When: Thursday, 1. December 2016
To: Sunday, 12. March 2017
Where: Vilnius, Museum of Genocide Victims (Aukų g. 2A)
The “Stolen Days” project (2014 – 2016) deals with the things political prisoners have missed while being in jail. It focuses on representatives of various political and social movements of Belarus: nationalists, anarchists, environmentalists, social activists. All these people were united by the fact that Lukashenko’s regime viewed each of them as dangerous; forces to be suppressed. At some point their daily routine, their friends and beloved ones, their plans and habitual customs, joys and grievances became unreachable, stored only in their memories.
“There are two main figures here: civil society and power methods of authorities. It is the repressive nature of authorities that determines the choice of characters in this project; it shapes their stories that result from personal prison and law enforcement experience. I am only working with this experience and events making them visible.
I have chosen a prison cell to host an exhibition, a place that remembers the pain and suffering of innocent people who fell prey to Soviet regime in Lithuania. This is an important conceptual decision that develops the theme of the power of authorities in this project and creates a new level of abstraction in its perception” – tells about the project and the exhibition Maxim.
The “Stolen Days” project was started in 2014 and is ongoing till now. It won the Grand Prix of Belarus Press Photo 2015 contest, was a finalist of PRAFOTA 2014 award and finalist of Vilnius Photo Circle 2014 festival.
Maxim Sarychau is a visual artist, lives and works in Minsk, Belarus. Maxim works on long-term projects where he refers to the topics of violence of various forms and grades, both from totalitarian authorities or within traditional society. Another important topic which concerns Maxim is the living beings’ rights. His attempts to equalize values of life of human beings and animals pushes Maxim’s works into the field of ethics, law, politics and humanity.
Using variety of artistic approaches (video, experimental photography, photography appropriation and others), Maxim Sarychau works on discovering new forms of visual storytelling on the edge of video and photography. Maxim is a member of collective LЁD, group of artists from Belarus.
December 1st, 2016 – March 12th, 2017
Museum of genocide victims (Aukų g. 2A, Vilnius, Lithuania).
Cell #8 of KGB prison (underground level of building).
Wednesday – Sunday (10.00-18.00, sunday till 17.00)
Entrance by museum tickets (4€ for adults, 1€ for students).
