Exhibition of Arts and Crafts in Vilnius 1924: Tradition or Modernity?

Acta Academiae Artium Vilnensis

Abstract

The paper analyses the Exhibition of Arts and Crafts opened on 15 September 1924 at the Vilnius Apollo Cinema and presents the press reviews of artistic critics. Particular attention is paid to artistic craftsmanship which demonstrates the attitude of the exhibition’s organisers to tradition and modernity. Crafts constituted about two thirds of the exhibits. The sec- tion was essentially varied and ranged from the Azarewicz / Azarevich Po- ttery Workshop decorated, according to the journalist of Przegląd Wileński in the “native way”, to graphic layout proposals of the Lux Publishers. In addition to painting, sculpture, monument designs, and the artistic photography of Bułhak, Siemaszko, Wysocki, and Świętochowska were presented with the comment that they constituted the “prime section of Vilnius artistic activity”. Such a wide range of artistic visions allowed various trends in the development of 1920’s Vilnius art to be shown.