Mala Gallery
8, Zamkowy Sq., Warsaw (Old Town)
1 - 25 February 2005

 

 

Aleksandras Macijauskas - Photoanecdotes

THE collection of “Photoanecdotes” of one of the leading Lithuanian photographers consists of situational pictures, sometimes staged. It is unexpected fact since Aleksandras Macijauskas is well known as true, genuine documentalist. Thus the nude pictures he is showing in the Mała Gallery - presented for the first time in Poland - surprise us by interesting compositional solutions and contain a certain measure ofself-irony and humour, since in some pictures a model is the artist himself.

It is hard to say definitely whether such series which the artist has been realizing since several years is only a part of some bigger whole or if it becomes calculated and deliberately full-fledged artistic project. These pictures that are strongly founded in everyday life but also have some surrealistic qualities say much more about the artist himself. They are interesting and unexpected part of his rich work, the part that is seldom revealed publicly.

This dissimilarity makes this exhibition in the Mała Gallery not only an interesting complement to a selection of the already classic works of the artist that are at the same time presented in the Stara Gallery but also a new, original proposal, boldly diverging from poetics of documentary reportage.

The Lithuanian photography is since dozen or so years better and better known and more appreciated in the world, also in Poland. The first exhibition of Aleksandras Macijauskas was held the Stara Gallery ZPAF already in 1976. In 1970’s and 1980’s his works were twice published in the Fotografia quarterly magazine. He and Antanas Sutkus are the Lithuanian artists most frequently exhibited in Poland. During last years also the Mała Gallery and the Centre for Contemporary Art presented exhibitions of artists like Alfonsas Budvitys, Snieguole Michelkeviciute, Gintaras Trimakas, Jurgite Remeikyte. Also the works of such artists as Remigijus Treigys, Romualdas Pożerskys, Alvydas Lukis and others are more and more frequently presented in Polish galleries and published in Polish press.

Recently many texts concerning Lithuanian photography were published in the Fototapeta magazine, in its online and printed editions (Mindaugas Kavaliauskas).

The present exhibition of Aleksandras Macijauskas consists of two parts: a broad choice of the artist's works is presented in the Stara Gallery while in the Mała Gallery there the "Photoanecdotes" series is displayed. It is another essential proof that the Lithuanian photography so rich in its diversity always deserves for attention and admiration.

Marek Grygiel

ALEKSANDRAS MACIJAUSKAS was born in 1938 in Kaunas where he still lives. He started to photograph in the 1960’s. He has had many exhibitions in Lithuania and abroad. Aleksandras Macijauskas was a judge in many international photographic competitions. He was awarded with many prizes and distinctions. His works are in the most important public and private collections around the world. He published several albums with his own pictures. Editor of photographic publications and curator of exhibitions. Since 25 years has been running a photographic gallery in Kaunas.

He performed many duties in the Union of Lithuanian Photographers, for over 30 years he was the chairman of the Kaunas district of the Union. One of his first big individual international exhibitions was held in Poland, in the Stara Gallery ZPAF in Warsaw in 1976. In 1991 he was a honorary guest of the International Photographic Meeting in Arles, France.

Major work
Demonstrations, 1965 - 1985
Lithuanian Village Markets, 1968-1987
Farewell, od / since 1969
Lithuanian wedding, od / since 1970
Summer, 1974 -1984
In the Veterinary Clinics, 1977 - 1994
Memory, since 1980
Leaving trees, 1984-2001
Photoanecdotes, since 1985

Selected exhibitions
1968 - Ciurlionis Museum, Kaunas, Lithuania
1969 - Union of Journalists, Moscow, USSR
1970 - House of Print Traders workers, Ryga, (Riga) Łotwa/Latvia
1971 - Retrospective, Malaya Galeria, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
1972 - People’s Ethnographical Museum, Leningrad, USSR
1973 - Retrospective, Tribina Mladih, Novi Sad, Yougoslavia
1974 - National Library, Paris, France
1974 - Gallery of Association of Lithuanian Photographers, Vilnius, Lithuania
1975 - Hotel de ville, Arles, France
1976 - Retrospective - Stara Galeria ZPAF, Warsaw, Poland
1976 - Retrospective - ZPAF Gallery, Cracow, Poland
1977 - Retrospective - House of Cultur, Brno, Czechoslovakia
1977 - Retrospective - Musee Reattu, Arles France
1978 - Retropective - A.P.27, Brussels, Belgium
1980 - Library , New York, USA
1981 - Retrospective - Babylon Cinema, Berlin, Germany
1984 - Valokuva Galleria Finfoto, Helsinki, Finland
1984 - Retrospective - R.I.P. Arles, France
1986 - Retrospective, Chateau d’Eau Municipal Gallery, Toulouse, France
1988 - Retrospective - House of Architects, Lviv, Ukraine
1994 - Museum of Lithuanian Art, Chicago, USA
1995 - Galerie im Pferdestall, Galerie, Alte Schosserei”, Berlin, Germany
1995 - Retrospective - Photo Gallery, Nyiragyhaza, Hyngary
2001 - The Avant-Garde Document: Photographs by Aleksandras Macijauskas, Museum of New MexicoMuseum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, USA
2002 - Art Gallery KI, Tokyo, Japan

Collections
Fotografijos muziejus, Siauliai, Lithuania
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisc, USA
Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, USA
Bibliotheque National, Paris, France Musee reattu Arles, France
Musee Francais de la Photographie, Paris, France
International Center of Photography, New York, USA
Modern Art Museum, stockholm, Sweden
Museu international de la fotografia, Catalunya, Spain

Books
My Lithuania by Aleksandras Macijauskas, comiled by D. Mrazkova and V. Remes, Thames and Hundson, KTD. London, 1991;
Kaimo turgus (Countryside Markets) by Aleksandras Macijauskas, Mintis, Vinius, 1992
Gyventi (To live) compiled by Aleksandras Macijauskas, Kaunas, Art Fund, Kaunas, 1997
The Avant-Garde Document: Photography by Aleksandras Macijauskas, Musuem of New Mexico, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

 

 

In FOTOTAPETA also:

• All exhibitions in Mala Gallery since 1997

 

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