Exhibition "From Amber to Stars: M. K. Čiurlionis, Contemporaries and Like-minded People", 2025. March 21 - October 12

Dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the birth of the most famous Lithuanian composer and artist Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, the exhibition FROM AMBER TO STARS: M. K. ČIURLIONIS, CONTEMPORARIES AND LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE.

From 21 March, the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art (V. Putvinskio St. 55, Kaunas) will present the international exhibition "From Amber to the Stars: M. K. Čiurlionis, Contemporaries and Like-minded People" dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the most famous Lithuanian composer and artist Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis.

The anniversary year of M. K. Čiurlionis will be celebrated not only by Lithuania, but also by the whole world – various events dedicated to this occasion will spread across many countries of the world: from South Africa to Sweden, from South Korea to Spain. However, the greatest creative legacy of Čiurlionis is preserved in the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, which we will color on the occasion of the artist's anniversary with an impressive international exhibition "From Amber to Stars: M. K. Čiurlionis, Contemporaries and Like-minded People". The works will come from the most famous European museums: the Tate Gallery, the British Museum, the d'Orsay Museum, the Centre Pompidou, the Wenzel Hablik Museum, etc. In the exposition, Čiurlionis' works will shine among contemporaries (nineteenth-twentieth centuries) and contemporary famous artists of the world and Lithuania. In the exhibition, visitors will see more than 70 works of art, installations and objects. The exposition will reveal the depth and innovativeness of Čiurlionis' thinking and vision: from the depths of the sea to the vastness of space.

Čiurlionis the Visionary

After becoming a professional composer, M. K. Čiurlionis (1875–1911) took up painting; In it, he developed a distinctive style that combines symbolism, abstraction and neo-romanticism. During his short life, he created more than 400 musical works, 200 paintings, 40 photographs, 30 graphic works, 20 fluorophores and monotypes, and over 600 sketches. Fascinated by everything that life offers, he studied not only the arts, but also history, numismatics, astronomy and theology. He was particularly interested in the cosmos, and was fascinated by mythology, philosophy and theosophy – areas in which he, like many other artists of the time, thought about the meaning of life, our origin and significance. However, even when considering such complex matters, he kept in touch with his roots and delved into popular myths that romanticize the sea and worlds beyond our own.

The significance of Čiurlionis for contemporary art

Taking a fresh look at Čiurlionis' achievements and areas of interest, this exhibition reveals his significance for contemporary art and current affairs. The exposition reflects the two main themes of his work – the sea and space. The exhibition presents not only the most important works of M. K. Čiurlionis, but also the works of his contemporaries and today's artists, and examines the importance of science, on which many works of both his time and the present are based. Even a few artists, inspired by Čiurlionis, create special works dedicated only to this exhibition. This can only be confirmed once again that the ideas of M. K. Čiurlionis are still relevant, the themes are universal, timeless and awaken the reflections of today's creators

From the depths of the sea to the vastness of space

The sea and space have been and continue to be at the center of reflection among innovators, explorers, theologians, artists, and scientists. Both of them are unknown spaces waiting to be discovered. Both contain theories of the creation of life.

The exhibition is divided into three parts: "Sea", "Space" and "Navigation". The first part focuses on the sea as an idea and its meaning. From anthropomorphic to exclusively scientific, from etheric to political works, this part of the exhibition explores the multifaceted emotions that the sea has awakened in us and in artists for centuries.

The part of the exhibition "Navigation" takes us through the seas into space. Perhaps it is no coincidence that a ship is used to travel through both of these spaces – in one case a maritime ship, in the other – a space ship. The symbolism of the ship is very evident in the works presented in the first stage of this journey, and early films and imaginings of the idea of space make up the second stage of "Navigation".

The last part of the exhibition "Cosmos" examines the connection between art and science, discusses the influence of cosmology, religions, philosophies and the creation stories of the world on the work of artists from the time of M. K. Čiurlionis to the present day. The paintings, drawings, engravings and books exhibited in this part are complemented by scientific objects, tools and historical maps of the stars.

Exhibition curator Kathleen Soriano:

Čiurlionis lives, breathes the sea and space – both themes of the exhibition, and his works not only become the starting point of each individual part of it, but often complete their meanings. In this way, Čiurlionis seems to welcome the artists around him into his arms, and they, in turn, embrace him.

Director of the National M. K. Čiurlionis Museum of Art, Daina Kamarauskienė:

M. K. Čiurlionis' exhibitions, which timidly began their international journeys from the end of the twentieth century, are now gaining momentum. His work is presented almost every year in a different country. M. K. Čiurlionis' works are increasingly travelling to joint international exhibitions. However, have we really felt and become aware of its importance, uniqueness and communion with our contemporaries, or do we find the continuity of ideas in today's art?