Art museums

The open-air Paupys Art Gallery is open to everyone and aims to provide an insight into contemporary public art. This genre is special in several ways. Firstly, outdoor works have a long life. On the other hand, such art objects have an important social function – to transform urban space and create a relationship with passers-by, with the atmosphere of the place and history.

One of the oldest and largest art museums in Lithuania is the one place in the world where almost the entire legacy of Lithuania’s most notable artist – M. K. Čiurlionis – has been accumulated. The collection includes both paintings and graphic art as well as musical works. The synthesis of music and visual art are the artist’s signature trait, and this is conveyed beautifully in the museum as well: the modern gallery has paintings on display, and in the adjacent music hall, visitors can dive into the depths of the sounds of M. K. Čiurlionis.

This multifunctional arts and culture centre presents contemporary Lithuanian painting, graphic art, sculpture, photography, objects, installations and video art from the 20th and 21st centuries in both permanent and changing exhibitions. Works by the best artists in the country, unexpected angles, and the most relevant topics of art and culture – all this is the focus of the National Gallery of Art. The gallery also has a modern multimedia library where visitors are free to use the publications of the Arts Information Centre.

MO Museum is an open and vibrant cultural space – the home of modern and contemporary art in Lithuania where Lithuanian works that haven’t been seen in the global context find their place. The museum currently has 4,500 pieces by 226 artists on display, including paintings, graphic art, sculpture, photography and video art. MO Museum was designed by Daniel Libeskind, a renowned architect who dictates international architectural trends.

By the sea, in Palanga, the road might unexpectedly take you to... France. The house of the famous Lithuanian sculptor Antanas Mončys, who lived in France, is brimming with the scent and taste of this country. His works only returned to his homeland in times of freedom. The sculptor donated most of his collection to Lithuania and asked that it be put on permanent display in Palanga. Not only on display – you can touch the sculptures here!

Vytautas Kasiulis was one of the most interesting painters of the School of Paris in the second half of the 20th century. His creative legacy is on display at the museum: a collection of 950 paintings and his personal archive. Visitors are invited not only to view the original works of art, but also to dive deeper into the world of painting – there are animated interactive games and creative educational programmes for children and adults, as well as cultural programmes catered for guests with special needs.

The collections of the museum housed in the Old Arsenal of the Lower Castle in Vilnius include Lithuanian and foreign works of fine and applied art from the 14th century to this day. In collaboration with the foundation of fashion historian Alexandre Vassiliev, the museum often presents authentic collections of 18th–20th century clothes and accessories from Lithuania and around the world.

Housed in the Plungė palace of the Ogiński dukes, the regional art museum collects and exhibits the works of Samogitian artists who are spread out around the world, and presents cultural heritage that reflects the history of Plungė and the Ogiński family.

The cultural and natural heritage of the palace park are brought back to life through technology – visitors are invited to attend tours dedicated to plants, animals and culture, where live walks are complemented by the stories presented in the mobile app.

This, the country’s largest centre of contemporary art, presents the latest and most relevant pieces by artists from Lithuania and other countries, as well as retrospective 20th–21st century art exhibitions.

Alongside the unexpected compositions, artistic installations or video projections, the centre also features the George Maciunas Fluxus Cabinet, named after one of the most notable founders of the experimental art movement. The visitor experience is supplemented by the films shown in the cinema hall and the publications in the modern reading room.

This museum displays the creative legacy of Samuel Bak, who was born in Vilnius and held his first exhibition inside the Vilna Ghetto. The collection, which the artist donated to Lithuania, range from 1945 to 2012. This is the first and only museum in the world dedicated to the work of this artist. The works of art in the modern exhibition are complemented by audio recordings of the artist’s own thoughts and stories. Also on display is the book that Bak drew in when he was forced into the Vilna Ghetto at the age of nine.