A realistic look at the capital

Here is a nice little tourism video about the capital city. NB: you will only see the angel and the TVs on the walls if you drink loads of absinthe or take magic mushrooms. Also, nightclubs might not let you in with that hat.

Unseen Lithuania

Unseen Lithuania is the English version of Neregeta Lietuva, the famous aerial photographic series by Marius Jovaisa.

The whole series is devoted to the landscape of Lithuania from the air.

Lakes, rivers, dunes, islands, churches, cityscapes and more are shown in panoramic photos taken from over 50 helicopter journeys – and like the name of the series suggests, it is something that not many people have seen before or expect from the small Baltic nation.

There are two books available in English – the 2008 and the 2009 editions, but both show excellent scenes of the country. A DVD has also been released with a selection of the best photos from the shoots.

I would personally recommend the books as the best way to go for many reasons – first and foremost is that the book is big and has large and thick pages with the photos in excellent colour and perfect focus. This is not the case with the DVD – there is a very noticeable loss in quality that is off-putting. Plus the photos on the DVD move around in the slide show making them hard to look at.

Perhaps the funniest thing in the series is “Lithuania in the World” where photos from Lithuania are compared to other locations in the world. The only reason I can think for including this is to enforce the nationalist illusion that most Lithuanians have that “our country is the same as everywhere in the world!” Either that, or better than everywhere.

Whats funny about this segment though is that the authors of the series get a photo from some place in the world and get a similar looking photo from Lithuania and place them side by side. For example, a bird’s eye view of a shallow reef in the Maldives is compared to tufts of grass and dirt poking out of a bog in Lithuania. Crystal clear turquoise water compared to muddy brown/green water. Not exactly the same, is it?

Anyway, apart from that terrible mistake they made of comparing mundane geographical locations to world wonders, the series is great and shows the natural beauty of Lithuania and the cities too.

It would make an excellent coffee table book or present.

Travel the Baltics and win

Travelling in Lithuania is always nice and you can get some great photos. Now there is a website that allows you to enter your photos and win prizes if you submit the best ones.

Great Baltic Travel is a website devoted to photo-documenting the Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Their website best describes the project, which is organized by the European Union and the state tourism departments of the three countries.

"It’s a joint project by the three Baltic countries that invites you to travel around the Baltics anytime from May 15 to October 31. It’s a great way to spend your free time, to experience new impressions and adventures while traveling and being a part of the game. It’s about the joy of discovering incredible landscapes, fascinating historic heritage and modern achievements – all within a few hours drive from your home. It’s a great chance to connect Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania together again on one route, 20 years after the historic “Baltic Way” project of 1989. The Great Baltic States Tour is a visit to 30 different sites in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – 10 in each country. Castles from the Middle Ages, parks encompassed by legends, adventure parks with exciting entertainment in the air and on the ground, museums and galleries of modern art, underground caves and labyrinths – these are just few of the sites that participants in the Greats Baltic States Tour can discover. Make these 30 Baltic sites 30 new stories in your personal travelogue."

While the website could be improved slightly, it is easy to navigate and you will find it easy to register. Those who complete all the tasks are eligible for prizes. (see below)

Prizes Travel Main Prize: a weekend for 2 in one of the capitals included in Air Baltic’s newly opened destinations at own choice – return flight tickets, 4-star hotel for 2 nights, breakfast included). Country (Lithuania/Latvia/Estonia) Prize: a weekend for two in one of the Baltic States’ capitals – Air Baltic return flight tickets, 4-star Reval Hotel for 2 nights, breakfast included) Additional prizes: Active nature holiday more... City holiday more... Bicycle Buss trip to Tallin for two business class and accomodation in Nordic Hotel Accommodation for two in the hotel „Le Meridien Vilnius“. Superior“room, breakfast and visit to health club „Oasis“included. Accommodation for two in the 3 stars guest house “Senasis paštas” ( “Old Post”). Romantic weekend in the Mazone castle Basket of sweets Air balloon flight Special prize by Jurmala City Municipality Spa weekend for two more... Parachute jump from 1000 m Dinner for two in the Museum’s of Rowing in Trakai restaurant “Remus”.

The sun rises in the east - Lithuanian photographs Japan

Lithuanians are brilliant at visual arts, in particular those who work with video and cameras.

Art experts say that this is the country's forte because Lithuanians suddenly found a swath of electronic equipment flooding into the country after the fall of the Soviet Union, which they took full advantage of.

Visitors to Vilnius during this summer will be able to enjoy one such exhibition of photography.

The Contemporary Art Centre, which has brought Lithuania and Vilnius some of its finest art and exhibitions is opening its new photography exhibition European Eyes on Japan/Japan Today vol.11

Launched in 1999, the European Eyes on Japan/Japan Today takes

European photographers to Japan to discover and document aspects of Japanese contemporary life that local photographers are inured to. In the last ten years, 45 European photographers have visited 30 prefectures of Japan and depicted it in its myriad guises.

The project is scheduled to continue every year and to take photographers to Japan's 47 prefectures. This is the eleventh project in the series and is a group exhibition of three photographers who visited Niigata prefecture. Arturas Valiauga from Lithuania focuses on everyday food shots in an expressionistic manner using specialised lenses.

Other European artists will also be exhibited. Andrew Phelps from Austria documented people, landscapes, and dwellings, and Hans-Christian Schink from Germany took large-format silver gelatine images to create ghostly landscapes.

European Eyes on

Japan / Japan Today vol.11

Opens July 13 and runs until August 16

Artists: Arturas Valiauga (LT), Andrew Phelps (AT), Hans-Christian Schink (DE)

Curated by: Mikiko Kikuta

Contemporary Art Centre

Vokieciu 2

LT- 01130 Vilnius
Lithuania

www.cac.lt