Algimantas Žižiūnas

Algimantas Žižiūnas (born 1940) is a Lithuanian photographer, particularly of portraits, ethnography, documentary, and photojournalism.

Life and work

Žižiūnas was born in Kaunas on 1 January 1940. In 1963 he graduated from Kaunas Food Industry Technical School, and worked for Anykščiai winery for two years. In 1965 he entered Vilnius University to study journalism and started working for the Anyksciai district newspaper’s editorial office.

Between 1956 and 1957, Ziziunas took part in the All Saints’ Day events in Kaunas, resulting in him being imprisoned and interrogated for several days. After his release, the KGB was constantly keeping an eye on him throughout the Soviet period. As a student at secondary and technical schools, and later as an employee, he was always engaged in art: he took pictures, contributed to newspapers and magazines, and participated in various national and international exhibitions.

Ziziunas organized the first Anyksciai district Amateur Photographers’ Exhibition. In 1970 he moved to Vilnius and worked for different editorial offices and publishing houses. Soon after, he became a member of the Union of Lithuanian Art Photographers, and later joined the Lithuanian Journalists’ Union. He was an active journalist and art photographer until 2007. On 11 November 2005, under the order of the minister of culture, he was given the title of art creator.

The All Saints' Day events in 1956-1957 in Kaunas served as a response to the events of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. As a result, on 23 October 2006, Ziziunas together with other ten participants of the All Saints' Day events received the Letters of Appreciation on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Revolution by the Hungarian Embassy.

Awards

As an art photographer he has won two gold medals for union exhibitions and one silver in the international photo exhibition "Žena–88"("Woman–88") in Czechoslovakia, and has over 50 other awards. The main themes for his entries: "Anykščiai" (1963–2007); "Journalists" (1965–2007); "Lithuanian nature (1958); "Moments" (1965–2007); "Oh, the music!" (between 1969–2007); "Hands" (1970–2007); "Ančiškis – Lithuania middle" (1970–2007); "Kola Peninsula" (1974–1990); "Faces and Thoughts" (1977–2007); "Visions" (1977–1990); "The Seas" (1978–2007); "Where the Urals, Siberia" (1972–1987); "Turkmenistan" (1989); "Artists" (1970–2007); "Scientists" (1970–2007); "Theater" (1970–2007).

Since 1977, Žižiūnas has created his own portraits on the original thought–out cycle "Faces and thoughts." He has arranged over thirty photographic exhibitions both in Lithuania and abroad. It is well–known that Lithuanian people and tourists go to look at the portraits. He asked, with the portrayed next to the portrait, for them to write about their profession, work, and life. This was intensive work, and he has accumulated over 1,500 photo sheets. This collection is included in the agency Factum Lithuanian Book of Records, published in 2003.

Solo exhibitions

The House of Culture, Monchiagorsk, Russia, 1974; Journalists Union of Sverdlovsk, Russia, 1980; University, Vilnius, 1982; TV Lithuania, Vilnius, 1983; TV Lithuania, Vilnius, 1986; Republican Library, Vilnius, 1983; Central Library, Šilutė, 1983; The House of Culture, Krasnoyarsk, Russia, 1983; Republican Library, Vilnius, 1984; Palace of Culture, Anyksciai, 1985; Theater Space, Sverdlovsk, Russia, 1986; Theater Space, Sverdlovsk, Russia, 1987; Republican Cinema Centre, Vilnius, 1987; "Faces and Thoughts", Artists House, Vilnius, 1987; Artists House, Vilnius, 1988; Education and Science House, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, 1989; "Faces and Thoughts", Photography Gallery, Vilnius, 1990; "Lithuanian writers, Pedagogical Institute, Vilnius, 1990; Cultural Center, Sumy, Ukraine, 1991; "Visions", theater "Vaidila", Vilnius, 1995; "Faces and Thoughts", City Hall, Vilnius, 1998; "Faces and thoughts", Maironis Literature Museum, Kaunas, 1999; Teachers house, Vilnius, 1999; "Faces and Thoughts", Vilnius Photography Gallery, Vilnius, 2000; "Anciškis – Lithuania middle", Ethnographic Museum, Panevezys, 2000; "Faces and Thoughts", photography gallery Prospect, Vilnius, 2001, 2005, 2015; "Faces and thoughts," Petkevicaite–Bite Public Library, Panevezys (Panevėžys), 2002; "Faces and thoughts", Biržai Region Sėlos Museum, the Exchange 2003. Group exhibitions: "Work – human wings", Moscow, Russia, 1984; Scientists House, Moscow, Russia, 1989; "Movement", City Hall, Veszprém, Hungary, 1989; Exhibition Gallery, Berlin, Germany, 1990; Alex Gallery, Washington, USA, 1990; "Movement", Det Norske Teateret, Deichmanske Library, Oslo, Norway, 1991; "January events in Lithuania," club culture filmowej, Zielona Gora, Poland, 1991; "January events in Lithuania", City Exhibition Hall, Bratislava, Slovakia, 1991; "January events in Lithuania," World Peace Congress in Rome, Italy, 1991; "January events in Lithuania," Political prisoners Palace, Budapest, Hungary, 1991; "January events in Lithuania," Kultur–BUSETTI Hall, Stockholm, Sweden, 1991; "January events in Lithuania", University Tübingen, Germany, 1991.

Photographic collections

Lithuanian Union of Art Photographers, Vilnius; Lithuanian Art Museum, Vilnius; National M. Mažvydas Library, Vilnius; For the period 2008–2010. Lithuanian State donated at least 2 000 000 value personal photographer archive, handing it to store video and audio archives of Vilnius. Bibliography. Lithuanian Photography (Vilnius, 1971, 1974, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1987); Ōīņī Photo (Moscow, 1974); International Center of Photography. Encyclopedia of Photography (New York, 1984); Fotojarbuch International (Leipzig 1982); Fotografen aus der UdSSR (Baden–Baden, 1982); Fotogrfija v Strukture massovoj kommunikacii (Vilnius, 1986); Encyclopedia of Journalism (Vilnius, 1997); Lithuanian Freedom Movement (Vilnius, 1998); Lithuania. Past, Culture, Present (Vilnius, 1999); Freedom of Lithuania (Vilnius, 2000); Lithuanian Photography: Yesterday and Today (Vilnius, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, etc.). Who is who in Lithuania (Kaunas, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010).

Other activities

Žižiūnas creates and writes fiction: poetry, short stories, and photonovels. In particular, a number of works have been written for children, one of which – the poem "Ice Hole Secrets", 2005 went for a separate book. His works are published in the children's magazine "Bitutė" ("Bee") and the newspaper "Kregždutė" ("Swallow"). It is an independent member of the Writers' Union.

References

Literature

Pristatytas leidinyje International Center of Photography. Encyclopedia of Photography, – New York, 1984.
Žurnalistikos enciklopedija (Vilnius, 1997)
Kas yra kas Lietuvoje (Kaunas, 2006; 2007, 2008)
Lietuvos rekordų knyga (V. Navaitis. Vilnius, 2003)
Senjorai, 2009
„Asmenybės. 1990–2015 m. Lietuvos pasiekimai“, 2015
P. R. Liubertaitė. Apvogtas ir nuniokotas fotomenininko archyvas // Literatūra ir menas. – 2009 m., Nr. 3 (3220).
P. R. Liubertaitė. Menininko problema: buvo, bet tarsi nebėra arba amžinas disidentas // Voruta. – 2010 m. vas. 20, nr. 4 (694), p. 14.
G. Milkevičiūtė. Fotometraštininkas gyvas meile ir viltimi // Respublika – 2010 m. vasario mėn. 27 d.
P. R. Liubertaitė. Neįgali valstybė „atsidėkoja“ už dovanotą asmeninį fotografijų archyvą // Lietuvos aidas – 2012 m. lapkritis – gruodis.
L. Veličkaitė. Garbingas apdovanojimas jubiliejaus proga // Lietuvos aidas – 2015 m. sausio 27 d.
P. R. Liubertaitė. Fotografas yra ta trečioji akis // Voruta – 2015 m. balandžio 29 d.
R. Pakalkienė. Paroda „Mano vizijų moterys“ – kaip baigiamasis akordas // „Lietuvos žinios“ – 2016 m. sausio 7 d.
J. K. Ogulevičiūtė. Kūrėjai Žižiūnai: su poezija visą laiką ir gyvenome // http://www.alfa.lt/ – 2016 m. sausio 10 d.
L. Veličkaitė. Poetinių portretų paroda „Mano vizijų moterys“ // Lietuvos aidas – 2016 m. sausio 12 d.

External links

(Lithuanian)

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