The Reformatting of Public Museum Visits as a Characteristic Feature of the Urban Lifestyle: Reflections on the "From Within" Exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in Vilnius

Abstract

This article analyzes the experience of the performative exhibition of Lithuanian Art Nouveau works titled From Within, held at the Museum of Modern Art in Vilnius (October 12, 2024 – August 31, 2025). Curated to foster active engagement, the exhibition allowed the audience, artists, and organizers to interact dynamically while exploring the artifacts. Observations revealed that through their engagement with the artworks, the audience experienced profound self-identification and a sense of liberation from trauma. The nature of this interaction is examined through the lens of Alain de Botton and John Armstrong’s psychoanalytic concepts, as outlined in their book Art as Therapy. Furthermore, the performative nature of the exhibition is explored in relation to the psychological shifts between the Self and the Other within both individual and collective consciousness.