R. Treigys. Tribune, 1989

On 2024 July 11 5:30 p.m. The photography exhibition “Tribune” by Remigius Treigis opens at the Museum of Photography (Vilniaus St. 140, Šiauliai). The exhibition will run until 2024. August 25.

A tribune is an elevated platform from which opinions are typically expressed publicly, delivering a specific message to the gathered audience. The content, style, and rhetoric of the public speech can greatly differ depending on the author and/or speaker. Nonetheless, the underlying goal usually remains consistent – to persuasively convey information in a way that convinces the listener. The importance of the information to the orator is not always a given, as speeches from tribunes can serve various purposes. However, Remigijus Treigys stands apart in this context. For him, a tribune serves primarily as a means to broadcast what is most significant to him, irrespective of its impact or utility to others. Hence, he adopts a higher stance not for speculation or manipulation, but for the purpose of being heard. Treigys understands that his photographic language requires no special conditions for comprehension. It has consistently made a distinct impression across various contexts, piercing through the thickest noise. Treigys’ photography has been instantly recognizable, regardless of how he may alter or change his tools and methods. This time, however, he seeks exceptional attention and silence as he presents the essence of his work, emphasizing that every piece, whether created thirty years ago or six months ago, holds equal importance.

One of the earliest photographs by R. Treigys, “Tribune” (1989), has been selected as the symbolic heart of the exhibition. It represents a venue for delivering impactful messages, reflecting the author’s current stance, marking the inception of his creative journey, and serving as a focal point for retrospective analysis. With a concise array of expressions and themes, R. Treigys has been crafting photographs that are layered and rich in meaning for several decades. He is recognized as a leading figure in the aesthetics of tedium, known for his distinct, recognizable, and adaptable style. Historically, Treigys’ photography has always been tethered to reality, even as he transformed it beyond recognition in the photo lab to forge his own version of reality. In recent years, Treigys has evolved his art into what might be termed as (non)photography – creations that blur the lines between painting and photography without any initial grounding in reality. These works are driven entirely by the author’s visions, encompassing transient or enduring emotions, memories, and more.

Despite the changes in the author and his work, he remains unmistakably recognizable. Therefore, it is easy to trust him. He transcends specific locations, inviting audiences into both familiar and unfamiliar spaces. By addressing (or not addressing) time, he merges the past, present, and future into a singular continuum. Everything here is as stable as it is relative. And this is not mysticism, but rather a summary of reality. R. Treigys points to simple things. And although the language of his photographic messages seems clear, the words sound different each time. Perhaps this could explain the surreal quality of his work.

Curator Danguolė Ruškienė

Remigijus Treigys (b. 1961) is a photography artist, member of the Lithuanian Photographers Association, Creators Association and the Klaipėda County Artists’ Association. He serves as an Associate Professor at the Vilnius Academy of Arts, Klaipėda Faculty. In 1991, he was honoured with the Prize for Young Artists by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania. In 2005, Treigys received a CEC Arts Link scholarship (New York, USA) along with scholarships from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania. He was bestowed the title of Klaipėda City Culture Master in 2018 and was elected the best artist of “ArtVilnius’20”. In 2021, he became a laureate of the National Prize of Culture and Arts of Lithuania.

Treigys has been actively participating in exhibitions since 1986, holding 60 solo exhibitions and participating in over 80 group exhibitions both in Lithuania and internationally. He has completed residencies in creative studios in Finland, Germany, and Austria, earning numerous significant awards and recognitions. His works are preserved in the National Art Gallery, MO Museum, Lithuanian Photographers Association, Photography Museum in Šiauliai, Odense City Art Museum (Denmark), European Parliament Art Gallery (Brussels), PROARTIBUS centre (Finland), as well as in private collections both in Lithuania and abroad.

Treigys currently lives and works in Klaipėda.

Curator – Danguolė Ruškienė

Organiser – Artists Association (Kūrėjų sąjunga)

Partner – Department of Šiauliai Aušra Museum – The Photography Museum

The project is financed by the Lithuanian Council for Culture