The Jonas Šliūpas Museum, a branch of the National Museum of Lithuania located in Palanga, invites visitors to start enjoying summer a little earlier this year. On March 26 at 5:30 PM, the museum opens the photography exhibition shapes of respite by Vaclovas Straukas and Aleksandras Macijauskas, featuring hypnotic coastal landscapes and vibrant scenes of beach leisure.

Repose at the Seaside – and in the Exhibition

This year, seaside relaxation in Palanga can begin sooner than expected. “Shapes of respite” presents photographs by Vaclovas Straukas and Aleksandras Macijauskas, taken during their own moments of rest on the coast in the 1970s–1980s. Visitors are invited to rest alongside the photographers: to observe lively beach scenes through Macijauskas’ lens, or to lose themselves in the folds of coastal nature captured by Straukas. It’s a perfect opportunity to daydream about the approaching summer and to relax – at least in mind and sight – on the beach right now.

Curator Dr. Jolanta Bernotaitytė explains: “In this exhibition, we speak both about the physical forms captured by the photographers and the various forms of repose. When photographing these scenes, Vaclovas Straukas and Aleksandras Macijauskas were themselves relaxing on the beach, observing the shapes of nature and bodies – how others play, sunbathe, or simply meditate. This exhibition becomes yet another form of repose for visitors. Especially since it is hosted at the Jonas Šliūpas Museum, located in the Palanga resort. No matter the weather outside, a sunny seaside will be waiting inside the exhibition.”

Meditation and Merriment on Hot Sand

Vaclovas Straukas and Aleksandras Macijauskas did not know each other well. Yet the artists were united by a shared inclination to observe and capture their surroundings attentively. In this exhibition, moments preserved by these two artists – each with a distinct gaze and temperament – merge into a visual narrative about rest.

Vaclovas Straukas’ photographs resemble meditations. While resting in solitude by the sea, the artist captured the tranquility of the surrounding nature. His images gently draw the viewer into a silent, majestic landscape. Straukas conveys the intimacy of coastal meditation – its invitation to slow down and turn inward, toward one’s own thoughts.

In contrast, Aleksandras Macijauskas’ photographs depict a completely different kind of repose – one filled with the bustling joy of beach life under the sun. His work reveals raw human emotion: sun-warmed skin, playful flirting, games, heat-induced smiles, even fatigue, and family dynamics. Each frame offers scenes reminiscent of a lively theatrical performance.

Anticipating Summer with Accompanying Events

Alongside the exhibition “Shapes of respite”, the Jonas Šliūpas Museum presents a series of accompanying events designed to immerse visitors even more deeply in the art of photography and the anticipation of summer.

Visitors will be invited to a conversation with Remigijus Treigys, National Prize-winning photographic artist, and Dr. Tomas Kiauka, philosopher and theologian. The event will explore the poetics of time’s traces and the reflection of shifting time in photography and media art. Dr. Margarita Matulytė, photography historian, will introduce the work of Aleksandras Macijauskas and Vaclovas Straukas within the context of Lithuanian photography. Urban anthropologist Dr. Jekaterina Lavrinec will invite the Palanga city community to a participatory tour titled “For Whom and How Is It Good to Live in a City? The Case of the Palanga Resort.”

Educational and creative workshops will explore human impact on the coastal ecosystem, its fragility, and the space it offers for various forms of creative expression.

The National Museum of Lithuania’s exhibition “Shapes of respite” opens on March 26 at 5:30 PM at the Jonas Šliūpas Museum (Vytauto St. 23A, Palanga).
For updates on accompanying events, follow the Jonas Šliūpas Museum on Facebook and Instagram.