Human Baltic – Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Photo Exhibition in Tokyo

On May 27th, a Baltic photo exhibition, HUMAN BALTIC, opened at the prestigious Spiral Garden Gallery in Tokyo. The exhibition presents a collection of humanistic photography from the Baltic States’ treasure trove, an interactive app about the Baltic Way, discussions, a catalogue, and a charity art auction.

Diversity and Firsts in Japan

The joint Baltic humanistic photography exhibition in Japan showcases prints from the Baltic photography treasure trove – from the 1960s to the 1990s. The collection was curated by Dr. Agnė Narušytė (Lithuania) along with curators Iveta Gabaliņa (ISSP, Latvia), Toomas Järvet, and Kristel Aimee Laur (Juhan Kuus Documentary Photography Centre, Estonia). Together, they selected over 120 works by fifteen internationally renowned photographers from the Baltic States.

Despite the photographers working with different techniques and themes, they are united by a humanistic photography approach: capturing everyday life, sometimes mundane and boring, other times romanticized; sometimes, the human figure is absent or insignificant in the picture. The collection introduces exhibition visitors to the villages and farmsteads of the Baltic States, the rhythm of market and city life, Baltic nature, and censored or previously unpublicized images. “What may seem mundane and too simple to us can evoke interest in the Japanese, allowing them to get to know the character of the Baltic people,” summarizes the exhibition producer Sergej Grigorjev.

According to curator Agnė Narušytė, humanistic photography in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, like elsewhere in the world, reflected the joys and concerns of humanity. However, in our region, Soviet ideology demanded an embellished image of workers and collective farm paradises from artists, so humanistic photography in the Baltic States represented a constant struggle for freedom of expression, identity, and memory. This is what determined the selection of photographs for the exhibition, including critical, ironic deviations and examples of the genre of nudes, which were negated during the Soviet era.

The exhibition features Estonian artists Arno Saar, Ene Kärema, Kalju Suur, Peeter Tooming, Peeter Langovits, and Tiit Veermäe. Lithuanian authors: Algimantas Kunčius, Algirdas Šeškus, Aleksandras Macijauskas, Violeta Bubelytė, Romualdas Požerskis; Latvian: Andrejs Grants, Gvido Kajons, Gunārs Binde, Zenta Dzividzinska, Māra Brašmane.

The Baltic Way Interactive App and Art Auction for Ukraine

The exhibition’s final stop is an interactive app inviting Tokyo residents to learn about the Baltic Way, which united two million people. The app offers a route around the gallery through Tokyo’s streets and alleys, presenting unseen photographs, rare video material, historical commentary, and new media content. The bilingual app “The Baltic Way” can be downloaded for free from the App Store and Google Play.

The exhibition works bear witness to Soviet restrictions on freedom and resonate with the current situation in Ukraine. Therefore, a boutique auction is being organized for Tokyo art lovers, with works donated by the exhibition’s photographers. The proceeds will be used to support Ukrainian refugees in Japan.

Organizers: NGO “Cultural and Organizational Ideas,” ISSP, Latvia, Juhan Kuus Documentary Photography Centre. Sponsors: Baltic Culture Fund, Tokyo Arts Council, Toshiba International Foundation, Lithuanian Council for Culture, EU-Japan Fest, SIGMA, Artglass, UPS, “Printing Department.” Partners: Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Japan.

Estonian supporter: Estonian Culture Abroad