Vilnius Painting Triennial history

Vilnius Painting Triennials have a substantial history and were started in 1969. Their initiator was a famous Lithuanian painter Jonas Švažas (1925–1976). Triennials are held every 3 years by the Lithuanian Artist’s Association (only the 12th Vilnius Triennale took place not three years later, but four years later, in 2001).

At the beginning, painters from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were invited to the Vilnius painting triennial, and the works of the last 3-4 years were presented. Thus, the primary goal of the triennials was to show what was the most innovative, mature and interesting in the art of that time. On the other hand, during the Soviet era, it was a kind of proof of Baltic solidarity (graphics triennials were held in Tallinn from 1968, sculpture quadrennials from 1972 in Riga) and marked the desire to resist socialist realism and political ideology.

After the restoration of independence, painters from other countries of the Baltic Sea region were also invited to the Vilnius painting triennial. Whether in the 80’s the aim was to include the diversity of the 20th century art experience (although the selection was carried out by the Art Councils), by the end of the 20th century retrospective character of the previous triennials was avoided, the trend of conceptualization became apparent, and compilation of artworks was entrusted to curators selected by competition.

Triennials were accompanied by catalogs, sometimes thematic reviews and retrospective exhibitions. Traditionally, Vilnius painting triennials were held in the Vilnius Art Exhibition Hall (now the Contemporary Art Center), later they moved to other exhibition spaces. in 2020 the XVII International Triennial of Vilnius Painting was held.