IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA

by Helmutas Sabasevicius

Since 1989, when Lithuania regained its independence, a lot of things have changed in the Lithuanian cultural life. The most important tendency of these changes has been the decentralization of the artistic activities of all kinds. In previous times, when Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union, there were practically no possibilities for an alternative artistic expression, its cultural life was in fact ruled by the one and only Ministry of Culture, which conducted its cultural policy through artistic associations and governmental cultural institutions such as Art Museums, State Theaters and Philharmonics. This situation started to change very rapidly within the first years of the restoration of independence, its major achievements being the possibility to establish independent artistic associations or institutions, such as private art galleries, non-governmental theater companies, art and theater agencies. Even the official cultural life was restructured, the biggest and most ambitious Contemporary Art Center of Vilnius was in fact established in 1992 with the very clear and resolute program to integrate Lithuanian contemporary art into the mainstream European art of the period. The changes in state cultural policy fostered some private initiatives and foundations, among which the biggest was the Open Society Fund-Lithuania, that has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. The visual art program of this foundation, which was sponsored by George Soros, played a major role in making Lithuania open up to the world and in making the world open up to Lithuania. Although sponsorships of cultural initiatives have dwindled considerably in recent years, the activities of the Soros Center of Contemporary Art (1993-1999) were pivotal in the reconstruction of Lithuanian artistic mentality and in the encouragement of contemporary artistic initiatives. With the help of this organizational and directive body Lithuania was able to present its contemporary visual art in the various European countries, organizing the major exhibitions of Lithuanian art in Edimburgh, Manchester, Düsseldorf, Trieste, Warsaw etc. The Soros Center of Contemporary Art-Lithuania was also in charge of the first presentation of Lithuanian art at the Venice Biennial of 1999. Since the beginning of 2000 the Soros Center of Contemporary Art was transformed into the Contemporary Art Information Center at the Lithuanian Art Museum, the ultimate purpose of this transformed institution was that of creating the Museum of Contemporary Art in Vilnius. A number of remarkable changes took place in the Lithuanian theatrical life as well. Since 1989 Lithuania started to participate to the theatrical international life, showing its theatrical productions at international theater festivals all over the world. The leaders of this new expansion of the Lithuanian theater are Eimuntas Nekroæius and Oskaras Koræunovas. Eimuntas Nekroæius was the first theater director who willfully renounced his position as artistic director of the state theater. In 1992 he was artistically involved with the international theater festival “Life”, based in Vilnius, and some years ago he established the non-governmental theatrical institution “Fort of Art”, which produced and co-produced all his celebrated performances of the recent years: “Hamlet”, “Macbeth”, “Othello”. Oskaras Koræunovas, a young Lithuanian theater director, studied at the Vilnius Music Academy and started his international career with his first theatrical performance at the Lithuanian National Drama Theater. In 1999 Oskaras Koræunovas founded the independent non-governmental theater company “Oskaras Koræunovas Theater” which became the most active in Lithuania with six major “premières” within one year of its foundation: “Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “Shopping and Fucking, “Face of Fire”, “The Master and Margarita”, “One Night Stand”, which were part of the international “Hotel Europa” project, directed by Oskaras Koræunovas and produced together with international partners as the festival d’Avignon, the Goethe Institut and others. The rapid changes in Lithuanian artistic situation, its vivid scene and the strengthening relationships with European artistic institutions do not mean that there are no problems in the translating of Lithuanian artistic projects into reality. State support is shrinking and even allocated money is usually given at the very last moment, making thus uncertain and risky the financing of the artistic project. In spite of it all Lithuanian artists are still nursing ambitious projects, balancing on the shaky ground of monetary resources for artistic ideas and still full of enough energy to survive.