About the symposium

The first International Symposium “Felt’ 98” (“Veltinis’ 98“) has been organised from the 19th of August to the 2nd of September, 1998 and took a place in the city of Anykščiai.

There are plans to continue the international symposium project for the purpose of modern textile art promotion, sharing the experience, exchanging information, and arranging shows of textile art in various cities of Lithuania and abroad.

The technique of felting has been used by many nations since ancient times. Felt symposiums present a great opportunity for professional artists to express, improvise and reinvent this technique from the scratch.

In addition to creative activities the participants of the symposium are doing the presentations of traditional and modern culture of their countries, are including the slide lectures and reports on urgent art issues. Also the demonstrations of individual techniques acquainting everyone with wide possibilities for felt applications.

Participants: The organisers of the Symposium “Felt’ 98“ have invited 24 artists from 8 countries (Estonia, Finland, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden): group “Baltos kandys” (“White Moths”) (LT): Austė Jurgelionytė, Karolina Kunčinaitė, Miglė Lebednykaitė, Rasa Leonavičiūtė, Laura Pavilonytė, Julija Vosyliūtė; Eglė Ganda Bogdanienė (LT), Katre Karina Matiukienė (LT), Greta Kardišiūtė (LT), Gerda Navickaitė (LT), Sanita Leišavniece (LV), Kaspars Lielgalvis (LV), Gražina Tomczyk (Poland), Edyta Jakubovska (Poland), Camilla Johansson (Sweden), Karin Jonsson (Sweden), Saole Bapanova (Kazakhstan), Eva Hopp (Norway), Synnøve Øuen (Norway), John Kare Raustein (Norway), Emmi Hyttinen (Finland, Hina Niemi (Finland), Mae Lambing (Estonia), Mari Ounap (Estonia).

In 1988 the group “White Moths” and Eglė-Ganda Bogdanienė arranged the 1st International Festival “Veltinis’ 98” that took place in Anykščiai, in the Velteksa factory (now the R.Biliūnas Sole Proprietorship “Fetras”). The works generated during that symposium were exhibited in the “Academy” Gallery in Vilnius. The spectators of the “Veltinis’ 98” show were pleasantly surprised by the colourful and unique felt techniques. It is important to note here, that on closing the 1st International Symposium “Felt’ 98“ (“Veltinis’ 98”) the Textile Chair of the Vilnius Fine Arts Academy included in their curriculum the new subject titled “Felt techniques in traditional and modern textile”.

The Symposium has been completed with the exhibition of works generated during the Symposium in the factory “Velteksa”, in the “Academy“ Gallery in Vilnius, in the Civic Art Gallery in Panevežys.

Organisers: The Symposium “Felt’ 98“ has been organised by the Artists’ Group “White Moths” and Eglė Ganda Bogdanienė in co-operation with the Vilnius Fine Arts Academy.

The principal sponsors: the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, The Foundation for Support of the NGO Culture Projects, the Vilnius Fine Arts Academy, factory “Velteksa” (R.Biliūnas factory “Fetras”), factory “Vernitas”, factory “Liteksas”.