The Best Contemporary Art Galleries in Vilnius, Lithuania
Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania, has a thriving art community, with many art galleries, which makes it an excellent cultural destination and weekend break. It is also very easy to reach from the UK and most major European cities, with companies such as Ryanair and Wizz Air providing cheap flights to Vilnius Airport.
Vilnius is an historic city and was once the centre of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania between the 13th and 18th centuries and a key cultural centre of influence for Eastern Europe. The Old Town still retains the historic charm and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Vilnius’ role as a centre of cultural and artistic creativity was reaffirmed when it was named the 2009 European City of Culture. There were over 1,000 cultural events organised, and one of the most prominent projects was ARTscape, an initiative of unique contemporary visual arts, jazz and cinema.
Today, Vilnius is still a key artistic centre with a focus on the development and expression of modern contemporary art that reflects its recent past and its movement through the 21st Century. Alongside its rich concentration of contemporary galleries, it also has a diverse mixture of galleries ranging from collections of national treasures to cutting-edge jewellery and textiles.
Depending on how long you have in Vilnius, I would suggest focusing your time on the Contemporary Art Centre, The MO Museum, National Gallery of Art and the vibrant street art - I have provided more details of each of these below. If you have more time, there are many more wonderful and inspirational smaller galleries to explore. For your convenience, I have listed these out, so you can easily find them during your stay.
I have included opening times for most of the galleries that are correct at the time of writing this blog post, but please check the latest information before your visit. If you know of any other galleries that you think should be added to my list, I would love to hear about them!
Table on Contents
Contemporary Art Centre
The Contemporary Art Centre is one of the largest contemporary art venues in the Baltics.
The Contemporary Art Centre is located in the Old Town of Vilnius, and is conveniently located close to a number of other museums and galleries, as well as a variety of cafes and restaurants, making it a great destination to leisurely spend a few hours.
The Contemporary Art Centre aims to enrich the cultural life of the city by displaying local and international contemporary art. Each year there is a diverse range of exhibitions as well as performances and film screenings. Also, every three years it organises the Baltic Triennial – an ambitious contemporary art project.
The Reading Room provides free access to the largest resource of contemporary art publications in Lithuania, whilst the Sculpture Yard has an interesting open-air display of modern sculptures. The exhibitions tend to be temporary, and the only permanent exhibition is the George Maciunas Fluxus Cabinet, a collection dedicated to the Fluxus art movement, an international avant-garde collective or network of artists and composers founded in the 1960s.
Please note that the Contemporary Art Centre will be temporarily closed between the end of 2021 and Summer 2022 for refurbishment, but special events are being organised in other venues in the city and nearby towns. Please check their website for a schedule of events.
Address: Contemporary Art Centre, Vokiečių 2, LT–01130 Vilnius, Lithuania
Street Art in Vilnius
In amongst the historic streets of Villnuis there are a number of eye catching surprises. The city has a rich tapestry of street art, with urban murals by Millo, Os Gemeos, Rank Petrol amongst others. The street art takes on many forms, from geometric shapes to political messages.
There are lots of locations to see street art. The Užupis District, Literatai Street and Pylimo all have a concentration of street art.
Užupis is a neighbourhood in Vilnius, it forms part of the Old Town and lies to the east of Vilnia River. The district is very popular with artists, and has been compared to Montmartre in Paris, due to its bohemian streetlife. This area has even proclaimed itself its own republic, although this is not recognised officially, and may be made in jest. This artistic and mischievous attitude has encouraged Užupis to become a key centre within Vilnius for street art – making this area an open-air gallery. The best examples can be found along the Vilnia River, and close to the trumpeting angel at the square in the centre of Užupis, where there is an alley full of colourful graffiti and street art.
Literatai Street is very unique and narrow road in Villnuis. The walls of the street are decorated with over 200 artistic tributes to various Lithuanian authors. These artworks take the form of predominantly small metal, wood, and glass effigies, as well as other plaques. The Modern Art Centre is also located on Literatai Street.
Pylimo g. is a long road to the south-west of the Old Town. There are a number of excellent street art examples along here - the kiss between President Putin and Donald Trump was once a popular artwork for a while, but that has since been painted over.
On the wall behind this famous kiss remains work by the well known street art duo, Os Gemeos. Os Gemeos hail from São Paulo and visited Vilnius duding the Street Art Festival to pay respect to their Lithuanian grandfather. The mural depicts him sitting in the palm of their signature character. I have written about Os Gemeos before, in my blog post about street art in Lisbon, Portugal, where other excellent examples of their work can be found.
There is also a square near Pylimo that has been renamed ‘the Frank Zappa square’. This square used to have a statue of the communist leader Lenin, but it has been replaced with the head of the American artist Frank Zappa, whose music was popular and symbolic during the time of Lithuania independence.
There are many murals found throughout the city, including the following:
Beatrices g. 4 – ‘Inkilas’ is a piece by contemporary artist Kipras Petrulis. This image is of a living object that thinks and evaluates.
Gediminopr. 29a - A painting of Frida Kahlo by local artist Paule Bocullaite. It is opposite a sculpture of Lithuanian writer Zemaite (not pictured here).
Liubarto Bridge – The two structural pillars include images of Titan Atlas, from Greek mythology, holding the sky on his shoulders, these pieces are by Ernest Zacharevic.
Kauno g.1 by Sepe and Chazme – The street artist pair from Warsaw, Poland created this painting on Kauno Street.
The MO Museum
The MO Muziejus (MO Museum) building was designed by Daniel Libeskind, and acts as a new local landmark of contemporary architecture at the edge of Vilnius Old Town and New Town.
The MO Museum, founded by two scientists, Danguolė and Viktoras Butkai, contains one of the largest private collections of modern and contemporary art from the 1960s until the present day. The MO Museum seeks to bring art closer to the people, by making the visitor experience more engaging. It costs €9 per adult or €11 for a family ticket. The gallery is closed on Tuesdays, but is otherwise open 10am to 8pm.
National Gallery of Art
The Nacionalinė dailės galerija (Lithuanian National Gallery of Art) is located on the northern bank of the Neris River and about a mile to the north of the Old Town. It can also be reached by bus with its own 'Nacionalinė dailės galerija' stop.
The Lithuanian National Gallery of Art is located in a very distinctive 20th century building that was originally designed in 1968 for the Museum of the Revolution. It is now a state-of-the-art multifunctional arts and cultural centre that contains a number of large spaces, including ten rooms for permanent displays and two for temporary exhibitions, with a focus on the collection, research and presentation of Lithuanian art of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The permanent display presents approximately 450 works by Lithuanian artists, covering modern and contemporary painting, sculpture, graphic arts, photography, installations and video art. The works include the influences of the Lithuanian art movement; World War II; Soviet occupation; socialist realism – all of which have contributed to a thriving modernist tradition in Lithuania.
The entrance cost is €5 adults and €2.50 for students. The gallery is generally open between 11am and 7pm most days, and between 11am and 5pm on Sundays, but these times may vary so please check their website before you visit.
Address: National Gallery of Art, Konstitucijos pr. 22, LT-08105 Vilnius, Lithuania
The smaller galleries worth exploring in Vilnius
There are many smaller contemporary galleries in Vilnius worth exploring, with the majority of these being located close to each other in the Old Town. I have listed the main ones below:
Gallery Vartai
Vartai Gallery is conveniently located in the Old Town and is just over a 5 minute walk away from The Contemporary Art Centre, so the two could be visited during the same afternoon.
Vartai Gallery is a private gallery with a focus on contemporary art, from emerging Lithuanian artists through to established international artists. The gallery also hosts concerts, discussions, and workshops. Vartai Gallery was a key venue when Vilnius was designated European Capital of Culture in 2009, and used this event to launch ARTscape, an important art educational project.
Vartai gallery is open Fridays between 2pm and 6pm and Saturdays between 12pm and 4pm.
Address: Galerija Vartai Vilniaus g. 39 LT-01119 Vilnius Lithuania
(AV17) Gallery
(AV17) Gallery is a fairly new gallery just to the north of the Old Town. It has a focus on contemporary object, sculpture and installation art, and actively seeks promising young local artists. In September 2021, the gallery participated in the POSITIONS contemporary art fair in Berlin, Germany. (AV17) Gallery is open between 12pm and 7pm, Tuesday to Saturday.
Address: (AV17) Gallery, Totorių str. 5, 01121 Vilnius, Lithuania
SV. Jono Gatves Galerija
The SV. Jono Gatves Galerija (St. Johns Street Gallery) is located in the 16th Century, Gothic cellars below the streets of Old Vilnius. The space is very unique, and creates an excellent art venue. This gallery displays Lithuanian and international artwork. SV. Jono Gatves Galerija is open between 12pm and 7pm Tuesday to Friday and 12pm to 4pm on Saturdays.
Address: Šv. Jono gatvės galerija, Šv. Jono g. 11, Vilnius 01123, Lithuania
Stained Glass Manufactory
Stained Glass Manufactory is located in the heart of Vilnius Old Town, and offers something a little different, specialising in architectural stained glass and glass design. It also provides a number of courses for adults and children. The gallery is open Monday to Friday between 1pm and 7pm and Saturday and Sunday between 11am and 7pm. Admission is free, but there are paid for tours of the museum.
Address: Stained Glass Manufactory, Stiklių st. 6/8 LT-01131, Vilnius
Gallery “Terra recognita”
Gallery “Terra recognita” is another fairly new gallery space, having been established in 2009 to display the works of Lithuanian artist, ‘Saulius Vaitiekūnas’. This is a unique gallery space that explores different forms of expression through small stones, jewellery, monumental sculptural objects and statuesque and conceptual installations. Saulius Vaitiekūnas aims to engage the spectator not by one object, but by the collective view of the exhibit. The gallery is open Monday to Sunday between 10am and 9pm. Gallery “Terra recognita” and Stained Glass Manufactory are very close to each and could be combined as part of the same visit.
Address: Gallery Terra Recognita ,Stiklių g. 7, Vilnius LT-01131
Arkos Dailės Dalerija
Gallery Arka is one of the largest Contemporary Art Galleries in the Old Town and is located in the old buildings of a former Basilian Monastery. This gallery puts on around 30 exhibitions each year and has strong collaborations with artists, other galleries, art museums and other institutions. It displays a broad range of media, from glass art exhibitions to drawings and prints and regularly organises cultural events. The gallery is open between 12pm and 7pm, Tuesday to Friday and 12pm to 4pm on Saturday.
Address: Arkos dailės galerija, Aušros vartu str. 7, LT - 01304 Vilnius
Vilniaus Grafikos Meno Centras
Vilniaus grafikos meno centras (Vilnius Graphic Arts Centre) is located to the east of the Old Town. It has two exhibition halls and has a regular programme of individual and group exhibitions, and is involved in several art projects across the world. It also has a shop where artists can purchase graphic sheets to cater for various styles and techniques. Vilniaus grafikos meno centras provides a space for graphic artists, photographers and painters, to present their work to the public. The centre includes works from the following mediums: intaglio printing; relief printmaking; plane printmaking; and stencil printing.
Address: Vilnius Graphic Arts Center, Latako str. 3, Vilnius LT-01125, Lithuania
Tsekh Vilnius
Tsekh Vilnius is located about a mile to the west of the Old Town, in the former ‘Builders House of Culture’ building. It can be reached by foot by walking through the picturesque Naujamiestis. Tsekh Vilnius opened in 2012 and is the Lithuanian branch of Tsekh Kiev. This gallery displays contemporary Ukrainian art, and particularly experimental art in the form of objects, installations, space decisions, new media, etc. Tsekh Vilnius is free to visit, and is open Tuesday to Saturday, between 2pm and 8 pm
Address: Vytenio Street 6, Vilnius
Meno Niša Galerija
Meno Niša is a contemporary gallery located within the Old Town. It exhibits the works of established contemporary artists, as well as emerging artists. It regularly participates in the Vilnius Art fair, as well as international art fairs in cities such as Budapest, Berlin, Vienna and Verona. Recent exhibitions have included ‘Something Happened…’ by the winners of the National Art Prize Rūta Katiliūtė and Vladimir Tarasov – an abstract video and audio exhibition. It also organises international projects with other galleries. This gallery is open Tuesday to Friday, between 12pm and 6pm and on Saturdays between 12pm and 4pm.
Address: J. Basanavičiaus g. 1,LT – 01118 Vilnius
Galerija Aidas
Galerija Aidas is located to the north of the Old Town and close to the southern banks of the Neris River. Galerija Aidas is one of the oldest private galleries in Lithuania, and displays artworks from the 1960s until the present day. Back in the 1990s, the gallery hosted an exhibition by Group 24, one of the new art groups that formed after independence from the Soviet Union. Gallery “AIDAS” represents a wide range of artists – from artists who have won the ‘Lithuanian National Price for Culture and Arts’ to young and potential students. The gallery is open Tuesday to Friday between 12pm and 6pm and Saturday between 12pm and 4pm.
Address: Galerija Aidas, Jaksto street 9, Vilnius, Lithuania
I hope you have found this blog post useful. If you have visited any of these galleries, I would love to hear your thoughts or if you feel one of your favourites is missing from the list, please email me and let me know at [email protected].
