The International Photography and Media Art Festival IPMA, organised for the first time, was officially opened. Congratulating the large number of attendants of the festival, Lukas Alsys, Head of the Arts Academy of the Faculty of Arts and Education, said: “We are witnesses of a historic event because IPMA – the first photography and media art festival in Lithuania – is starting today. Thanks to the Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution (HEI), it is so interesting and diverse in its programme, and exhibitions of foreign and Lithuanian artists. We thank the sponsors Fujifilm and the National Kaunas Drama Theatre for their support in organising the festival, as well as the partners: “Žalgiris” Arena, Kaunas Artists’ House, Meno Parkas and 101 galleries, and the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art.”

Kauno kolegija HEI Deputy Director for Organisational Development Dr Inga Stravinskienė congratulated the originator of the IPMA idea and its manager, Svetlana Batura, Coordinator of the Photography study programme of the Academy of Arts, wishing the festival to become a continuous event of Kauno kolegija HEI.

“It is amazing that we are opening the festival by inviting the audience to the exhibition “Trauma Porn” by the famous and exceptional artist Boris Eldagsen, which encourages us to think about how fragile this world is,” noted Jolanta Bareikienė, Kauno kolegija HEI Deputy Director for Studies.

In thanks to Dr I. Stravinskienė and J. Bareikienė for their supportive words of congratulations, S. Batura, the Head of the festival, said that she felt great. “It was not difficult for me to organise the festival, because, with the help of the Kauno kolegija HEI, I realised my dream, which I share with all the festival’s attendants,” emphasised S. Batura.

PROGRAMME OF THE FESTIVAL

Attendance at the festival events is free for the Kauno kolegija HEI community.

Festival organisers: Kauno kolegija Higher Education Institution

Director of the festival: Svetlana Batura, Coordinator of the Photography study programme of the Academy of Arts, Faculty of Arts and Education