{"id":23787,"date":"2025-03-19T13:57:14","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T11:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lndm.devmerit.com\/nacionaline-dailes-galerija\/parodos\/silver-girls-retouched-history-of-baltic-photography\/"},"modified":"2025-03-19T13:57:14","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T11:57:14","slug":"silver-girls-retouched-history-of-baltic-photography","status":"publish","type":"paroda","link":"https:\/\/lndm.devmerit.com\/en\/national-gallery-of-art\/exhibitions\/silver-girls-retouched-history-of-baltic-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"Silver Girls.\u00a0Retouched History of Baltic Photography\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/span>The exhibition presents a selection of works by twenty-one early women photographers from the Baltic States. Some of their stories significantly contribute to art history, while others serve as small but essential expansions of an existing view of our shared past. Placed in dialogue with contemporary artists from the same region, mirroring each other between different centuries, practices, and topics, their stories become a part of a larger narrative of the development of photography.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When photography arrived in the Baltics, it quickly captivated the nobility, including noblewomen, who embraced it as a hobby. With the rise of commercial photography in the early 20th century, women found employment in the emerging industry. Though many of them worked in the shadow of their male counterparts \u2013 often as retouchers, copyists, or assistants \u2013 others managed to set up their own studios, shaping images of the world that would please the customer while actively participating in photography’s pursuit to become art.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Silver Girls<\/span><\/i> invites viewers to rediscover the forgotten stories of women photographers in the Baltics through the surface of a physical and metaphorical reflector of truth \u2013 the mirror \u2013 which has played a significant role in making the photographic image itself. It is the play of reflections, in which the lost and found, the destroyed and recovered, the denied and accepted, converge into the present narrative we choose to trust, a particular type of mirror we choose to look into.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, most of us perceive photography daily in a much more straightforward manner, as a functional medium, as a simple and sincere means to preserve fleeting memories, like artist Di\u0101na Tamane\u2019s flower-loving grandmother, whose photo albums inspired the series <\/span>Flower Smuggler<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite its universal appeal, the development of photography in the three Baltic countries is rarely explored in parallel, partly due to language barriers. Goda Palekait\u0117\u2019s installation <\/span>Lunar Sisterhood<\/span><\/i> bridges this divide by drawing on the fundamental essence of photography \u2013 light. It uses the mystical form of the full moon as a unifying force around which the exhibition\u2019s spirits gather. In contrast, Marge Monko\u2019s video <\/span>Sheer Indulgence<\/span><\/i> uses the seductive yet oppressive language of commercial imagery, which has historically provided women with both income and independence.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Silver Girls<\/span><\/i> exhibition project first took place in 2020 at the Tartu Art Museum. It showed selected works by ten early women photographers from Estonia and Latvia paired with works by contemporary European artists contemplating our visual history’s lost and neglected aspects. Now, the initial selection of the photographers has been expanded, bringing together all three Baltic countries and their stories.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Early women photographers from Estonia:<\/span><\/b> Olga Dietze, Helena Fendt, Emilie Johanson, Anna Kukk, Marie Keerd,\u00a0 Hilja Riet, Lydia Tarem<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Early women photographers from Latvia:<\/span><\/b> L\u016bcija Alutis-Kreicberga, Antonija Heni\u0146a, Minna Kakti\u0146a, Em\u012blija Mergupe, Marta P\u013cavi\u0146a, Em\u012blija Raguel-L\u0101c\u012bte, \u0112rika Zari\u0146a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Early women photographers from Lithuania:<\/span><\/b> Zinaida Bliumentalien\u0117, Aleksandra Jura\u0161aityt\u0117, Antanina Laucien\u0117, Paulina Mongirdait\u0117, Veronika \u0160leivyt\u0117, Domicel\u0117 Tarabildait\u0117-Tarabildien\u0117, Jadvyga Vaitaitien\u0117-Markevi\u010di\u016bt\u0117<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Contemporary artists: <\/span><\/b>Marge Monko, Di\u0101na Tamane, Goda Palekait\u0117<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Curated by \u0160elda Pu\u0137\u012bte, Agn\u0117 Naru\u0161yt\u0117 and Indrek Grigor<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Exhibition architects:\u00a0 Mindaugas Reklaitis, Kristijonas Nenartavi\u010dius<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Graphic designer: Aleksandra Samu\u013cenkova<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Producing designer:\u00a0 Ugn\u0117 Bal\u010di\u016bnait\u0117<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Copy-editors: Ieva Puluikien\u0117, Emma Stirling, Agn\u0117 Naru\u0161yt\u0117<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Translators: Au\u0161ra Simanavi\u010di\u016bt\u0117, Agn\u0117 Naru\u0161yt\u0117<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Coordinators of the exhibition: Ieva Maz\u016brait\u0117-Novickien\u0117, Ernestas Parulskis<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Partners: Tartu Art Museum, Wunder Kombinat, NoRoutine Books<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Collaboration partners: Aizkraukles V\u0113stures un m\u0101kslas muzejs, Bir\u017e\u0173 kra\u0161to muziejus “S\u0117la”, Eesti Rahvusraamatukogu, Fotomuuseum Hiiumaa Muuseumid, Kauno miesto muziejus, Kauno regioninis valstyb\u0117s archyvas, Kretingos muziejus, Kupi\u0161kio etnografijos muziejus, Latvijas Fotogr\u0101fijas muzejs, Latvijas Nacion\u0101lais m\u0101kslas muzejs, Latvijas Universit\u0101tes Akad\u0113misk\u0101 bibliot\u0113ka, Lietuvos aviacijos muziejus, Lietuvos moksl\u0173 akademijos Vrublevski\u0173 biblioteka, Lietuvos nacionalin\u0117 Martyno Ma\u017evydo biblioteka,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Lietuvos nacionalinis muziejus, Lietuvos \u0161vietimo muziejus, Lietuvos teatro, muzikos ir kino muziejus, Madonas novadp\u0113tniec\u012bbas un m\u0101kslas muzejs, Maironio lietuvi\u0173 literat\u016bros muziejus, Nacionalinis M. K. \u010ciurlionio dail\u0117s muziejus, Okupacij\u0173 ir laisv\u0117s kov\u0173 muziejus,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Palangos kurorto muziejus, P\u00e4rnu Muuseum, Rahvusrahiiv, Latvijas Nacion\u0101lais Rakstniec\u012bbas un m\u016bzikas muzejs, R\u00e4pina Koduloo- ja Aiandusmuuseum,\u00a0 Rijksmuseum,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>R\u012bgas v\u0113stures un ku\u0123niec\u012bbas muzejs, Roki\u0161kio kra\u0161to muziejus, Skrundas pamatskola,\u00a0 \u0160iauli\u0173 “Au\u0161ros” muziejus, Tallinna \u00dclikooli Akadeemiline Raamatukogu, Tartu Kunstimuuseum, Trak\u0173 istorijos muziejus, Ukmerg\u0117s kra\u0161totyros muziejus, Viljandi Muuseum, Villa \u0160indrek, Vilniaus Gaono \u017eyd\u0173 istorijos muziejus, Vytauto Did\u017eiojo karo muziejus,\u00a0 Anneli Aan, Kristjan-Henn Riet, Ago Ruus, J\u0101nis Prauli\u0146\u0161, J\u016blija Heni\u0146a \u0123imenes arh\u012bvs, P\u0113tera Korsaka \u0123imenes kolekcija<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Special thanks to: Ain\u0101rs Zari\u0146\u0161, Alexey Murashko, Anne \u00dctt, Annegret Kriisa, Antija Erdmane-Hermane, Anton Holzer, Au\u0161ra Jonu\u0161yt\u0117, Baiba Tetere, Daiga Jamonte, Dalia Ker\u0161yt\u0117, Dzintra Cepure, Edita Lansbergien\u0117, Giedr\u0117 Jankevi\u010di\u016bt\u0117, Giedr\u0117 Zuozien\u0117, Guna \u0160evkina, Herki Helves, Ieva Burbait\u0117, Ilze Gauj\u0113na, Ilz\u012bte Ozoli\u0146a, Indulis Zvirgzdi\u0146\u0161, Inta Puj\u0101te, Iveta Ruskule, Jolanta Klietkut\u0117, Jolita Mulevi\u010di\u016bt\u0117, J\u016brat\u0117 Gudait\u0117, Katr\u012bna Teiv\u0101ne,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Kristiina Tiideberg, Lauma Lanceniece, Laura \u017d\u016bsinait\u0117, Liene Johansone-Kuzmina, L\u012bga Sakse, Margarita Matulyt\u0117, M\u0101ra L\u0101ce, Mari Vallikivi, M\u0101r\u012bte Lempa, Milda Dainovskyt\u0117, Mindaugas Kaminskas, Nata\u013cja Jevsejeva, Nele Ambos, Relika Kala, Snieguol\u0117 Kubili\u016bt\u0117, Stanislovas \u017dvirg\u017edas, Toivo Lees, Vaida Sirvydait\u0117, Vaido Lillemaa, Vidmantas Markevi\u010dius, Zane Gr\u012bnvalde, Zita Pikelyt\u0117.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Organizer: National Gallery of Art \/ Lithuanian National Museum of Art<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Project funded by: Culture Ministry of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Council for Culture, Cultural Endowment of Estonia, State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, VV Foundation<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Project partners: Tartu Art Museum, Wunder Kombinat, NoRoutine Books<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sponsors: Fundermax, publishing house “Lapas”<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Information partner: LRT<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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