14 May 2024

Exhibition “Jūra – Yura. Photography by Kodo Chijiiwa”

On 28 May at 17:00 we invite you to the opening of the exhibition “Jūra – Yura” by the contemporary Japanese photographer Kodo Chijiiwa (born in 1976, Japan) at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania.

The title is a homophonic combination of the dialogue between the sea (jūra in Lithuanian) and the trembling (yura in Japanese). The photographer conveys the tension of the ocean surfaces, the energy of the wind, the immutability of the transformation – all of this is conveyed using a double exposure technique. The silent images of Chijiiwa’s photographs interact with the work of Lithuanian composer and artist M. K. Čiurlionis, in which the theme of the sea occupies a special place.

Most of Chijiiwa’s photographs have been taken over the last two decades on the UNESCO-protected Yakushima Island, where he lives.

Against the backdrop of today’s complex world, global crises, war and climate change, this exhibition of photographs invites you to connect with nature – to feel its strength and breath. The photographs on display are a reminder of the threats of the turbulent nature that surrounds us, and of the helplessness of man in its greatness. The sense of constant transformation in the artists’ work is echoed in important Japanese literary texts, some of which are presented in the exhibition.

“Nature in the photographer’s work is a unique pulse in which we connect with the universe, testifying to the interconnectedness of all that is united by the multifaceted diversity of life. Chijiiwa’s photography highlights the existence of the four elements – earth, water, air and fire. The absence of man forces the viewer to focus on the other beings inhabiting the landscape. These incessant games of natural energies and movements are captured in the artist’s photographs of matter, such as the world of vegetation, which is oscillating, absorbed by gusts, and transformed into flexible matter.” (curator Yolita René-Šegždaitė)

The exhibition will be on display in the 5th floor atrium of the National Library from 28 May to 4 August.

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Curator – Yolita René-Šegždaitė

Exhibition partners:

Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, National M. K. Čiurlionis Museum

Promoters:

Embassy of Japan in Lithuania, Embassy of Lithuania in Japan, Lithuanian Ministry of Culture

Sponsors:

Japan-Lithuanian Friendship Association,
Mimaki,
Euro-Japan fest,
Jet Graph and Hahnemuhle,
Kopa,
Sigma,
Yamatomi

Briefly about the exhibition

Date

exhibition opening – 28 May
exhibition period – 28 May – 4 August

Time

library working hours
exhibition opening – 17:00

Place

5th floor atrium

Attendance

free

Sponsors

Exhibition partners:
Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, National M. K. Čiurlionis Museum
Promoters:
Embassy of Japan in Lithuania, Embassy of Lithuania in Japan, Lithuanian Ministry of Culture
Sponsors:  
Japan-Lithuanian Friendship Association
Mimaki
Euro-Japan fest
Jet Graph and Hahnemuhle
Kopa
Sigma
Yamatomi

Important

the opening of the exhibition will be held in English
the event may be photographed and/or filmed

More information

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