M. K. Čiurlionis Is Interesting Not Only in Lithuania - the Tokyo Museum of Western Art Is Also Intrigued by Him
On 8 May, a delegation from the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo visited the Office of the Government. The purpose of their visit was to discuss the possibilities of presenting the works of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis in the Land of the Rising Sun, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of his birth. The Japanese delegation was led by Masayuki Tanaka, Director General of the Museum. The Japanese guests were met by Dr Gabrielė Žaidytė, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Cultural Affairs and Head of the Interinstitutional Working Group for the Promotion and Dissemination of the Heritage of M.K. Čiurlionis' Name and Work; Professor M. K. Rimvydas Laužikas, an expert in cultural history and member of the Commission for the Promotion and Dissemination of the Heritage of Čiurlionis's Name and Work; Matas Drukteinis, a composer and member of the Interinstitutional Working Group; and Dr. Julija Reklaitė, Director of the Lithuanian Culture Institute.
The participants of the delegation were presented with the proposed programme of the 150th anniversary of M. K. Čiurlionis, which includes over a hundred and thirty creative activities not only in Lithuania, but also in Poland, Germany, France, Italy, and other countries. One of the aims of the programme is to ensure that events, concerts, and exhibitions devoted to the artist's work take place not only in the major cities, but also in various regions of the country. It is hoped that the programme will be embellished by a solemn week of celebration of the anniversary of M.K. Čiurlionis, new multilingual texts dedicated to the artist, educational programmes for schoolchildren, and events that will reveal and strengthen the community spirit that the artist believed in.
The aim is to make the name and work of the unique Lithuanian artist resonate around the world, which is why the programme also includes projects reminiscent of Čiurlionis's visions, such as the sounding of his work to the world from the International Space Station.
"Cultural history testifies that Japan has been interested in the work of M. K. Čiurlionis since the 1960s. The Čiurlionis Society, founded on the initiative of musicologist Professor Ichiro Kato, organised the first auditions and exhibitions of reproductions. Later, M. K. Čiurlionis resonated in Japan with the sounds and colours of his music, and we hope that during the celebration of the anniversary in Japan, M. K. Čiurlionis' work will be newly revealed to his admirers and that the circle of his admirers will expand," said the Advisor of the Prime Minister on Cultural Affairs, Head of the Interinstitutional Working Group, Dr G. Žaidytė.
The proposed programme for the national and international commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of M. K. Čiurlionis will be refined and coordinated with the institutions concerned in May, and then submitted to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania for approval. The plan of measures for this programme will be available in June.
