Bogucka, Dominika Czerniak-Chojnacka, Gosia Kulik and Adam Pękalski from Poland.
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The exhibition was part of this year’s Children’s Book Island Festival.
Curatorial team:
Dr Jolita Liškevičienė (team lead, Lithuania);
Silvija Tretjakova (Latvia);
Anita Wincencjusz-Patyna (Poland);
Ulla Saar (Estonia)
Architecture and graphic design: Povilas Vincentas Jankūnas
Idea: Justinas Vancevičius
Visual: City Jungle by Līva Ozola (Latvia)
Organisers:
Children’s World (Vaikų žemė) programme, Centre for School Improvement;
Estonian Children’s Literature Centre;
IBBY Latvia;
Baltic Sea Cultural Centre in Gdansk
Event sponsored by:
Baltic Culture Fund;
Lithuanian Council for Culture;
Vilnius Municipality;
Polish Institute Vilnius
Partners:
Lithuanian Culture Institute;
Latvian Literature platform;
Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
