Views of Welcome in Lithuania – the book

Did you ever wonder what it really means to love one’s country to the moon and back?

Since his childhood, Mindaugas Kavaliauskas perceives his home country Lithuania as a map dotted with towns and connected up by roads.

This newest book by Mindaugas Kavaliauskas comprises his photographic work “Views of Welcome in Lithuania” (Lietuva. Pasisveikinimo vaizdai) that started inspired by a dramatic sunset over a signpost of Alytus in 2012 and lead to pursuing the trip across the 103 Lithuania’s towns, most of them more than once, until 2021.

In the long-running tradition of roadside photography, Mindaugas roams the roadsides of Lithuanian towns. While focusing their signposts, he carefully observes the background wiews that merge into the Wiews of Welcome. Beyond documenting urban and suburban Lithuania’s lanscape, photographer also tells his personal story of family roadtrips. From his grandpa to his dad, from father to himself, the son, coasting the roads of Lithuania – to the moon and back.

Sequenced from A to Ž (the last letter in the Lithuanian ABC), the book leads the viewer all the way from Akmenė to Žagarė. The bilingual book (Lithuanian + English) acquired its design by Miglė Ceinorytė, styled with diagonal text motives.

Its 240 pages feature close to 200 photographs, an intro text by Ričardas Šileika and a story text by photographer himself, Mindaugas Kavaliauskas.

The book was published in September 2021 by VšĮ Šviesos raštas (Kaunas, Lithuania), printed by KOPA.
Print run 300 copies.