"Lithuanian Press Photography. 15 years" exhibition

September 20, 2017 at 18.00 in the exhibition hall of the "Museum of the History of Belarusian Cinema" – the branch of the State Historical Museum of the Republic of Belarus – within the framework of cultural cooperation between the Republic of Lithuania and the Republic of Belarus and in connection with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries will open the exhibition "Lithuanian Press Photography. 15 years". The exhibition presents the best works of the 15th Lithuanian press photo contest – an exceptional annual overview of the most significant events of the modern life of the country through the eyes of professional Lithuanian photographers.

Today, news actively invades our life and the forms of their presentation are modified at unpredictable speed. We are exposed to an increasing flow of information and images; but a reasonable question arises – are we becoming more informed and competent in the issues surrounding us. Sometimes the flow of information begins to irritate, since consumption does not mean understanding. Our perception of what the media are and what they could be are constantly changing. Today we often ask ourselves who and what we can trust. Journalistic ethics, fidelity to professional standards, accuracy and professional responsibility guarantee the confidence of society. The media is increasingly difficult to remain independent, although this is one of the foundations of journalism, which at the same time requires tremendous responsibility. If the belief in photojournalism is lost – photography can turn into one of thousands of sources, which in fact are information noise. The flow of such information becomes impersonal, loses its readers and viewers, and in the end loses its value. The duty of those who create and those who consume is to do everything possible that would not happen.

The initiative of the Lithuanian Press Photographers Club, which brings together more than 50 dedicated professionals, is to hold a national photojournalism competition, which started in 2002, gained social significance and offers an effective platform for a concentrated review and popularization of the Lithuanian press photo. The competition is open to all photographers who work for the Lithuanian press or regularly cooperate with it.

The number of applications received by the organizers of the jubilee contest of press photos of Lithuania was lower because of the introduction of stricter rules, implying a more responsible approach to photojournalism. Participation in the competition was limited exclusively to photographers who constantly collaborate with the media and whose professional work requires great responsibility for every visual message that they put on the public. For the first time, before submitting their photos, the contest participants were to adopt a set of ethical norms and rules of the contest. The main condition was that the photojournalist during the shooting of an event should not influence what is happening. He must be sure that this is not a production. The photographer should in no case take an active part in the event being illuminated, should not change it, try to repeat or direct it. In the visual story, the integrity of the photograph and the sequence of events should be preserved.

National press photo contests are organized around the world, as there are several international competitions. The most important events of the modern rapidly changing world, its joys and problems are reflected in the work of photojournalists through visual language. The Lithuanian press photographers club professes a responsible approach to photojournalism and unites people who understand their vocation. In addition to the task of informing, a modern visual journalist should be ready to involve, inspire and educate.

This jubilee exhibition presents the best works created by photojournalists of Lithuania in 2015 and selected by an international jury. 102 photographers participated in the competition. More than 4000 works were submitted by them in the declared categories: news, life, portrait, the year of Europe, culture, diplomacy, entertainment, army, sport, the environment and its protection, glamor and a photo story / reportage. For the eighth time, the photographers, included in the shortlist, selected the best photo for which the prize was awarded. The only category – "entertainment" – was not bound by the rules of photojournalism and it was allowed to include photos processed with computer programs. In each category, the winner was awarded a Golden Rama award.

The Lithuanian club of press photographers presents the exhibition in Belarus with joy and excitement. This year, it was successfully demonstrated in almost all large and small cities in Lithuania, as well as in the US and Canada. Within the framework of the exhibition there is a portfolio–review and a series of lectures that will be of interest not only to professional photographers, but also to all lovers of documentary photography. The exhibition became possible with the support of the State Historical Museum of the Republic of Belarus and the Lithuanian Embassy in Belarus. The organizers hope that the photos will tell a thousand words more about all aspects of life in Lithuania, which, undoubtedly, will serve to strengthen good–neighborly relations and mutual understanding between our peoples.

The exhibition runs daily from 10–00 to 19–00.

Curators of the exhibition: Viktor Senkov (Belarus) – 375 33 3638828

Jonas Staselis (Lithuania)

Information on the phone. 8 017 327–10–75 or 8 029 627–10–75