Friday, August 5th, 6 p.m. we would hereby like to invite you to the photography exhibition by Vilma Samulionytė „60 monnuments. Civil registy offices“ in Jonava cultural center gallery.

There are 60 civil registry offices in Lithuania. During soviet times when the state was reorganized (50’s) social rituals had to change as well. Newly made civil registry offices replaced traditionally existed marriage places and became official institution, which could register marriage and issue the marriage certificate. Those artificially constructed spaces suddenly became the legalizing institution of your status and the place of “life celebration”, which before was a church.

After the fall of communism civil registry offices stayed and they still function as it was. Now-days you can register your marriage in the office or in the church. Civil registration offices kind of emptied in last decade.

In the series documented inheritance of soviet times is more like not fully functioning relict object. Frontal composition of photographs and concentration on main object – the table, focuses on institution as a bureaucratic one and decorative interior of halls highlights artificial sanctity of spaces.

Details accompanying the series over the time grew into groups of typical parts of any office: plants, hangers, waiting chairs etc. Civil marriage offices usually had pieces of art specially made of stained glass or in different technique with symbolical content about greatness of the future, unity, and family.

The principle of typology used in the series documents visual ways of soviet ideology and highlights monumental inhumanity with its emptiness.