This sets them apart from many European art festivals, where international visibility and English-language communication have become almost self-evident. In both cases, most public information is available only in Lithuanian, making it more challenging for international visitors to navigate the programme and practical information.
Yet this does not necessarily have to be seen as a disadvantage. Festivals rooted in local communities offer visitors the opportunity to experience a place much as local residents do, rather than through an event specifically tailored for international audiences. With today’s translation tools significantly reducing language barriers, such festivals may even provide a more authentic cultural experience.
This does not mean that the festivals are not welcoming international visitors. Rather, their primary focus appears to be engaging local audiences, while their international dimension is created through artists, residencies and collaborative networks.
ARITMIJA – A Small Town Becomes an Art Festival for Three Days
Running from 31 July to 2 August, Aritmija returns for its sixth edition in the small Lithuanian town of Merkinė. The interdisciplinary festival transforms multiple locations across the town into exhibition spaces, including a former sawmill, an old boarding school, galleries, the cultural centre, public spaces and even local businesses.
This year’s programme brings together more than 80 artists, musicians and performers, including over 40 visual artists. During the three-day festival, visitors can experience exhibitions, installations, performances, concerts, workshops, artist talks and public discussions.
International participation is an important part of the festival, bringing together artists from Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Ukraine, Japan, Belarus, France and several other countries. At the same time, the festival’s official communication remains almost entirely in Lithuanian, with no publicly available English-language programme.
MEDUS – A New Residency Opens Its Doors
Unlike Aritmija, Medus is built around the first public programme of the newly established Drugelių stotis artist residency. The festival focuses on the participating artists and the works developed through the residency.
The inaugural residency brings together ten artists, including Robertas Narkus, Julijonas Urbonas, Laura Garbštienė, Mykolas Sauka, Andrius Arutiunian, and Estonian artist Kris Lemsalu, whose new work Embrace the Unknown will be presented on the Curonian Lagoon during the festival.
Although Medus provides an English-language programme and the residency itself has a clear international outlook, the festival is primarily structured around encounters between the resident artists and the local community rather than serving large-scale international cultural tourism.
