Opinions & Interviews

“In 2016 which was declared the Year of Culture in Belarus, we will celebrate the anniversaries of several personalities whose art carries importance for many countries. One of them is Leon Bakst, whose art is now on display in Lithuania,” Boris Svetlov said.

Leon Bakst’s Time and Art expo which opened in the Vilnius picture gallery got its name for a reason, Lithuania Culture Minister Sarunas Birutis said. “Leon Bakst was a symbol of the era. The artist was in advance of his time, offered his style, which art lovers in Minsk had a chance to see already. Now is the turn for connoisseurs in Vilnius,” the minister said. Sarunas Birutis expressed confidence that Belarusians and Lithuanians will come up with new projects.

The expo features works of different genres, from paintings to costume and set designs. All in all, it is composed of over 200 works from the museums of Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Russia. The expo also includes seven works by the artist from the collection of Belgazprombank, the owner of the largest private collection of Leon Bakst's easel works in Eastern and Central Europe. The project demonstrates the unity of cultures in Belarus and Lithuania, noted Viktor Babariko, Chairman of the Board of Belgazprombank, who has supported the project.

Leon Bakst (Lev Rosenberg) was born in Grodno in 1866. He was a co-founder of the World of Art artistic movement and the journal of the same name. Leon Bakst made a name for himself as a scene painter for Sergei Diaghilev with the Ballets Russes. He produced scenery for Cleopatra (1909), Scheherazade (1910), Narcisse (1911), Daphnis et Chloe (1912). Today his works are displayed at the world's most prestigious museums.

The expo will be running in Vilnius until 26 June and then will travel to Riga.