Siauliai Art Gallery is one of the most important galleries of fine art in Northern Lithuania. Exhibition space covers 560 square metres of 4 exhibition halls. Gallery arranges over 30 solo and group exhibitions per year.
In the year 1997 the gallery became the ownership of Siauliai City Municipality and is financed from city budget. Experimental art projects are financed by Culture Office at Siauliai City Municipality, following the special law on culture programmes and initiatives.
Fine art exhibitions (painting, sculpture, graphics, photography, installations, applied art, video-art) of artists from Siauliai, Lithuania and foreign countries are often held in the Art Gallery. Different joint projects, concerts of chamber, jazz, electronically and experimental music as well as art performances, vanguard fashion shows are often held along with various discussions, presentations of all kinds of publications. These kinds of art actions and events help to develop and to foster relations among artists, people closely interlinked with culture matters and representatives of different groups of society. In the limits of our budget we try to introduce the newest tendencies of modern art of local and world-wide level therefore exhibitions such as "Ideal places", "Modern American Photography", "Modern Slovenian Art" were held.
The Art Gallery tries to stimulate young artists of Siauliai and to support any creative initiative. Local artists are provided with best conditions to exhibit and to introduce their works to the society during annual exhibitions of artists of Siauliai as well as during annual exhibitions of folk art held in the Art Gallery. The Art Gallery is the only gallery of fine arts in Siauliai therefore all kinds and streams of modern art are introduced in it. Along with exhibitions of fine arts various joint projects take place in the gallery ("Polincestas", "Zuwys", "Incident" is only some of them).
International project of visual art and music named as "Zuwys" (persons in charge: Mr. Paulius Arlauskas, Mr. Virginijus Kincinaitis) was started in 1994 and has become one of the most important events in the gallery since then. The lack of cultural identity of Siauliai as well as the need to integrate the broader fields and spheres of creative searches and creative responsibilities on local and international level were pointed out in the concept of the first project "Zuwys". Therefore the hierarchy and sorting out of creative works was rejected implementing the project for the first time. MIX-MEDIA exhibitions, cinema, video programmes, concerts implemented the concept of the project in practice and served as the guideline for the next projects under the title "Zuwys". The four last projects under this title proved the necessity of the ideas and goals expressed and possibility for the renewal. The first step towards the renewal is withdrawal from the idea of synthesis of different arts (this synthesis could be realised in a separate peace of creation) and transition to the projects with the theme clearly expressed. Due to the participation of artists from Germany, Austria, France, Latvia, Great Britain {we look forward for the expansion of the geographical list)"Zuwys" has become really international project.
International multimedia art project ENTER was started in 2003 and has become one of the most important events new digital art forms in the Nort Lithuania since then.
Annual festivals of alternative art and fashion under the title "VIRUS" are held in Siauliai Art Gallery. The aim of this festival is to oppose the commercialisation of fashion culture and stimulate the conception/understanding of a costume as of a piece of art.
Because of the constant lack of information Information Desk was established in the gallery in the year 1996: The necessity of this Information Desk is proved not only by the recognition of local art society but by the interest of Open Lithuania Fund as well. This Information Desk is one of the very few possibilities to be acquainted with the newest ideas and problems in the world of art for young artists, teachers, pupils, students, architects, lecturers and just visitors. We look forward for any reaction, proposals for cooperation from artists, exhibition managers, art galleries, publishing houses, editorial boards. We will be happy to spread the information about your activities, publications, etc. We are especially interested in professional modern art therefore we would be very happy to set up contacts with representatives of this kind of art.
Some distinquished groups and artists presented in Siauliai Art Gallery:
Gediminas Akstinas, Egle Rakauskaite, Valdas & Aida Ozarinskai, Paulius & Svajone Stanikai, Jonas Gasiunas, Orune Morkunaite, Bronius Rudys, Leila Kasputiene, Gintautas Trimakas, Sarûnas Sauka, Algimantas Kezys, Jan Venzelin, Arûnas Vaitkûnas, Audronë Petrasiûnaitë, Algimantas Svëgzda, Patricija Jurksaityte, Kristina Inciuraite, Vytautas Kalinauskas, Donatas Jankauskas, Dainius Liskevicius, Augustinas Beinaravicius, Ojars Peterson, Saulius Paukstys, Vytas Sakalas, Zibuntas Miksys, Saulius Mazylis, Vincas Kisarauskas, Vytautas Serys, Audrius Puipa, Gintaras Palemonas Janonis, Eva Marija Ketner, Alvydas Lukys, Paulius Normantas, Regula Michell, Svajûnas Kizys, Danas Aleksa, Jurga Barilaitë, Ramûnas Alminas, Bengt Olof Johansson, Gustav Klucis, Hermann Pitz, Wladyslaw Strzemynski, Anders Tomren, Zilvinas Kempinas, GEROS BLOGYBËS, DAMOI, 24, MAL-8, INDIVIDUALISTAI.
