July 20, 2024, marks 30 years of Lukashenka’s authoritarian rule in Belarus, and for our country, this is truly a “dark anniversary”. With so many elections within just a year, a complex geopolitical situation, and the war in Ukraine, now is a time of great trials for the global democratic and progressive movement. Amidst this backdrop, the tragic date for Belarus might go unnoticed. We invite you to see an exhibition held on this occasion.
Arthur Vakarov: “I am a designer. My job is to highlight social and public processes and challenges creatively. Six months ago, as I was reflecting on this sad anniversary and its consequences, I came up with a project concept. And for six months my mind was dominated by ideas for visualizing this number – 30. So I made 30 posters, each depicting the horrific outcomes of Lukashenka’s rule for society, politics, economy, and culture.
I created 30 posters, the main element of which is the number 30 itself. This concept greatly complicated the creative search, and therefore made the work on the project even more professionally difficult and interesting”.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “We are witnessing a worldwide resurgence of populist and authoritarian ideas. In this context, the situation in Belarus only confirms the alarming trend: indifference and trust in propaganda lead to catastrophic consequences. Dear Europeans! Look at Belarusians: We are living witnesses to how easy it is to elect a dictator – and how difficult and costly it is to get rid of one”.
The exhibition will take place in Vilnius, near the Museum of Occupation and Freedom Struggle (Okupacijų ir laisvės kovų muziejus). It will be shown outside, right on the museum fence, in the form of 30 large-format posters.
Exhibition period: 07/24 – 08/24/2024.
Let us invite everyone to attend the opening ceremony on July 24 at 17:00.
