Mykolas Juodelė and Sandra Rivero present the photographic research project "Lithuanians of Argentina: Departures and Returns"

In the interwar period, more than 30,000 Lithuanians crossed the Atlantic seeking better prospects in South America. Sandra's great-grandparents were among them. Inspired by Sandra's personal family history, the creators embarked on a journey through Argentina and Lithuanian villages, tracing her ancestors' footsteps and exploring the narratives of the Lithuanian diaspora.

This documentary photo narrative comprises three parts. The first recounts the story of the Šlapelis family from Kupiškis, who founded the town of Sarmiento in Patagonia at the end of the 19th century. This section features previously unpublished photographs and diary excerpts from José Šlapelis, the first photographer of Sarmiento. The second part delves into the histories of Lithuanian communities in Buenos Aires, Rosario, Berisso, and Esquel, as well as the younger generation's returns to Lithuania. The third presents a photo essay of Sandra Rivero's journey to Pasvalys and her ancestral villages, from which her family emigrated to Argentina in 1925.

Mykolas Juodelė is a photojournalist and documentary photographer based in Vilnius. He is an alumnus of the VII Academy's educational programme and has spent over a decade creating documentary photo series on culture, religion, and national identity in countries such as Iran, Mauritania, Sudan, Peru, Argentina, and Lithuania. His reports have been published in outlets like The Guardian, GEO, Stern Magazine, Le Monde, Libération, NARA, and LRT, among others.

Sandra Rivero is a graphic designer and art director of Lithuanian descent from Peru and Argentina, and a co-author of the project "Lithuanians of Argentina: Departures and Returns." Having lived in Peru, Argentina, and the USA at various times, Sandra has called Vilnius home since 2023. There, she works as a graphic designer on various artistic projects and continues to develop branding for her clients in New York.