Today, the Lithuanian city of Panevėžys is celebrating the opening of The Stasys Museum, which has been designed to be a cultural phenomenon and a hub for international art. Named after the acclaimed artist Stasys Eidrigevičius, the museum 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.
With an investment of over 10 million euros, Panevėžys is establishing a new cultural centre that will host the extensive collection of Stasys Eidrigevičius while also creating a social space featuring a gastro-cafe, the city’s panoramic rooftop terrace, and a soon-to-open cinema dedicated to non-commercial films. Located halfway between the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, and the Latvian capital, Riga, Panevėžys 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, said, “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 centre of attraction for art.”
International Artistic Hub Emerges in Panevėžys with the Opening of Stasys Museum
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 that have a connection with Stasys Eidrigevičius or meet the curative vision of the museum.
“Stasys Museum fills a vacuum by making internationally recognised art accessible in the region, thus tangibly contributing to 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 “the extraordinary solo exhibition by renowned Austrian artist Hermann Nitsch, who was 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,” said 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 Lithuanian Season festival in France starting in November. The exhibition will showcase Stasys’ numerous one-line drawings on paper and large-scale paintings on canvas. It will also be part of the Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale 2024 program.
“This is just the beginning of a new museum with global ambitions resulting in tangible partnerships,” said Museum Director Vaida Andrijauskaitė.
Celebrating Stasys Eidrigevičius: Museum Dedicated to the Artist’s Global Legacy
At the ICON – O – STASYS exhibit, spanning over 1,000 square meters across three museum floors and outdoor installation, visitors follow the artistic evolution of Stasys Eidrigevičius. From growing up in a farmhouse near Panevėžys to his surrealistic reflections of Soviet times, guests will uncover the biographical threads woven into Eidrigevičius’ art, showcasing the artist’s journey from rural Lithuania to global acclaim.
Throughout his life, Eidrigevičius has conducted over 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 painting, 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 Arts 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,” said Andrijauskaitė.
A well-known artist globally, Eidrigevičius is an especially significant figure in Poland, where he has resided since 1980. His influence on Polish art was formally recognised in 2019 when he received the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit, underscoring his substantial contributions to the Polish artistic community. Andrijauskaitė noted that nearly 100 visitors from Poland have already signed up for the museum’s opening night.
Transforming Panevėžys: The New Museum as a Community Project
Driven by a vision to reshape Panevėžys from within, community involvement is central to the museum’s mission. “One of the key pillars of the museum’s strategies is to involve local communities as much as possible,” says Andrijauskaitė.
With a diverse and inclusive team of nearly 100 volunteers, the museum has become a communal project, fostering a sense of ownership among the locals.
The Stasys Museum will be open to the public from May 31. Visitors are invited to discover the ICON – O – STASYS exhibition, which will be on display until November 2024, and explore the monumental yet minimalistic architecture of the new museum. Simplicity, logic and fantasy are the three keywords that describe the concept designed by IMPLMNT architects Aurimas Syrusas, Greta Šidlauskaitė and Ričardas Bertašius.
Photograph of Stasys Eidrigevičius by Ignacy Eidrigevičius.