Introduction
The Kaunas Biennial stands as Lithuania's premier contemporary art event, establishing itself as a significant cultural force in the Baltic region and beyond. Founded in 1997, it has evolved from a textile art-focused exhibition into a multidisciplinary platform for contemporary art exploration and cultural exchange.
What distinguishes the Kaunas Biennial is its deep engagement with the city's complex historical and cultural context. Located in Lithuania's second-largest city, the Biennial activates various urban spaces, from modernist interwar architecture to Soviet-era industrial sites, creating meaningful dialogues between art, history, and public space.
The Biennial's approach is characterized by a strong curatorial vision that balances local contexts with global perspectives. Each edition explores different thematic frameworks while maintaining connections to the city's layered identity and the broader socio-political landscape of Eastern Europe and the Baltic region.
In the News
Current coverage of Kaunas Biennial
From Threads to Networks: How Kaunas Biennial Wove Lithuania's Post-Soviet Cultural Identity
On a chilly autumn day in 1997, a modest exhibition of textile art opened in Kaunas, Lithuania—a city still finding its footing after decades of Soviet occupation. No one could have predicted that this specialized show would eventually transform into one of Eastern Europe's most dynamic contemporary art platforms, becoming both a mirror and catalyst for Lithuania's post-Soviet cultural renaissance.
The Kaunas Textile Biennial, as it was originally known, emerged from a specific set of historical circumstances. Lithuania had regained independence just seven years earlier, and cultural institutions were navigating the transition from state-controlled systems to new models of artistic freedom. "The textile focus wasn't arbitrary," explains Virginija Vitkienė, the Biennial's longtime director. "Lithuania had a strong tradition of textile art during the Soviet period—it was one area where artists could express themselves somewhat freely while still working within official structures."
This initial focus provided a foundation, but as Lithuania moved further from its Soviet past, the Biennial evolved alongside the country's changing identity. In 2007, a pivotal decision was made to drop "textile" from the name, officially becoming the Kaunas Biennial. This wasn't merely a rebranding exercise but reflected a broader conceptual shift. While textile art remained a component, the event expanded to encompass all contemporary art practices, positioning itself as a platform for exploring Lithuania's place in global artistic dialogues.
What makes the Kaunas Biennial's evolution particularly compelling is how it has consistently engaged with questions of identity, memory, and place—themes that resonate deeply in post-Soviet contexts. Early editions worked through the complicated legacy of Soviet occupation, neither dismissing it entirely nor remaining trapped in its shadow. Later iterations expanded to consider how Lithuania's specific historical experience connects to broader European and global narratives.
Kaunas itself plays a crucial role in this story. During the interwar period (1919-1940), when Vilnius was annexed by Poland, Kaunas served as Lithuania's provisional capital and experienced a remarkable cultural and architectural flourishing. This modernist heritage—now recognized with UNESCO status—provides a rich context for the Biennial's explorations. Soviet-era industrial spaces, interwar modernist buildings, and repurposed public sites have all served as exhibition venues, creating dialogues between artistic interventions and the city's layered history.
The 2017 edition, titled "LANDMARKS: The Public Space of Memory," exemplified this approach. Curator Paulina Pukytė invited artists to create works responding to existing monuments and memory sites throughout Kaunas, examining how public space shapes collective identity. Lithuanian artist Artūras Raila's project "Maironis" transformed a monument to the national poet into a site for re-examining Lithuanian cultural mythology, while Polish artist Karol Radziszewski's "Kaunas in Minsk" traced forgotten cultural connections between Lithuania and Belarus—connections severed by Soviet policies.
The Biennial reached a new level of international recognition in 2015 when renowned French curator Nicolas Bourriaud took the helm for the 10th edition, titled "UNITEXT." Drawing on his influential theory of relational aesthetics, Bourriaud's program examined how globalization affects artistic languages, bringing international attention to Kaunas. Yet significantly, even with this global frame, the exhibition remained grounded in local context, with many works responding to Lithuania's complex position between East and West.
Perhaps the Biennial's most ambitious initiative began in 2017 with the launch of "MagiC Carpets," a Creative Europe platform connecting 15 organizations across Europe. The project—its name a nod to the Biennial's textile origins—supports emerging artists through residencies and commissions, creating a pan-European network with Kaunas at its center. "It's about transforming peripheries into centers," explains project coordinator Benediktas Gylys. "Instead of simply importing art from Western capitals, we're creating multiple centers of artistic production across Europe."
This approach reached a crescendo in 2022 when Kaunas served as European Capital of Culture, with the Biennial playing a central role in the year-long program. For a city once considered provincial, even within Lithuania, this represented a remarkable transformation—from periphery to cultural center, from local tradition to international platform, without sacrificing its distinctive identity.
The Kaunas Biennial's journey reflects broader transitions across Eastern Europe—navigating between memory and future, between local specificities and global connections. Its evolution from a specialized textile exhibition to a multifaceted cultural platform demonstrates how art can function as both witness to and agent of social transformation. As Lithuania continues to define its place in contemporary Europe, the Biennial offers a model for cultural institutions that neither erase their histories nor remain confined by them, but instead weave them into new patterns of meaning.
Artistic Vision & Themes
The Kaunas Biennial has developed a distinctive thematic approach that engages with memory, identity, and public space while connecting local contexts with global perspectives. Each edition explores specific aspects of these overarching concerns through carefully developed curatorial frameworks.
Recent Themes
"Long-distance Friendships" (2023) - The 14th edition explored transnational solidarity and connections that transcend geographical and political boundaries. Co-curated with Latvia's Survival Kit 14, it examined relationships between artists and communities across borders, particularly from post-colonial and post-socialist perspectives.
"After Leaving / Before Arriving" (2019) - The 12th edition focused on the concepts of transition, passage, and in-between states, reflecting both the historical experiences of Kaunas and contemporary global phenomena of migration and change. The exhibition explored how identities are shaped during periods of transition.
"LANDMARKS: The Public Space of Memory" (2017) - This edition investigated monuments, memory, and historical narratives in public space. Curator Paulina Pukytė's vision examined how collective memory is constructed and negotiated through monuments and public artworks.
"UNITEXT" (2015) - Curated by Nicolas Bourriaud, this edition explored the relationship between visual arts and language, developing what Bourriaud described as "semionautic" practices that navigate between different sign systems and cultural contexts.
Key Focus Areas
Throughout its various iterations, the Biennial has consistently engaged with several core areas of inquiry:
- Post-Soviet Identity - Examining the cultural and social transformations following Lithuania's independence
- Public Space & Urban Memory - Investigating how art can activate and reframe urban environments and historical sites
- Cross-Cultural Dialogue - Creating platforms for exchange between Eastern and Western European perspectives
- Community Engagement - Developing participatory projects that involve local residents and communities
- Interdisciplinary Approaches - Expanding beyond visual arts to incorporate performance, sound, literature, and other disciplines
By consistently engaging with these themes while remaining responsive to contemporary developments, the Kaunas Biennial has established itself as an important platform for critical reflection on the complexities of Baltic identity and its relationship to broader European and global contexts.
History & Legacy
The Kaunas Biennial was established in 1997 as the "Kaunas Textile Biennial," initially focusing on textile art and reflecting Lithuania's strong tradition in this medium. Over the years, it has evolved significantly, broadening its scope to encompass a wide range of contemporary art practices while maintaining connections to its textile roots.
This evolution reflects broader transitions in Lithuania's cultural landscape following the country's independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. As Lithuania reoriented itself toward Europe and developed its contemporary cultural identity, the Biennial emerged as a platform for navigating these shifts and connecting local artistic practices with international discourses.
A key turning point came in 2007 when the event was reformatted as the Kaunas Biennial, dropping the "textile" specification while maintaining textile art as one of its components. This strategic shift allowed the Biennial to engage more fully with contemporary art's diverse expressions while still honoring its distinctive origins.
Subsequent editions have been characterized by experimental curatorial approaches, often employing collaborative models and multi-curator structures. This has enabled the Biennial to explore various perspectives while maintaining consistent engagement with the historical, social, and urban contexts of Kaunas.
First edition of the Kaunas Textile Biennial established, focused on contemporary textile art
Rebranded as the Kaunas Biennial, expanding beyond textiles to encompass diverse contemporary art forms
10th edition curated by Nicolas Bourriaud, bringing international recognition through his "relational aesthetics" approach
Launch of "MagiC Carpets" platform, significantly expanding the Biennial's international reach
Biennial coincides with Kaunas European Capital of Culture programming, creating a unique cultural moment for the city
14th edition explores "Long-distance Friendships" in collaboration with Survival Kit 14 in Latvia
From the Art World
Contemporary art news and visual culture from leading sources
Sources: Hyperallergic • ARTnews • This is Colossal
Notable Projects
Over its history, the Kaunas Biennial has presented numerous innovative projects that exemplify its thematic concerns and engagement with the city's context. Here are some notable projects from recent editions:
"Community Ties" - Mykola Ridnyi
A multimedia installation examining connections between Ukrainian and Lithuanian communities through archival materials and personal stories, creating dialogue across post-Soviet experiences.
"Echo Chamber" - Jana Winderen
A site-specific sound installation in an abandoned factory space, transforming industrial architecture into an immersive acoustic environment that explored the site's historical resonances.
"Temporary Monument" - Andrius Arutiunian
A public space intervention that reimagined monument forms through temporary structures, questioning the permanence of historical narratives and inviting community participation.
"Threads of Memory" - Anicka Yi
A large-scale textile and olfactory installation connecting to Kaunas' textile heritage while incorporating biotechnology and synthetic materials to explore sensory experience.
These projects reflect the Biennial's commitment to creating meaningful dialogue between art, history, and community while remaining at the forefront of contemporary artistic practices.
Exhibition Venues
One of the distinctive aspects of the Kaunas Biennial is its use of diverse venues throughout the city, ranging from purpose-built galleries to repurposed industrial spaces and public sites. This approach creates meaningful dialogues between contemporary art and the city's rich architectural heritage.
Kaunas Picture Gallery
A modernist building constructed in 1979 that serves as one of the main institutional venues for the Biennial, providing conventional gallery spaces for exhibitions.
Kaunas Central Post Office
A landmark of interwar modernist architecture completed in 1931, this historically significant building offers unique exhibition spaces with distinctive architectural character.
Former "Drobė" Textile Factory
An industrial space that connects to Kaunas' textile heritage, providing raw, atmospheric settings for large-scale installations and site-specific works.
Public Urban Spaces
Various locations throughout Kaunas' urban fabric where art interventions create direct engagement with the city's daily life and historical narrative.
This distributed approach to exhibition-making has become a defining characteristic of the Kaunas Biennial, distinguishing it from more centralized models of biennials and creating unique experiences for visitors who engage with both art and city simultaneously.
Video Experience
Explore the atmosphere and artistic approach of the Kaunas Biennial through this video tour of exhibition spaces and featured artworks from a recent edition.
Video: Kaunas Biennial Exhibition Tour | Watch on YouTube
Location
The Kaunas Biennial takes place across multiple venues throughout Kaunas, Lithuania's second-largest city, with different sites utilized for each edition.
Kaunas City Guide
Navigate Lithuania's cultural heart with our insider's guide to Kaunas, from modernist architecture to vibrant art districts and hidden cultural gems beyond the biennial venues.
UNESCO-recognized interwar buildings
Lithuania's most famous artist
Historic hillside railway with views
Pedestrian boulevard with cafes
Cultural Districts
- 📍 Old Town: Historic center with Kaunas Castle and Town Hall Square
- 📍 Žaliakalnis: Hillside district with interwar villas and Christ's Resurrection Basilica
- 📍 Šančiai: Former industrial area with emerging art spaces
- 📍 Confluence: Where Nemunas and Neris rivers meet, with Kaunas Fortress
Getting Around
Kaunas has an efficient public transport system of trolleybuses and buses. During the Biennial, special routes connect major venues. The compact city center is easily walkable, with most venues within 20 minutes of each other on foot. Taxis and ride-sharing services are also readily available.