While the history of international art galleries spans two centuries, our own is just three decades old, as the first art galleries only emerged once Lithuania regained its independence. In the second half of the 19th century, while independent exhibitions by salon-rejected artists were thriving in Europe, and technological progress gave rise to both the middle class and the predecessors of today’s art galleries, Lithuania saw the closure of Vilnius University and the Museum of Antiquities. Later, during the Soviet era, state-controlled artists’ union salons dominated the landscape. The purchase of antiques was banned by law, meaning true artistic exploration remained confined to private studios, where an unofficial art market began to take shape. This historical background undoubtedly influences contemporary Lithuanian gallery culture. We invite you to review the historical development and context of galleries operating both in Lithuania and abroad, and to join the discussion on gallery culture.
Panellists:
Justė Jonutytė is a curator and contemporary art market expert with over fifteen years of international experience. After completing her Master’s degree in History of Art at the University of St Andrews, she worked at Tate Modern in London and the Jonas Mekas Studio and Archive in New York, later serving as Director of the Rupert residency programme and arts centre in Vilnius for six years. In 2023, she founded Meno klubas (Art Club), a community dedicated to a deeper engagement with art. For over a decade, Jonutytė has advised private clients and corporate businesses on art acquisition and investment, while lecturing on the art market to domestic and international audiences. Her lectures have been delivered across Canada, Italy, South Korea, Finland and Iceland, and she has curated exhibitions in countries including Lithuania, Latvia, Norway, Iceland, among others.
Ernestas Parulskis (b. 1963) is an art historian, curator and writer working across various genres. He graduated in History and Theory of Art from the Vilnius Academy of Arts. Since the 1990s, he has contributed articles, commentary and essays to the Lithuanian media, and was formerly the publisher of the online news portal omni.lt. As a curator, he has staged numerous exhibitions at the National Gallery of Art and the National Museum of Lithuania. Alongside Rasa Drazdauskienė, he also co-hosts the LRT Radio show Nenušaunami siužetai (Bulletproof Plots), dedicated to detective fiction and adventure literature. Parulskis is the author of the essay collections Lėti nuotykiai (Slow Adventures, 2026) and Kasdienybės kunstkamera (A Cabinet of Curiosities of Everyday Life, 2010), as well as a book for teenagers, Žiemos atostogų tankas (The Winter Break Tank, 2015).
Dr Aistė Bimbirytė is an art historian and curator who has served as the Director of the Vilnius Picture Gallery (a branch of the Lithuanian National Museum of Art) since 2021. For over a decade, her primary research has focused on Lithuanian manorial culture and the history of art collecting. Alongside her institutional leadership, she curates exhibitions of historical art and teaches the course History of Art Collecting at the Vilnius Academy of Arts.
Audrius Pocius (b. 1991) is a curator and philosopher based in Vilnius. His curatorial practice focuses on the conceptual and performative dimensions of art, their potential for social and cultural critique, and questions of cultural inheritance. He is currently Director of Medūza, a space for art and culture.