On October 3–5, Palanga will become the cultural capital of Japan. An international bonsai and Japanese culture festival will be held here, attracting artists from all over the world, from Japan to Mexico. The three-day event program includes almost 50 different exhibitions, performances and educational events, which will await visitors in three different locations in Palanga.
The festival program includes an exhibition of bonsai trees, which will reveal the beauty of autumn colors, exhibitions of Japanese kimonos and paintings, a presentation of suiseki stone art, and a demonstration of Japanese music and dog breeds.
One of the main highlights of the event is a competition for young talents, where participants will receive a bonsai tree by lottery and have to shape it within a few hours. All events are free of charge, except for the performance "Buddha in the Attic" and the concert by Keiko Borjeson, which visitors will be able to see for a symbolic price.
Selected program
In total, about 60 artists and participants from almost 20 countries will participate in the three-day festival. Festival events will take place in three locations in Palanga – Palanga Concert Hall, Kurhaus and Palanga Resort Museum. Special attention will be paid to young people throughout the festival. An exhibition introducing contemporary Japanese street style will be held. Children and teenagers will also have the opportunity to participate in educational events, meet artists and observe the creative process of various branches of Japanese art up close.
Topics: 9 Japan Palanga Art Bonsai Concert Competition Exhibition Festival Kęstutis Ptakauskas The festival program includes an exhibition of bonsai trees, which will reveal the beauty of autumn colors, exhibitions of Japanese kimonos and paintings, a presentation of suiseki stone art, a demonstration of Japanese music and dog breeds. Photo by K.Ptakauskas/Bonsai exhibition in Palanga Bonsai exhibition in Palanga / Photo by K.Ptakauskas. One of the main highlights of the event is a competition for young talents, in which participants will receive a bonsai tree by lottery and will have to shape it within a few hours. All events are free of charge, except for the performance "Buddha in the Attic" and the concert of Keiko Borjeson, which visitors will be able to see for a symbolic price. Kęstutis Ptakauskas bonsai art K.Ptakauskas bonsai art K.Ptakauskas bonsai art K.Ptakauskas bonsai art K.Ptakauskas bonsai art K.Ptakauskas bonsai art K.Ptakauskas bonsai art K.Ptakauskas bonsai art K.Ptakauskas bonsai art K.Ptakauskas bonsai art +10 K.Ptakauskas bonsai art Selected program In total, about 60 artists and participants from almost 20 countries will participate in the three-day festival. Festival events will take place in three places in Palanga - Palanga Concert Hall, Kurhaus and Palanga Resort Museum. Special attention will be paid to youth on all days of the festival. An exhibition will be held introducing contemporary Japanese street style. Children and teenagers will also have the opportunity to participate in education, meet artists and closely observe the creative process of various branches of Japanese art.
According to the event organizer, long-time bonsai artist Kęstutis Ptakauskas, this will undoubtedly be the largest event of this scale in the Baltic States. We have not had such an event and will not have one for a long time. I want people to see not only the results, but also the creative process itself – how bonsai is born, how works of art are created. It is always fascinating because it opens the door to a world that usually remains invisible,” says K. Ptakauskas.
"Buddha in the Attic" will invite you on a date
For those inclined to visual arts, the festival invites you to see a one-part play by Lithuanian director Birutė Mar based on the novel "Buddha in the Attic" by writer Julie Otsuka. It will be performed by the "Solo Theatre" founded by (not only) one actor.
The novel "Buddha in the Attic" by Japanese-American writer J. Otsuka (also published in Lithuanian a few years ago) was immediately noticed and awarded important American literary prizes. The book is based on the true life stories of Japanese emigrants who moved from Tokyo to the United States in the early 20th century.
This work is a story about the fate of emigrants. In a way, it is reminiscent of today's emigration, as well as the era of the occupation of Lithuania and Siberian exile, when thousands of people were quietly "wiped" off the map of Lithuania and the world, and the Holocaust period in Europe. It is a sensitive story about one's roots, connection with the past and ancestors in the era of the mixing of the world's nations, about the identity of the nation as a strength and a way to survive.
The creator and director of the performance, Birutė Mar, studied traditional Nihon Buyo dance and Noh theater in Tokyo and has published a book of Japanese diaries, Kokoro ("The Gorge").
The festival will be crowned by a performance by a famous jazz pianist
This year's international festival will also feature outstanding stars of Japanese art and culture. In an unprecedented format, the Palanga Concert Hall will feature jazz improvisations by Japanese Keiko Borjeson. According to the event organizers, she is probably one of the most charming guests of the festival.
K.Borjeson is one of the most original jazz pianists and a unique master of improvisation, having even played at the White House. The jazz performer was joined by Lithuanian musicians – saxophonist Laimonas Urbikas and Edmundas Federavičius (percussion).
Born in Tokyo, Keiko Borjeson began performing at the age of three and made her television debut at the age of five. The artist is reportedly a regular participant in various festivals around the world and has performed in several European countries, as well as in the United States, China, Hong Kong, and Egypt.
K.Borjeson has also received the Jazz Audio Prize and Jazz Critics Awards for her CDs. The style of music she performs is described as elegant, rhythmic jazz with a strong bebop flavor.
A life-changing hobby
The festival organizer and world-renowned bonsai master Kęstutis Ptakauskas discovered the art of bonsai back in 1988. As soon as he started caring for the trees, he felt that this activity had healing powers – his hands touching a small tree distracted his thoughts from the darkness left by the war.
"While studying, I saw how much bonsai helped me recover from my war experiences. But even more importantly, how many people around the world bonsai helps to endure severe losses and come to terms with life's trials," shares Kęstutis.
At first it was just a hobby, which quickly grew into a job, and later into a way of life. The first exhibitions were small, dedicated solely to bonsai art, but soon a broader vision emerged - to showcase other aspects of Japanese culture.
"All my exhibitions are active and demonstrative - in them we always show how one or another type of art is born. This is the only way to understand how much effort lies behind the work. People are fascinated not only by the result itself, but also by the creative process itself," says the artist.
"Through bonsai and Japanese arts, we learn that true beauty lies in harmony - between tradition and modernity, between nature and the human spirit," says K. Ptakauskas.
He is convinced that bonsai art has not only aesthetic but also therapeutic power. And anyone visiting Palanga on the first weekend of October will be able to see this for themselves.
Full article >