The catalog of the exhibit of Lithuanian painting and photographs called “Zakhor. Remember. Topography of Images of Jewish Vilnius” will be launched at the Lithuanian Jewish Community at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, April 14. The catalog and exhibit are the work of curators Linas Liandzbergis, Elke-Vera Kotowski and Gabrielė Žaidytė. The exhibit has been at show at the Old Town Hall in Vilnius and at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin.
From May to August the exhibit will grace the halls of the Cape Town Jewish Museum and the Johannesburg Holocaust Museum in South Africa, then travelling on to Israel, Argentina and other destinations where sizeable populations of Litvaks live. The presentation, to be attended by Dr. Julius Schoeps, director of the Moses Mendelssohn Center and the Center for Jewish Studies Berlin-Brandenburg, is also to include a short film documenting earlier showings of the exhibit. Improvisational jazz is to be performed at the presentation by Lithuanian musician Kęstutis Vaiginis.
The exhibit is dedicated to memories of Vilnius’s Jewish history in painting.
Dr. Elke-Vera Kotowski, catalog author and associate professor at the Moses Mendelssohn Center, said: “I am very happy this exhibition catalog will reach a wider audience in different countries who will have a wonderful opportunity to learn about contemporary Lithuanian art and the history of Jewish Vilnius.”
Lithuanian cultural attaché to Germany Dr. Gabrielė Žaidytė said: “The Zakhor … exhibit is not just a visual reflection of our history, but also questions posed today about the city’s future. Will this city sometime again become known for its tolerance, expanding the map of free-spirited European cities?”
Project organizers, supporters and partners include the Lithuanian Jewish Community, the Cultural Attaché of the Republic of Lithuania in Germany, the Moses Mendelssohn Center, Center for Jewish Studies, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Goodwill Fund, the Moses Mendelssohn Foundation, the Gallery of the Union of Lithuanian Artists, the Cultural Service and the public organization Šiaurės Jaruzalė.