Subjective e-Atlas of Kaunas

Kaunas’ status as a temporary capital of Lithuania (1919-1940) gave rise to a massive boom in construction, leading to its territory increasing sevenfold during the Interwar Period. Invited by the Modernism for the Future program (part of Kaunas European – Capital of Culture 2022), a group of almost 40 creative residents mapped Kaunas’ contemporary identity through their personal interests, experiences and domesticity. A myriad of perspectives came together visualising what it means to have such a vast heritage. The city’s Modernism proved to be more than an architectural style of the past: it is also a way of living, a synonym for cultural production, a feeling of renewed optimism, and a spirit of novelty.

This Subjective Atlas of Kaunas showcases a surprising collection of urban, natural and everyday spaces and artefacts. Together they invite us to reflect on how this material and immaterial Modernist heritage is perceived, appreciated, disliked, lived with, lived at, observed, ignored and associated with. Could the city’s bright past become an inspiration for a more inclusive future?