Retro 3: 1st Artist‘s Book Triennial Vilnius 1997

1st-Artists-Book-Triennial-15_GalleryRetro 3: 1st Artist‘s Book Triennial Vilnius 1997

We continue our series of articles about artist’s book exhibitions, organized in Lithuania.

Theme: “Diary: Eight Days”
Time: 23 September – 14 November 1997
Location: Gallery “Kaire Desine”, Vilnius, Lithuania

The “1st International Artist‘s Book Triennial Vilnius 1997” was organized 17 years ago. This was the first attempt to organize the artist’s book exhibition, which recurs every three years. Only 13 European countries participated in the 1st Triennial. But we could say also – it was a lot. Nobody knows on this time where is Lithuania, what kind of the exhibition I organize, do I plan to return books back… But anyway artists sent their artist’s books. And we had not so bad Exhibition.

The “1st International Artist‘s Book Triennial Vilnius 1997” was exhibited in the new gallery “Kaire Desine” in Vilnius. The gallery name means “Left – Right”, because the gallery had two exhibition spaces one on the left and the another on the right side of a staircase. On this time the gallery “Kaire Desine” was new and unknown gallery, it was unpainted with not renovated ceiling. I was after art residency in Germany, and this horrible gallery reminded me the “tank galerie” in Germany, which I like very much. So I left ceiling in concrete, I painted wall in white colour and the wooden floor in grey. Also the gallery had no exhibition showcases, so I decided to make original bookshelves and tables for showing artist’s books from not planed wood, like I have seen in Denmark…

Pictures from the 1st Triennial in the Gallery “Kaire Desine”, 1997.

Many artists come from abroad on the opening of the “1st International Artist‘s Book Triennial Vilnius 1997” and it was great event for Vilnius, and not only. But about that will be another article.

And only now I found some photos made with Film Cameras and printed on a photo paper from this 1st Artist’s Book Triennial. So I scanned it, and I would like to share it with you. I think it could be interesting for you to see how does looks the Exhibition of the “1st International Artist‘s Book Triennial Vilnius 1997”.

Kestutis Vasiliunas
curator of the Triennial