With an investment of over 10 million euros, Panevėžys is establishing a new cultural centre, the Stasys Museum that opened he museum opened with the exhibition “ICON–O–STASYS” honoring the museum’s namesake Stasys Eidrigevičius.
The museum is located halfway between the Lithuanian capital Vilnius and the Latvian capital Riga and is striving to become an international art hub in the Baltics. When asked about the significance of the Stasys museum, Rytis Račkauskas, City Mayor of Panevėžys stated: “It’s a game-changer that shapes the identity of the city, the entire region, and Lithuania. It is our ambition to become an international center of attraction for art”.
International Artistic Hub Emerges in Panevėžys, Lithuania
The opening of the Stasys Museum creates a centre for global art culture, strengthening cultural ties through partnerships with various internationally acclaimed artists, art institutions and communities
“Stasys Museum fills a vacuum by making internationally recognised art accessible in the region, thus tangibly contributing in boosting artistic curiosity and culture sector development in the area”, said Vaida Andrijauskaitė, director of Stasys Museum.
The museum will kick off its international engagement this autumn with an extraordinary solo exhibition by renowned Austrian artist Hermann Nitsch, one of the main protagonists of the Vienna actionism movement, which started in the 1960s and is one of the most radical artistic movements of the twentieth century according to Lina Albrikienė, curator at Stasys Museum. His works are exhibited all around the globe and are in high demand by international art collectors.
Additionally, the museum will extend its reach beyond local boundaries with an exhibition in Lyon during the festival The Lithuanian Season in France starting in November, showcasing Stasys’ numerous one-line drawings on paper and the large-scale paintings on canvas.
The exhibition will also be a part of the Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale 2024.
“This is just the beginning of a new museum with global ambitions resulting in tangible partnerships”, says Museum Director, Vaida Andrijauskaitė.
A Museum Dedicated to the Artist’s Global Legacy
Spanning over 1,000 square metres across three museum floors and an outdoor installation, the ICON – O – STASYS exhibit invites visitors to follow the artistic evolution of Stasys Eidrigevičius, from growing up in a farmhouse near Panevėžys to his surrealistic reflections of Soviet times to his global acclaim.
Throughout his life, Eidrigevičius has held more than 100 exhibitions internationally and has garnered more than 40 international awards. His diverse body of work will be rotated two to four times per year and includes paintings, photography, bookplates, posters, sculptures, and more.
Stasys’ pieces are featured in prominent collections worldwide, including the British Museum in London, the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris, the Museum of Art and Crafts in Hamburg, the Museum of Design in Zurich, the National Library in Washington, the Vatican Museum, The Ginza Graphic Gallery Tokyo, Art Front Gallery Tokyo, Chihiro Art Museum Tokyo, National Museum in Warsaw and Wroclaw.
“It is great to now have a museum that celebrates the artist Eidrigevičius, one of the most renowned figures from Lithuania. The museum will highlight a success story that resonates both locally and globally”, states Andrijauskaitė.
The Stasys Museum is now open to the public. Visitors are invited not only to discover the ICON – O – STASYS exhibition, which will be on display until November 2024, but also to explore the monumental yet minimalistic architecture of the new museum.
About Stasys Museum
Set in Panevėžys, Lithuania, the Stasys Museum is designed to be a cultural phenomenon and a hub for international art. Named after the acclaimed artist Stasys Eidrigevičius, it will showcase his diverse works and serve as a platform for global talent and creativity. The museum’s architecture reflects simplicity, logic, and fantasy, aiming to become the cultural heartbeat of the region and a bold new landmark in the Baltic art scene. More info stasysmuseum.com/en
About the Artist
Born in 1949 in Lithuania, in 1968-1973, Stasys Eidrigevičius studied at the Academy of Fine Art in Vilnius and moved to Poland in 1980.
Laureate of numerous international prizes and medals in various fields of his artistic activity, such as: Grand Prix International Book Illustration Contest in Barcelona (1986), Gold Hugon at the International Poster Festival in Chicago (1987), Silver Medal at the 2nd International Exhibition of Graphic Art in New York (1988), Grand Prix of the 1st International Biennial Exhibition of Book Illustration in Belgrad (1990) and in Bratislava (1991), Gold Medal of the Society of Illustrators in New York and Grand Prix of the International Salon of Poster In Paris (1993), Gold Medal at the 4th International Triennial of Poster in Toyama (Japan, 1994) and Polish Poster Biennale in Katowice (1999) as well as the national Lithuanian orders and awards (Gedymin Order, 2000; National Art Award, 2001; Honored by the Academy of Fine Arts in Vilnius – title of Doctor Honoris Causa, 2009); Silver Medal for Merit to Culture “Gloria Artis” from the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, 2010, Rusian Academy of Arts Honor Member, 2012; Honored with the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, 2019.
He has exhibited in the USA, Switzerland, Japan, Great Britain, Spain, France, Germany and many other countries
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