Laisvė Linkutė’s photography project Kismas (Change) narrates the daily life of one of Vilnius’s districts, Naujoji Vilnia, subtly revealing the intersection of the old and the new. The settlement, which dates back to the 17th century, first became known as Nauja Vilnia in 1904, and has been a permanent part of Vilnius since 1957. Naturally, over the centuries, the neighbourhood has seen the effects of change. Considering the recent redevelopment of districts like Užupis and Šnipiškės, one can expect Naujoji Vilnia to also face gentrification in the near future, which could radically alter its character.
Having spent her childhood in Naujoji Vilnia, the artist is compelled to capture its contrasts before its current unique identity is lost. Drawing on her personal experiences, she captures not only the district’s enduring elements but also the new, seemingly alien, additions to the intimately familiar neighbourhood that will nonetheless become embedded in the minds of future generations as the indisputable reality. Through her black-and-white photographs taken with an old analogue camera, evoking the visual expression of historical images of Vilnius, the artist intertwines the past with the present. Her work captures the visual configurations of Naujoji Vilnia as it exists in the 2020s, characterised by overlapping symbols of past and present times.
 

Laisvė Linkutė

 
.Having spent her formative years in Naujoji Vilnia, the artist has also lived and studied in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium, and currently resides and studies in Vilnius. Her interest in analogue photography spanning over a decade, she is drawn to themes of environmental change and its impact on humanity. Kismas (Change) is the artist’s first solo exhibition.

Opening of the exhibition on June 7th 18:30.